Drew Irvine, a 2018 graduate of Waukee, worked hard in high school to get where he is today. After being ranked 6th among RHPs and 8th overall by PBR in Iowa’s 2018 class, he committed to the University of Iowa, where he continues to develop. Based on his performance in the fall, he looks like a potential  2021 MLB Draft prospect. With the guidance of coaches and showcases, Irvine has learned, grown, and found success.

 

Choosing to commit to the University of Iowa didn’t take Irvine a lot of time to decide. “Growing up as a little kid, Iowa was my favorite school,” he said. “I was just a big Hawkeye fan, so it was a pretty easy decision. I was pretty underdeveloped in high school, and I didn't really hit a growth spurt or gain weight until my junior or senior year...Once I got the opportunity from Coach Heller to come here, it was a no brainer to be on campus and get to work.”

Since joining Iowa baseball, Irvine has learned a lot. “I would say Coach Robin Lund, our pitching coach here...he came in and just absolutely blew us away with the analytic side of baseball and a lot of stuff that I had never seen before or heard of before,” he said. “I was always told the classic 'throw strikes and get your fielding position after you throw,' which is kind of ridiculous and funny looking back now.”

Attending showcases helped Irvine on his journey to collegiate baseball. “They were super awesome,” he said. “It really gave me the platform and the opportunity to showcase my skills. Iowa necessarily wouldn't have gotten the chance because we play summer baseball…so I think it just gave me a platform to showcase my abilities that I would have never had in the first place.”

 

Drew Irvine 8/6/17

After attending multiple showcases throughout high school, Irvine found that preparation makes a difference. “I would just say, go into it and know what you have to do at the showcase,” he said. “If you're an infielder, you have to do the infield velo and get your groundballs. If you're a pitcher, you want to try and blow up a radar gun. But at the same time, you want to show that you can throw pitches in the zone. As a hitter, you have to have exit velo and show that you can hit the ball to all sides of the field. I would just say, know what you need to do when you get there and be prepared for it.”

It’s also important to have faith. “There's going to be tough times but just make sure that you stick with it and really trust that it'll all work out,” Irvine said. “Everything will go as planned.”

 

Drew Irvine has developed a lot since high school. A growth spurt, a new coach, preparation, and trust became his recipe for success in baseball. Now he can continue growing to see where the success takes him.

 

Savannah Dennis is currently a senior at Johnston High School and has been working for Prep Baseball Report Iowa as an intern since October 2020. She has been managing the Johnston baseball team since she was a freshman and has also worked for the Iowa Sticks team as a data collector. Outside of the baseball industry, Savannah is the Print Editor for the Johnston Black & White newspaper. In the fall, she plans on going to college and majoring in statistics while managing the chosen school's baseball team.