Ohio State’s Cory Luebke Selected 63rd overall in 2007 Major League Baseball Draft – Ohio State Buckeyes
6/7/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
COLUMBUS, Ohio Ohio State junior left-handed pitcher Cory Luebke was selected 63rd overall by the San Diego Padres in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft Thursday. Luebke, taken in the Supplemental First Round, has one year of eligibility remaining but could forgo his senior year if he decides to sign with the Padres.
The 6-4, 200-pound Maria Stein, Ohio (Marion Local) native was also named first-team All-Mideast Region Thursday and was earlier named the Big Ten Conference Pitcher of the Year and a unanimous first-team all-conference selection. He was also the Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player.
“I was ecstatic when I found out,” Luebke said about being drafted. “I tried not to think about it too much because having been through this twice before you are never really sure where you are going to go. I’m never satisfied with myself but this is one time when you realize that all the hard work that you put in has paid off. It is extremely exciting. Now we will sit down and make the best decision for me and my family. I want to thank Ohio State and Coach (Bob) Todd for helping me grow and mature as a player. Coming to Ohio State was the best decision I could have made.”
In all games this year, Luebke led the Big Ten in ERA (2.07 ERA), strikeouts (98) and innings pitched (117.2), while holding his opponents to a stingy .213 batting average and walking just 28 batters. He finished the year with a 9-1 record in 16 appearances, all starts. Luebke tossed three complete games, including a 10-inning complete game in OSU’s 6-5 win over Le Moyne in the NCAA Tournament. The Big Ten’s 2007 strikeout king, Luebke fanned 50 batters through 56.1 innings of work in the conference season while walking just 24 batters.
The lefty was a 22nd-round pick in the 2006 MLB Draft and an 18th-round pick in the 2004 MLB Draft out of high school.
Luebke was the third highest Buckeye drafted since 1992. Ronnie Bourquin was selected in the second round (50th overall) in 2006, Nick Swisher in the first round (16th overall) in 2002 and Mike Durant in the second round (46th overall) in 1991.
