In some ways, Xavier baseball coach Billy O’Conner was surprised how well Zac Lowther and Rylan Bannon got along during their time as Musketeers.
Lowther was Xavier’s ace left-hander and “the ultimate teddy bear,” as O’Conner put it, describing him as “one of the happiest kids I’ve ever been around.” Bannon was more reserved, focused and detail-oriented as the Musketeers’ star infielder. O’Conner said he was “the toughest player I’ve ever coached.”
Friday, the former college roommates added an item to the list of what they actually have in common: Both were among the six prospects the Orioles added to their 40-man roster to protect them from the Rule 5 draft.