Aug. 16, 2007
University Park, Pa. - Penn State relief pitcher Drew O'Neil, who shattered the school record for saves in a single season last year by recording 11 saves, will be returning to Penn State for his junior year and the 2008 season after not signing a professional contract with the Cincinnati Reds by Wednesday. New guidelines for signing draft picks from the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft went into effect this year that require all draft picks to sign contracts by 11:59 p.m. on August 15 or be ineligible to sign thereafter. O'Neil was an eighth round selection of the Reds in June, the first of a school record-tying and Big Ten-high five Nittany Lions that were drafted this year.
O'Neil will return to Penn State and will be an All-American candidate for the 2008 season after he moved all the way up to a tie for second place on the Penn State career saves list in just one season with the Nittany Lions. He is just five saves away from breaking the career mark. The previous season mark for saves before O'Neil broke the mark was seven.
"We are very pleased that Drew is coming back this year," said Penn State head coach Robbie Wine. "He solidifies our bullpen and will be an important part of our team in 2008. However, beyond what he brings to the team on the field, he values his education at Penn State and that is one of the main reasons he is coming back as well. He also has a chance to move up in next year's draft and be a top pick. We're glad to have him back."
The native of Roswell, Ga. had one of the most dominating seasons for a Penn State relief pitcher in school history. O'Neil who came to Penn State last year after a year at Young Harris College in his home state of Georgia, compiled a 1.34 ERA and a 4-2 record along with his saves record in 33.2 innings of work, giving up just 22 hits and nine runs, only five earned. He also held opposing hitters to a .188 batting average. In Big Ten play, he did not give up a single run in 16.1 innings of work, allowing just six hits in 11 appearances while compiling eight saves and a 2-0 record. He only gave up one earned run to Big Ten teams all year long, which came in the Big Ten Tournament.
During the 2007 season, the first team All-Big Ten member had a impressive streak of 19.1 consecutive scoreless innings, which spanned over 13 straight appearances, and a string of 26.2 straight innings without allowing an earned run over 16 consecutive appearances. He also had an impressive string of 23 straight hitters retired over six appearances over nearly a month from April 15 through May 12.
O'Neil and the Nittany Lions, who tied for second place in the Big Ten last year, will return six of their eight regular position starters from last year as well as three of four weekend starting pitchers, three key relief pitchers and a top starting pitcher from 2006 that missed nearly all of last season with an injury. They are tentatively scheduled to open fall practice on September 10th.