Arizona baseball gets commitment from ex-Butler pitcher Derek Drees

The first of what figures to be several additions from the NCAA transfer portal has come on board for Arizona in the form of former Butler pitcher Derek Drees, who committed to the Wildcats on Monday.

Drees, a 6-foot-6 right-hander, spent five seasons with the Bulldogs and appeared in 33 games. He pitched 17 times in 2022, earning Big East Conference Second-Team honors for going 4-3 with a 1.27 ERA and four saves, striking out 46 in 35.1 innings.

Arizona is looking to beef up its pitching staff after posting a 5.04 team ERA in 2022, its highest since 2019. The Wildcats had several arms graduate while a key bullpen piece, lefty Javyn Pimental, transferred to Missouri.

Drees is unofficially Arizona’s second transfer addition from another Division I program, the other being outfielder Emilio Corona, though he spent last season at Pima Community College after playing for Washington in 2021.

Look for Arizona’s activity within the transfer portal to ramp up next week after the 2022 MLB Draft is held Sunday through Tuesday.