Connor Charping, a 2017 graduate of Trenton High School, has signed with the Seattle Mariners as an undrafted free agent.
Charping recently wrapped up his impressive collegiate baseball career at Western Michigan University, where he started out as a preferred walk-on.
The talented catcher signed with Seattle on Thursday, July 21, two days after the 20-round Major League Baseball Draft was completed.
For the second consecutive season at WMU, Charping earned First Team All-Mid-American Conference honors. He was also one of the 16 semifinalists for the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year award.
A top-notch hitter, Charping led the 2022 Broncos in batting average (.348) and total hits (72). He was also first in runs scored (57) and stolen bases (26), the latter which also led the MAC and was the fifth-most in program history.
He finished third in the conference this year in runs, seventh in batting average, seventh in hits, 10th in doubles (17) and 14th in OBP (.440). Defensively, he threw out 18 runners attempting to steal, which led MAC, and he had a fielding percentage of .984.
Charping played five seasons at WMU and was the squad’s everyday catcher in each of the last two years. He appeared in 146 total games and finished with a career batting average of .331 along with 128 runs scored, 28 doubles, six home runs and 68 RBIs. In addition, the former Trenton standout had 68 stolen bases, which was the third-most all-time for the Broncos, and he holds the single-single record for stolen bases (32, 2021).
During his time at Trenton, Charping was one of the top overall athletes in the Downriver area.
On the baseball diamond, he hit .504 for the Trojans in his senior season, with a school-record 62 hits, and finished with 32 stolen bases, 25 RBIs and 42 runs.
As a wrestler, Charping earned all-state honors three years in a row and was a four-time state qualifier. He had offers on the table from Division 1 collegiate wrestling programs.
For the football team, he started at quarterback in his senior year and helped guide the Trojans to the playoffs. He threw for 1,131 yards and 12 touchdowns and ran for 982 yards and 13 scores. On the other side of the ball, he shined as a defensive back.
Charping was the second Downriver-area grad to earn a shot with an MLB team this summer.
Allen Park alum Jakob Marsee (2019) was selected by the San Diego Padres on July 18 in the sixth round of the MLB Draft, following two big seasons at Central Michigan University.
Charping is also the second Trenton grad to get an opportunity with an MLB squad in the last two years. Former Trojans pitcher Micah Ottenbreit (2021) was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the fourth round of the 2021 draft.
Also from the area, Gibraltar Carlson alumnus Zach Kohn (2016) was selected in the 2019 draft by the New York Yankees in the 21st round, following his junior season at CMU.
