Vancouver Island catcher Connor Caskenette was drafted by Major League Baseball's Miami Marlins on Tuesday, July 16.
Caskenette, 22, of Duncan, was picked with the 19th pick in the12th round, 364th overall.
"I am absolutely elated for him," said Caskenette's mom Nicole. "All the signs were indicating that he would most likely be drafted. He had numerous conversations with various teams prior to the draft, and some had even reached out before the start of his last season with Purdue."
The big question was which round he would be selected in and by which team, she added.
"At the same time, we took nothing for granted. Some very talented players can sometimes not be drafted even though they are projected to be. It was a very exciting yet anxious draft period. We are just grateful that not only did he get drafted, but by a team that is a great fit for development moving forward."
Caskenette's mom wasn't the only supporter in his corner.
"Congratulations Connor who played at DJBA in his early years!" wrote the Duncan Junior Baseball Association on their social media accounts. The Mid-Island Pirates and Nanaimo NightOwls both followed suit.
"Congrats to former Mid-Island Pirate Connor Caskenette for just getting selected in the 12th round to the Marlins MLB organization!!!! Congratulations Cask, your business card now says Professional Baseball Player!!!"
"Illuminate The BIG SHOW Baby!" wrote the Night Owls. "Congrats to 2022 NightOwls Catcher, and always a name heard in the stands, our own Connor Caskenette was drafted today by the Miami Marlins."
While Caskenette wasn't one of MLB.com's Top 250 ranked prospects, Marlins director of amateur scouting Frankie Piliere told his staff to look beyond the numbers.
"I talk to the staff all the time about casting as wide of a net as possible," Piliere said on Day 3 of the draft. "We're going to beat the bushes and look for these guys all over the place."
The first Purdue Boilermakers catcher drafted since Nick Dalesandro 2018, in his senior season with the NCCA Div 1 team, Caskenette was a third-team All-Big Ten selection and a semifinalist for the Buster Posey Award. The catcher finished the season batting .309 with 58 hits, including 11 doubles and 13 home runs with 69 RBI in 55 games.
Caskenette spent two years at Cochise College in Sierra Vista, Arizona, before he transferred to the Div. 1 school where he hit for a .296 batting average, 21 doubles, 19 home runs, and 104 RBI in 99 career games over two seasons. He also boasted a .977 fielding percentage, making just two errors with the team, compared to 611 putouts.
"Connor's improvement and development at Purdue was crucial to our improvement this season, powering our move up the standings in the Big Ten," said Purdue head coach Greg Goff.
"He really was the backbone of the team as an ironman behind the plate and definitely our most consistent run producer as the conference leader in RBI. He demonstrated his commitment to the program and the development side of the process by staying on campus in the summer of 2023. It paid off with one of the finest all-around seasons I've ever seen from a catcher. We were very pleased to see Connor rewarded by getting drafted. We already thought of him as a pro, and he'll be an excellent addition to the Marlins system."
Caskenette will graduate with a bachelor's degree in sociology.
