Conger going to Vanderbilt regardless of Draft outcome

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Maddux Conger plans to go to Vanderbilt regardless where he is selected in the 2015 MLB Draft. || BRAD KEITH/TheFlashToday.com

TheFlashToday.com NEWS & SPORTS – FREE & LOCAL

By BRAD KEITH

TheFlashToday.com

(June 9, 2015) — Maddux Conger has informed Major League teams he plans to attend Vanderbilt (Tenn.) regardless where he is selected in the ongoing 2015 Draft.

Conger, who just graduated from Stephenville High School, is known best for his big-league fastball that often reaches 93 miles per hour. He first committed to Arizona State, but decommitted following a coaching change. He later committed to and eventually signed a national letter of intent with Vanderbilt, the 2014 College World Series champ and a member of the Southeastern Conference.

Maddux Conger fires a pitch for Stephenville during the area round of the 2015 Region I-4A Texas high school baseball playoffs. || BRAD KEITH/TheFlashToday.com
Maddux Conger fires a pitch for Stephenville during the area round of the 2015 Region I-4A Texas high school baseball playoffs. || BRAD KEITH/TheFlashToday.com

Until Conger made it clear he had no intention of foregoing college, he was labeled by scouts as a third-to-fourth round prospect. There were even teams throwing the second round into the discussion as recently as Sunday, the eve of the opening two rounds of the Draft.

“Maddux had some teams come in on Sunday and try to persuade him to sign between rounds two and three, but he let the teams know that he is going to school,” said the prospect’s father, Tarleton baseball head coach Bryan Conger, by text message before the start of day two of the Draft on Tuesday. “Long story short, if he does get drafted now, it will be late.”

Conger helped Stephenville to the Region I-4A finals, regional quarterfinals and the area round the last three seasons, but caught the eye of scouts during summer ball.


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Playing in events such as the World Wood Bat Association World Championship and the Battle of the Borders between standouts from Texas and Louisiana kept Conger in front of scouts, and he ultimately was a 2014 Perfect Game Underclass First-Team All-American and a 2015 Perfect Game Third-Team All-American.

Rounds 3-10 of the Draft are in progress at the time of this writing just past noon Tuesday. Rounds 11-40 are Wednesday, starting at 11 a.m. (CST).

Tarleton has a late-round prospect in pitcher Kyle Gottardy, but Conger believes he is most likely to get his shot as an undrafted free agent.


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