What interesting timing.
Until July 15, no Yorktown High School baseball player had ever been chosen in the Major League draft. Then, battery mates and good friends who played on the same 2021 Liberty District tournament championship Yorktown team were picked within an hour of each other that day in the fourth and sixth rounds.
Right-handed pitcher Nate Knowles was chosen in the fourth round (124th pick overall) by the Tampa Bay Rays. Then catcher Jacob Friend was selected in round six (179th overall) by the Cincinnati Reds. The Division I college players had standout junior seasons in 2024, Knowles for the College of William & Mary and Friend at Davidson College.
The pair graduated from Yorktown in 2021 and were chosen all-district players for the Patriots that season. Both say they will soon sign to begin their professional playing careers.
“This feels great and I’m super excited to start competing at the pro level to see how I can do,” Knowles said.
Knowles anticipated getting chosen from the third to seventh rounds and slept restless the night prior to being chosen.
“I wanted to sleep in a little later, but Ijust got up,” Knowles said.
Friend was watching the draft when he was chosen by the Reds.
“It’s a surreal feeling and pretty cool,” Friend said. “It’s exciting for me and all of my family.”
Initially a preferred walk-on, Friend made a quick impact for Davidson with his speed, athleticism, catching skills and homering in his first college fall game, and became a three-year starter.
“The Davidson coaches helped me succeed and propel my talent,” Friend said. “I always believed this [getting drafted] could happen.”
This past season for Davidson, Friend batted .274 with 10 home runs, seven doubles, 40 hits and he stole eight bases. Behind the plate Friend had just three errors and a .989 fielding percentage.
Friend’s longtime hitting coach is Chris Berset, the new Bishop O’Connell High School head baseball coach, who coincidentally played in the Reds’ organization for a number of seasons.
“I have learned a lot from him about hitting,” said Friend, a former Arlington Little League player.
John Skaggs was Yorktown’s head coach back in 2021.
“Jacob has the tools and a lot of speed for a catcher, and he gets on base a lot,” Skagg said. “I’m super pumped I had the chance to coach both of them and be part of their success.”
Knowles was chosen as the Coastal Athletic Association’s Pitcher of the Year this past spring. He compiled an 8-3 record and a 2.48 earned run average for William & Mary. In 80 innings he struck out 112.
Knowles had 15 career wins in college. In 172 innings he fanned 204. Knowles started 37 games.
He will be the second family member to play pro baseball. His father, Greg, played in the Baltimore Orioles and St. Louis Cardinals organizations.
