Arizona Baseball adds Butler pitcher, Derek Drees via transfer

The 2023 Arizona Baseball may be a few months away but the roster is beginning to take form as the Wildcats have added Butler transfer, Derek Drees. 

The 2022 Arizona Baseball season ended a month ago, and already head coach Chip Hale and the Wildcats have been busy dealing with roster turnover.

And with several changes likely to still be happening to the roster over the next several months, Arizona has already added a solid piece to its roster for next year with Butler pitcher Derek Drees.

Making news on Monday, the former Butler pitcher committed to the Wildcats, and he should be immediately eligible to make an impact for the Cats.

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Coming in as a 6-foot-6 right-hander, Drees spent five seasons in Indianapolis compiling a 5-4 record with a 3.12 ERA in 52.0 innings pitched.

Last season was his best statistically as he appeared in 17 games (35.1 innings) for the Bulldogs earning a 4-3 record with a 1.27 ERA en route to earning Second-Team Big East Conference honors.

Hoping to improve its pitching staff, Arizona Baseball adding Derek Drees is a big win for the Wildcats.

As we saw this past season, it was that the Wildcats’ pitching staff was rough. The team posted a paltry 5.04 ERA, all while allowing opposing teams to hit .270 from the dish.

Naturally, Hale and Arizona are looking to improve in that area this off-season and quickly. Luckily, they are well on their way as they have added Drees who should be a nice filler to the Wildcats’ bullpen.

Beyond that, Arizona has several pitchers committed for 2022 with names that include Andrew Carroll, Kenan Elarton, Mason Kelley, and Hayden Lewis.

Hopefully, even with the 2022 MLB Draft happening this weekend, Arizona will be able to get most, if not all on campus for next season. In the meantime, look for the Wildcats to be very active on the recruiting trail over the next several weeks.