BY JESSE SMITHEY
Entering the 2024 high school baseball season, Cole Draper found himself on plenty of preseason watch lists.
And rightfully so.
The Farragut right-hander had polished off the Class 4A repeat bid as a sophomore with a seven-inning effort in the 2023 TSSAA title game, and then he committed four months later to Wofford.
More attention and expectations did little to faze him as a junior in 2024, though.
Knoxville Orthopaedic Clinic is the proud sponsor of 5Star Preps spring sports coverage. For over 70 years, KOC has emphasized a unique practice of specialty orthopaedics. Click on the logo above to set an appointment.
Sure, he had an early season hiccup, but that was it.
All domination from that point forward.
And so Draper garnered his first 5Star Preps Pitcher of the Year award for his body of work his junior season. He finished 8-1 for the three-time defending state champion Admirals with 52 strikeouts against 15 walks while posting a 1.41 ERA.
Opponents batted just .185 against him. And as Farragut’s ace, that meant he pitched oftentimes against the elite opponents. And Farragut had plenty of those in 2024.
Nevertheless, Draper led Farragut (40-5) in wins and ERA, and he threw yet another complete game in the 4A championship this past May.
“I knew he was going to be dominant. He had one bad game all year. He pounds the zone. He’s tough as can be. Tough. Tough. He got stronger (in the offseason) and more physical and was able to hold velocity longer,” recently retired Farragut coach Matt Buckner said.
“As I’ve said over and over, he’s incredibly difficult to hit. (His delivery) is unique. He’s a tough kid and really good athlete. My whole goal was to get to the state championship game and use him.”
Draper’s “one bad game” came March 15, in the second week of the season. He had but one inning of work the week before, prior to facing three-time defending national champion Stoneman Douglas from Florida on the ides of March.
The start didn’t last long, but Draper used the lone loss on his ledger as a kick in the pants.
He logged a big-time win over Wesleyan Christian (High Point, N.C.) at the prestigious National High School Invitational in mid-April at the USA Baseball complex in Cary, N.C. He worked six innings in that 2-1 win, striking out 10 and allowing two hits and two walks.
A week later, he took down Class 4A contender Nolensville (Tenn.), fanning nine in six innings against three walks and two allowed hits.
Draper allowed just one earned run over his final eight appearances of the season, and that came in the 2024 Class 4A championship game: a rematch with 30-win Nolensville.
He didn’t necessarily ring up the batters against the Knights like he had the first time. But he didn’t allow a hit the final two innings in his complete-game effort in the 3-1 win.
“I think, honestly, having trust in my teammates, knowing I could go up and I could do my best — or, honestly, I could be mediocre and give up a few runs — and we’d still be able to scratch out a win in most situations,” Draper said.
“Going through a season with them and knowing my defense behind me is going to make plays and knowing all I had to do was fill up the zone, all that trust just helps you out so much.”
Draper deserves some credit, too, though.
Sure, there’s the atypical delivery. And, yes, the fastball, slider, and changeup that pound the zone.
But also, his mentality.
It’s ideal for the big stage.
“The kid, mentally, is tougher than most kids,” Buckner said. “He’s disciplined and he’s just who you want to have the ball. Our guys had supreme confidence in him. You know he’s going to wear the strike zone out. And he’s hard to hit.
“He’s one of those guys, man, that every time he goes out there, you feel good about it.”
So what’s next then for Draper?
The 17-year-old already has this offseason mapped out.
And the main goal is to better his 5-foot-11, 175-pound frame.
Farragut assistant coach Daniel Sharp typically guides players through such a process, Draper said.
“Just at a personal level, I’m going to try and put on a little weight this offseason. I’m going to try put on some muscle and get flexible and hopefully turn all that into velo. And then, with the way I throw it, my ball already moves a good bit.
“So if I can get that velo up just a few ticks, I think it’ll be pretty gross and hard to hit. So I got to keep developing and let my body fill out.”
Either way, when the 2025 preseason rolls around, lofty expectations will again circle around Farragut and Draper.
That’s just the norm.
But for Draper, it’ll be his final go-around in prep baseball. And he’ll want to leave behind a legacy like those who came before him.
“It was especially an honor to play with all those guys who just graduated. That 2024 class,” Draper said of playing at Farragut.
“Playing with them and together as a team, they showed me so much more than I could have imagined — how to work, how to grind, how to be better, how to love the game.”