Coastal’s Knorr taken by Astros in 2022 MLB Draft

CONWAY, S.C. – Coastal Carolina right-handed pitcher Michael Knorr was selected by the Houston Astros in the third round (103rd overall pick) of the 2022 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft on Monday, July 18.

In his lone season at Coastal, Knorr made an immediate impact on the mound for the Chanticleers. Over 13 starts, he went 5-0 with a 3.39 ERA and struck out 86 batters over 69.0 innings pitched.

Knorr led the Chants’ pitching staff in ERA (3.39), fewest walks allowed (13), fewest hits allowed (60), and opposing batting average (.228). He also led the team in fewest runs allowed (31), fewest earned runs allowed (26), and in strikeouts (86).

He led the Sun Belt and ranked 17th nationally with a 6.62 strikeout-to-walk ratio on the season, while his 1.06 WHIP ranked second in the Sun Belt and 40th in all of NCAA Division I last year, and his 11.22 strikeouts per nine innings average also ranked second in the conference and 64th nationally. He also ranked third in the Sun Belt in both walks allowed per nine innings (1.70) and total strikeouts (86).

Knorr’s 1.70 walks allowed per nine innings average in 2022 is the eighth-best in CCU’s single-season history, while his strikeouts per nine innings average of 11.22 ranks ninth.

With his selection, Knorr becomes the 105th Coastal Carolina MLB draft pick and the 84th Chanticleer to be selected in the annual first-year player draft under head coach Gary Gilmore.

Along with Eric Brown’s selection in the first round in this year’s draft, Coastal has had at least one player selected in the MLB Draft for 26-straight seasons dating back to the 1997 MLB Draft.

Brown’s first-round selection is a new program-best, topping CCU’s previous high draft pick of Kirt Manwaring, who went as the 31st overall pick in the second round of the 1986 MLB Draft.