Tuttle graduate Alex Conover picked by Padres

By Jayson Knight, [email protected]

Alex Conover has made a habit of earning bigger opportunities.
Three years ago, he closed his Tuttle High School career by helping the Tigers capture the Class 4A state championship while starring as both a hitter and pitcher.
One year later, he was an all-region performer at Cowley College.
Another year later, he was fighting for playing time at Oklahoma State.
This spring, he became the Cowboys’ everyday leadoff hitter, earned First Team All-Big 12 honors and helped lead Oklahoma State back to the NCAA Tournament.
On Sunday, the San Diego Padres rewarded that progression by selecting the Tuttle graduate with the 134th overall pick in the Major League Baseball Draft.
“It was cool. It was very surreal,” Conover said. “It was a cool experience for sure.”
Conover watched the draft from his family’s kitchen alongside his parents and sister.“My advisor had called me a few weeks before and told me the Padres were probably going to take me at 134,” he said. “I was expecting a phone call from them, but they didn’t call me until after. I saw it come across the TV just like everybody else.”

The moment represented another step in a journey that has consistently required him to prove himself.
After helping Tuttle win the 2023 state championship, Conover spent one season at Cowley College, batting .378 with 13 home runs and 56 RBIs while earning first-team all-region honors.
That performance earned him a transfer to Oklahoma State, where his first season looked much different.
Conover appeared in 41 games in 2025 but made just 30 starts, often batting near the bottom of the order while sharing playing time.
Instead of becoming discouraged, he embraced the role and continued developing.
By his second season in Stillwater, he had claimed the leadoff spot and become one of the Cowboys’ most productive hitters.
Conover batted .357 with 80 hits, 14 home runs, 14 doubles, 37 RBIs and 16 stolen bases. He led Oklahoma State in batting average, hits and stolen bases while earning First Team All-Big 12 recognition.
Conover said the biggest difference wasn’t changing his swing.
“I just became super confident in myself at the plate,” he said. “Having continuous at-bats and being in the same position, I was able to stick in the leadoff spot and get really comfortable there.

“Last year I was kind of a platoon guy. I wasn’t playing every day. This year it worked out where I was able to play every day.
“You show up to the ballpark knowing you’re going to be in there. It’s a lot easier to prepare yourself mentally and physically when you don’t have to worry about that. That gave me a ton of confidence.”
Looking back, Conover said every stop along the way prepared him for the next.
“Just the continued belief that people had in me,” he said. “Continuing to give me opportunities to play at the next level, pushing me forward, believing in me and trusting in me. I think that ultimately led to me having a good season and being in the position I was in to get drafted.”
Tuttle baseball coach Breck Draper said Conover’s work ethic has never changed.
“We couldn’t be more proud of Alex as a Tuttle baseball family,” Draper said. “Alex was a great player here and just kept improving his game. To think about where he’s gone in three years is incredible. It’s a big jump, and it’s so hard to make.

“His commitment to his craft is second to none. Now he gets to keep chasing his dream of becoming a Major League Baseball player.”
Conover said many of the habits that helped him reach professional baseball were established long before he reached college.
“I still use a lot of the stuff that I talked about with Coach Draper,” he said. “My two-strike approach I learned in high school. Then all the intangible things, just hard work, aggressiveness and discipline.
“My high school experience was very critical in my development, and I’m glad I went to Tuttle to experience that.”
He also credited the entire community with helping shape him.
“All my coaches in Tuttle, from football to baseball, everybody played a key role in helping me get to where I am, whether they knew it or not,” Conover said. “At the end of the day, I feel like I was raised by a community.”
That hometown connection remains important.
“I grew up just like everybody else,” Conover said. “Driving past that Jason White water tower, that’s the dream. What can you do that’s important enough to get yourself a water tower?
“I’m very proud to be from Tuttle. I get to be somewhat of an inspiration to kids growing up there. They can see you don’t have to go to a big school or be from a big town to make something like this happen. It can happen where you are.”
Conover said the advice he would give his younger self has little to do with baseball mechanics.
“I’d tell my high school self to save my parents a little bit of money on showcases,” he said. “None of that stuff helped me one bit.
“I was never ranked super high. Even now, I have to go to the next level and continue to prove myself and work hard to get better.
“Don’t put too much thought into what people who don’t have the ability to give you opportunities think about you. Rankings on social media can weigh you down and get you nowhere.”As of Monday, Conover was still awaiting instructions on when he would report to the Padres organization to begin his professional career.