Lucky Round 13 for Stephen Lumpkins

Stephen Lumpkins pitching for the Bethesda Big Train last summer

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We'll start off our big return this week by covering the latest headline, which is that Stephen Lumpkins has again been drafted by a Major League Baseball team. The fact that it's baseball is not quite as surprising as last time (my jaw only made it halfway to the floor at first), but his improvement over last year is something to take note of. In 2010, Lumpkins was the 1257th overall pick (42nd round) by the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 2011, after only playing a total of six games with a local baseball league, he was picked in the 13th round (somewhere around 400th overall) by the Kansas City Royals. Yup, that's a 30 round jump after not exactly a whole lot of baseball. OK, now pick your jaws up.

Lumpkins is set to break out his left-handed pitching arm again this summer, playing for the Laconia Muskrats (based in Laconia, New Hampshire) of the New England Collegiate Baseball League. He's looking to beat the performance last summer that got him on scouts' radar, where he struck out 11 batters in 10.2 innings while allowing four earned runs (these may be the most baseball stats you'll ever see on this blog). Of course, 6'8" left-handed pitchers probably don't show up in the New England Collegiate Baseball League every day, so I have high hopes for his chances.

This thing is fierce!

Of course, the real question is - will Lumpkins head to the MLB, or stick around for his senior season? It goes without saying that the loss of Lumpkins would be a huge loss for our program next season. The only silver lining I could see would that it would open up a scholarship, but at this point in the year that would most likely go to a transfer who wouldn't see play for at least a year. Not much to smile about there. Still, let's think about Lumpkins. What sort of opportunity is this for him? A 13th round pick is definitely more enticing than a 42nd, but is forgoing his final year of college (on scholarship) worth heading to the minor leagues? This may be his last chance to have real leverage with a baseball team, and there's little chance (read: no chance) of him getting drafted by the NBA.
Update: It looks like Lumpkins would be facing stiff competition as well - according to sbnation, in the first 13 rounds, the Royals picked 9 pitchers. Of the 9, 3 are left-handed pitchers (including Lump), and both the 12th and 13th picks are 6'8" (Kansas City Star).

According to Athlon Sports, every year that there's been a draft (with the sole exception of 1975), at least one 13th round pick has made it to the majors, most notably Albert Pujols (402nd overall pick in 1999). So, his chances aren't terrible, but it's also far from guaranteed. This is going to be a tough decision for him, and wherever he goes, AUHoops will follow (so these may not be the last baseball stats we see, in fact).

The AUeagles press release does hint that he will be back, citing the milestones he'll be able to reach next season if he stays on the hardwood. Last year, they gave no such indication, so read into that as you will. Although he sometimes got lost behind Vlad, Lumpkins is already in the top 20 in program history for rebounds, and top 5 all-time for blocks (19th and 4th, respectively). Next season, he could become the 11th Eagle to score 1,000 points and pull down 500 boards. Should I mention again how much of a hit it would be to lose him?

Ultimately, Lumpkins knows how much he means to this team. It's going to come down to how much he wants to be a professional athlete, and what he feels his chances are after he graduates. We'll keep our ear to the ground and keep you updated with the latest. In the mean time, vote in this week's poll to let us know what you think Lumpkins will do, and of course, share your thoughts in the comments.

One final silver lining - if Lumpkins does have a meteoric rise in baseball, he could likely finance the return of varsity baseball at AU, last played in 1986. We can dream, right?

If you want to catch Lumpkins on the mound (and happen to be in or around New Hampshire), the Laconia Muskrats will be playing their season opener at home against the Old Orchard Beach Raging Tide (what an incredible name) this Friday, June 10th, at 7:05 PM. The Muskrats' Robbie Mills Field is located at 15 Eastman Road in Laconia, New Hampshire.

Pro Deo Et Patria,
Josh

*Image courtesy Harvey Levine, SmugMug.com