Zac Lowther

Lowther attended Cuyahoga Heights High School in Cuyahoga Heights, Ohio, and played as a pitcher for their baseball team. He also started on the varsity football team for two seasons. In three years on the varsity team, Lowther had a 12–2 win–loss record, a 0.71 earned run average, and 201 strikeouts.[1][2] He enrolled at Xavier University and played college baseball for the Xavier Musketeers.[3] He led the Big East Conference with 86 strikeouts in 2016, his sophomore year.[2] That summer, he pitched for the Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape Cod Baseball League, and led the league with 54 strikeouts.[3] In 2017, Lowther set an Xavier single-season record with 123 strikeouts and was named to the All-Big East Conference team.[4]

The Baltimore Orioles selected Lowther in the second round, with the 74th overall selection, of the 2017 MLB draft.[2][5] He became the highest draft pick from Xavier's baseball program.[4] Lowther signed with the Orioles, receiving a $779,500 signing bonus.[6] He pitched for the Aberdeen IronBirds of the Class A-Short Season New York-Penn League after he signed,[7] going 2–2 with a 1.66 ERA in 12 games (11 starts).[8] He began the 2018 season with the Delmarva Shorebirds of the Class A South Atlantic League.[9][10] In May, the Orioles promoted Lowther to the Frederick Keys of the Class A-Advanced Carolina League[11] and he finished the season there. In 23 games (22 starts) between the two clubs, he pitched to an 8-4 record with a 2.18 ERA.[12]

Lowther spent 2019 with the Bowie Baysox of the Class AA Eastern League,[13] going 13-7 with a 2.55 ERA over 26 starts, striking out 154 batters over 148 innings.[14]

Lowther's father, Marc, coached him from the time he was six years old through his career at Cuyahoga Heights.[1]

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)