Baltimore Orioles select USC outfielder Austin Overn in 2024 MLB Draft

The Baltimore Orioles have selected USC Trojans outfielder Austin Overn in with the No. 97 overall pick in the third round of the 2024 MLB Draft.

Austin Overn has played on both the USC football and baseball teams during his time at the school, playing wide receiver in 2022. In 2023, he began playing for the Trojans baseball team and ended up with two excellent seasons for USC.

In 117 career games over the 2023 and 2024 seasons, Austin Overn hit .291 with a .376 OBP and a .495 slugging percentage. He had 12 home runs and 70 RBIs to go along with 23 doubles and 19 triples. He also stole 33 bases.

Defensively, he has a career fielding percentage of .978 to go along with 313 putouts and five outfield assists.

As a freshman in 2023, Austin Overn was named a freshman All-American, was an All-Pac-12 selection, and was on the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team. He also set the USC single-season record for triples with 14 in that season alone.

Despite the success that Austin Overn had individually, USC struggled during the 2023 and 2024 seasons, going a combined 65-51-1. With that, the Trojans failed to make the NCAA Tournament in both of the seasons that Overn played for the team.

Coming out of high school, Austin Overn was the second-ranked outfielder in the state of California and 25th-ranked outfielder in the nation, according to Perfect Game. He also was named the California State Athlete of the Year and first-team All-League.

Austin Overn also played two seasons in the Cape Cod Baseball League with the Chatham Anglers and the Orleans Firebirds respectively. There, in 28 games, he hit .284 with a .381 OBP and a .441 slugging percentage. He had two home runs, 10 RBIs, six doubles, and two triples in the CCBL to go along with 14 stolen bases.

What MLB scouts are saying about Austin Overn ahead of draft

Prior to the 2024 MLB Draft, Austin Overn was ranked as the 131st ]-best available prospect, according to MLB.com.

The biggest strength for Overn coming into the MLB Draft was his athleticism. That’s going to make him both a threat baserunning and in the field. Batting from the left-hand side of the plate, it’s not what stands out to scouts but he showed improvement at the plate in college and could potentially project to a leadoff-type hitter with some development.

“Overn is one of the fastest players in the Draft class, with some scouts hanging an 80 on his speed. He’s a legitimate basestealer and that speed plays in center field, where he combines his wheels with good reads and routes to be a premium defender with an average arm. He’s not just athletic; Overn has outstanding body awareness and control,” MLB.com wrote.

“A left-handed hitter, Overn knows what his offensive game is. He’s used a handsy-slasher type of swing.”