Baseball | November 02, 2022

AIKEN, S.C. – Former University of South Carolina Aiken baseball assistant coach Mark Conner has been named the Director of Scouting for the Detroit Tigers.

"Pacer Baseball is thrilled for Mark and his accomplishments in professional scouting! The Detroit Tigers have picked the best man for the job without a doubt," USC Aiken head baseball coach Michael Holder stated. "Mark moved up quickly in the Padres organization and the fruits of his labor as an area scout, cross checker, and scouting director are undeniable. I'm sure the Tigers will be seeing the same results in a few short years. Congrats to Mark and his family!"

Before joining the Tigers recently, Conner spent the previous 13 years with the San Diego Padres.

Conner held a variety of roles in his tenure with the Padres, most recently as a Special Assistant to the GM/Field Coordinator in 2022 and Director, Amateur Scouting from 2014-21. While overseeing the MLB Draft for San Diego, Conner selected many top prospects and current Major Leaguers, including CJ Abrams, David Bednar, Ty France, MacKenzie Gore and Cal Quantrill. That collection of talent led the Padres to having a top 10 farm system in the Majors from 2017-21 and contributed to the team clinching playoff appearances in two of the last three seasons (2020, 2022).

Prior to San Diego, Conner was the pitching coach for the Pacers from 2005-09. During that time, he helped lead USC Aiken to a school-record 47 victories in 2008. 

Conner also was an assistant at Indian Hills Community College and was the recruiting coordinator for Cumberland University (Tenn.).

Conner played collegiately at Cumberland University, where he was a member of four conference championships and appeared in three NAIA World Series. He earned both his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in education.