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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 AB: College 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."
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