FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Kalamazoo, Mich. – On Sunday, 2022 Kalamazoo Growler Griff O’Ferrall was selected 32nd overall in the MLB Draft by the Baltimore Orioles.

O’Ferrall becomes the first-ever Kalamazoo Growler to be picked in the first round of the MLB Draft and is the 62nd former Growler to have his name called. In all, 75 former Growlers have either been drafted or signed by a major league organization.

The shortstop from Virginia passes a pair of Cavaliers in Jake and Zack Gelof who each were picked 60th overall in their respective drafts.

In 2022, O’Ferrall was one of the top bats who helped lead the Growlers to its first-ever Northwoods League title. O’Ferrall garnered a hit in 21 of his 24 games played in Kalamazoo and was the fastest player in franchise history to 10 RBI, doing it in just his first six games. O’Ferrall slashed .343/.452/.448 while smacking eight extra-base hits and driving in 23 RBI.

A dominant shortstop in his three seasons at Virginia, O’Ferrall is one of just two players in UVA history to produce back-to-back 90-hit seasons. This spring, O’Ferrall had a career-high 52 RBI and a .984 fielding percentage. Behind this production, O’Ferrall was named a 2nd-Team All-American, an ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Award Winner, and the Brooks Wallace Award, given each year to the best collegiate shortstop.

He has the most hits (270) and runs scored (196) of any three-year player in program history and has started every game for UVA at shortstop since arriving as a freshman in 2022.

Across the 20 rounds of the 2024 MLB Draft, many #GrowlersPipeline players will head to the next level. Stay tuned on the Growlers socials for updates and more information.

The Kalamazoo Growlers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Entering its’ 31st season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 26 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff, over 350 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (TEX), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (STL) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (ATL). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2023 World Series Champion, 2021 and 2023 All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and two-time All-MLB first-team shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. League games are viewable live at watchnwl.com and on ESPN+. For more information, visit www.growlersbaseball.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Growlers as your favorite team.