Kovacs established himself as a solid starter in the rotation during his junior season at Palm Beach Atlantic. He appeared in 18 games, good for second on the team. He finished tied for the team-lead in wins, as he finished 5-4 with a team-best 3.75 earned-run average. Kovacs finished second on the team in innings pitched with 74.1 innings, while compiling a team-high 58 strikeouts and just 14 walks.