Luke Heimlich

Luke Heimlich
Pitcher
Born: (1996-02-03) February 3, 1996
Puyallup, Washington
Bats: Left Throws: Left
Career highlights and awards

Luke Heimlich (born February 3, 1996) is an American baseball pitcher. He attended Oregon State University and played college baseball for the Oregon State Beavers. He was named the Collegiate Pitcher of the Year in 2018, but has not signed a professional contract due to his criminal record.

Career

Heimlich attended Puyallup High School in Puyallup, Washington, and played for the school's baseball team as a pitcher and as a first baseman.[1] In 2014, his senior year, Heimlich had a 11–0 win-loss record with a 0.66 earned run average (ERA).[2] He won the Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Washington.[1]

Heimlich enrolled at Oregon State University to play college baseball for the Oregon State Beavers as a pitcher.[3] In 2017, he was named to the Golden Spikes Award watch list.[4] In 2017, his junior year, he led the nation with a 0.81 ERA and was named the Pac-12 Conference's Pitcher of the Year.[5] After revelations from his personal life became public in 2017, he left the team for the remainder of the season, missing the 2017 College World Series.[6] He went unselected in the 2017 MLB draft.[7] He returned to the Beavers in 2018.[8] Though he had pitched to a 15–1 win-loss record with a 2.42 ERA prior to the 2018 MLB draft, and was again named the Pac-12 Conference's Pitcher of the Year, Heimlich was not selected.[9] After the draft, Heimlich won the National Pitcher of the Year Award.[10]

On August 7, 2018, the Lamigo Monkeys of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) announced the signing of Heimlich to a professional contract.[11][12] The CPBL did not allow the contract to take effect due to his criminal record.[13][14]

Personal life

Heimlich is the second youngest of eight children born to Meridee and Mark Heimlich. His mother is a social worker and his father works in construction.[15]

When he was 15 years old, Heimlich pleaded guilty to sexually molesting his six-year-old niece. This conviction came to the public's attention in 2017 due to a clerical error where the Oregon State Police believed he had failed to update his registration as a sex offender.[2][16] In 2018, Heimlich denied the allegations, saying he pleaded guilty to "quickly dispense with the case and for the sake of family relations."[8]

References

  1. 1 2 "Puyallup's Luke Heimlich is Gatorade Washington Baseball Player of the Year". The Seattle Times. May 27, 2014. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  2. 1 2 Price, S.L. (May 18, 2018). "Prospect and Pariah". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  3. ↑ "Heimlich blossoms into Beavers' ace". Bendbulletin.com. March 23, 2017. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  4. ↑ "Luke Heimlich, Nick Madrigal make Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list". OregonLive.com. April 12, 2017. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  5. ↑ "Pac-12 honors: Beavers, Beavers everywhere". NBC Sports. June 1, 2017. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  6. ↑ "Oregon State, Puyallup High pitcher Luke Heimlich says he won't play in College World Series". The News Tribune. June 15, 2017. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Oregon State, Puyallup High pitcher Luke Heimlich undrafted". The News Tribune. June 14, 2017. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  8. 1 2 "He Was Convicted of Molesting a 6-Year Old. Should He Have a Future in Baseball?". The New York Times. May 7, 2018. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  9. ↑ "Oregon State Beavers pitcher Luke Heimlich goes undrafted for second straight year". Espn.com. June 6, 2018. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Oregon State ace Luke Heimlich selected College Baseball Foundation's National Pitcher of Year". OregonLive.com. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
  11. ↑ "MLB: Luke Heimlich signed by Lamigo Monkeys". Sports.yahoo.com. May 22, 2018. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  12. ↑ Yeh, Joseph (August 7, 2018). "Baseball team's signing of convicted child molester stirs controversy". Central News Agency. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  13. ↑ "OSU baseball: Heimlich contract falls through". Gazette Times. August 7, 2018. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  14. ↑ Huang, Chiao-wen; Hsu, Hsiao-ling (August 11, 2018). "Taiwan's pro baseball league rejects controversial U.S. pitcher". Central News Agency. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Pamplin Media Group – Penalties paid, Heimlich ready to return for Beavers baseball". Portlandtribune.com. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  16. ↑ "Luke Heimlich sex crime surfaces as Oregon State baseball nears College World Series". OregonLive.com. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
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