North Carolina State University Athletics
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LuJames Groover III Selected 48th Overall by Arizona Diamondbacks in 2023 MLB Draft
7/9/2023 11:16:00 PM | Baseball
Groover III Drafted in Second Round
SEATTLE – NC State baseball third baseman LuJames Groover III was selected 48th overall in the 2023 Major League Baseball Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday night. With his selection in the second round of the 2023 Draft, he becomes the 21st player in program history drafted in the top two rounds.
Groover III, a 2023 Third Team All-ACC and 2022 Second Team All-ACC selection during his two seasons with the Wolfpack, started all 57 games for NC State in 2023 and led the team with 76 hits, 48 runs scored, 13 home runs, 125 total bases and tied for the team lead with 50 RBI. The Morrow, Georgia native also led the Pack with 25 multi-hit games and 14 multi-RBI games this past season.
In 2022, Groover III led NC State with a .364 batting average, 86 hits, 16 doubles and a .440 on-base percentage. He also paced the Wolfpack offense with 27 multi-hit games, highlighted by a team-best 11 three-hit outings. His 65 runs scored also ranked as the second most on the team during his sophomore season.
Groover III's selection marks the 123rd player selected in the MLB Draft under NC State head coach Elliott Avent. Groover III is also the ninth player drafted in the top three rounds in the past 10 seasons, including the fifth since 2020. He's the ninth position player drafted from NC State since 2020 and the 27th in the past 10 years.
Groover III also shined in the clutch during his two-year NC State career, notching three total walk-off hits. He blasted two walk-off homers, one against Quinnipiac in 2022 and one against North Carolina A&T in 2023. He also smacked a walk-off RBI single to lift the Wolfpack to a 6-5 comeback victory over No. 11 Louisville on March 31.
Groover III, a 2023 Third Team All-ACC and 2022 Second Team All-ACC selection during his two seasons with the Wolfpack, started all 57 games for NC State in 2023 and led the team with 76 hits, 48 runs scored, 13 home runs, 125 total bases and tied for the team lead with 50 RBI. The Morrow, Georgia native also led the Pack with 25 multi-hit games and 14 multi-RBI games this past season.
In 2022, Groover III led NC State with a .364 batting average, 86 hits, 16 doubles and a .440 on-base percentage. He also paced the Wolfpack offense with 27 multi-hit games, highlighted by a team-best 11 three-hit outings. His 65 runs scored also ranked as the second most on the team during his sophomore season.
Groover III's selection marks the 123rd player selected in the MLB Draft under NC State head coach Elliott Avent. Groover III is also the ninth player drafted in the top three rounds in the past 10 seasons, including the fifth since 2020. He's the ninth position player drafted from NC State since 2020 and the 27th in the past 10 years.
Groover III also shined in the clutch during his two-year NC State career, notching three total walk-off hits. He blasted two walk-off homers, one against Quinnipiac in 2022 and one against North Carolina A&T in 2023. He also smacked a walk-off RBI single to lift the Wolfpack to a 6-5 comeback victory over No. 11 Louisville on March 31.
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