Luke Heimlich’s baseball career took a rapid change in a matter of a week.
The Oregon St. ace went undrafted in this week’s MLB draft despite being projected as a likely top-50 pick only a week ago. What changed is that The Oregonian reported last week about Heimlich’s past as a sex offender.
The Oregonian dropped a bombshell last week by reporting that when he was 15, Heimlich pleaded guilty to sexually molesting a female family member. The incidents occurred on two occasions, when the girl was four and six years old.
Heimlich completed treatment and probation following his guilty plea and registered as a sex offender in Oregon when he moved to the state from Washington to begin college in Corvallis. However, he was picked up by a police sweep for failing to register, leading The Oregonian to expose the story.
Heimlich has not pitched for Oregon State since the story became public. The pitcher leads the NCAA with a 0.76 ERA, but he did not compete in the Super Regionals, and he will not pitch for Oregon State in the College World Series this week. He also was not drafted.
Though athletes with questionable pasts often get drafted in some sports, it’s clear MLB teams thought Heimlich’s offenses were so heinous that they could not justify drafting him.
Heimlich was in his junior season but has another year of college eligibility. His baseball future is very much in doubt at this time. Beavers coach Pat Casey has defended Heimlich’s character despite the revelation.
