After Being Outed for Sex Crime, OSU Pitcher Skips Series

AthleticBusiness.com has partnered with LexisNexis to bring you this content.

Copyright 2017 Dayton Newspapers, Inc.

Dayton Daily News (Ohio)

 

The top pitcher for No. 1 Oregon State, who as a 15-year-old pleaded guilty to molesting a 6-year-old female family member, released a statement Friday saying he has asked to be excused from playing in the NCAA super regionals.

Luke Heimlich said he didn't want to be a distraction to the team, which began a best-of-three series Friday night against Vanderbilt. Heimlich's attorney, Stephen Ensor, released the statement hours before the game.

"I'm so proud of our team's accomplishment and don't want to be a distraction; therefore I've respectfully requested to be excused from playing at this time," Heimlich said.

He also said, "I have taken responsibility for my conduct when I was a teenager."

From ABCollege Player's Teen Conviction Raises Concerns

Heimlich's criminal history was first reported by The Oregonian on Thursday. In an editorial accompanying the article, the newspaper said it learned about Heimlich's 2012 conviction while doing a routine background check before running a profile on him.

Heimlich, a junior left-hander from Puyallup, Wash., is 11-1 with an 0.76 ERA. He is projected to be an early round pick in next week's major league draft.

"I'm grateful for the counseling I received and since then I realized the only way forward was to work each day on becoming the best person, community member and student I can possibly be," Heimlich said in Friday's statement. "I understand many people now see me differently, but I hope I can eventually be judged by the person I am today."

Read More of Today's AB Headlines

Subscribe to Our Daily E-Newsletter

 

 
June 10, 2017
 
 
 

 

Copyright © 2017 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy
Page 1 of 466
Next Page
AB Show 2024 in New Orleans
AB Show is a solution-focused event for athletics, fitness, recreation and military professionals.
Nov. 19-22, 2024
Learn More
AB Show 2024
Buyer's Guide
Information on more than 3,000 companies, sorted by category. Listings are updated daily.
Learn More
Buyer's Guide