EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Nick Conte was once a standout for North Providence High School. Fast forward to Thursday morning, he hopped on a flight to Arizona to sign his first professional contract with the Royals after being drafted on Monday in the 8th round.

“You don’t really know what to expect going into it because I’d been hearing from some teams possibly of day two or early day three,” he said. “I got a call from the Royals in the 7th round saying, ‘hey, there’s a possibility we take you in the 8th, but also a possibility in the 9th.”

The Royals ended up drafting Conte in the 8th round after their original targeted pick went to another team, giving the kid from Rhode Island the ultimate opportunity.

“Coming from Rhode Island, even out of high school, trying to get recruited from other schools was super tough,” Conte said. “Guys from the state get looked over sometimes so just to be able to represent Rhode Island and do it at the next level, I’m super excited and grateful for it.”

Success in professional baseball after being drafted is always unpredictable, but Conte’s work ethic is a given.

“I’m one of the hardest workers in the room at all times,” he said. “I’m always at practices early getting extra work in, always the last one to leave. Like I said, being from Rhode Island you have to be that kind of person to get ahead of somebody else. You have to be working harder than the next person so that’s definitely what they’re going to be getting of me.”

Conte is one of three Rhode Islanders selected in the 2024 MLB Draft, joining Ryan Andrade and Jayden Voelker.

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