Dale Jarrett and his father Ned Jarrett may be NASCAR Hall of Famers, but the youngest Jarrett — Zach — seemed to find his niche at a baseball diamond.
That dream came to fruition on Wednesday, as the Baltimore Orioles drafted Zach Jarrett in the 28th round of the 2017 MLB Draft.
An outfielder, Jarrett played baseball at North Carolina’s Hickory High School before playing at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. A successful senior season that included a slash line of .342/.398/.549 with 13 home runs and 45 RBIs gathered attention from the major leagues. Jarrett’s college roommate and teammate T.J. Nichting was also drafted by the Orioles.
DRAFTED! Zach Jarrett will join T.J. Nichting in the Baltimore Orioles organization! A 28th round pick just announced!! #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/Njb0G1U9FW
– Charlotte Baseball (@NinerBaseball) June 14, 2017
And it appears that father Dale Jarrett knew his son’s future was bright, even a month before the draft.
So proud of @jarrett_zach on an amazing college baseball career. Looking forward to what the future holds pic.twitter.com/coaEKahMOs
– Dale Jarrett (@DaleJarrett) May 30, 2017