Lumley step closer to baseball dream
Canisius College graduate from Windsor selected by the Oakland A’s in 33rd round
Windsor’s Jake Lumley will get a chance to pursue a major-league baseball career.
The 22-year-old Lumley was taken in the 33rd round of Wednesday’s MLB Draft by the Oakland A’s.
“I’m pretty excited,” the six-foot, 180-pound Lumley said. “This is your childhood dream coming true. I talked to a couple of teams leading up to it. There was nothing too serious and you never really know, but it was nice to get my name called. This is the next step.”
The Holy Names high school product recently graduated from Canisius College in Buffalo where the Golden Griffs senior was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference’s player of the year.
“The last year was kind of funny,” Lumley said. “I didn’t realize it until the end. I got player of the year and everyone was saying I had a great year. I just finally looked at it and realized it was a good year.”
Lumley batted .358 with two home runs while driving in 21 runs and leading the conference with 77 hits.
He also stole 15 bases and posted a .960 fielding percentage while being named a first-team conference all-star. His 259 career hits make him the school’s all-time leader in that category.
“I just love baseball,” said the left-hand-hitting Lumley, who played for the Windsor Selects. “To be able to play it as a career is pretty awesome.”
With the A’s, Lumley will follow in the footsteps of Windsor’s Brett Siddall, who was a 13th-round pick of the A’s in 2015. Siddall attended Holy Names and Canisius with Lumley.
“We still are pretty good friends,” Lumley said. “It’s kind of funny. I feel like I’ve been following him every year in baseball.”
Lumley has no intentions of an extended negotiation session with the A’s.
“I’ve been playing baseball since I was four or five and this is what I’ve been working hard for the last four years,” Lumley said. “Whether it’s the fifth or the 35th round doesn’t change the player I am.”
Lumley believes he’s more of a second baseman, but thinks he has the versatility to play a number of positions, which could be an asset at the pro level.
“I think I can play a couple of positions,” Lumley said. “(Oakland scout) Matt Higginson has followed me throughout the season. They’ve been good and straightforward with me. I’m happy they picked me.”
I’ve been playing baseball since I was four or five and this is what I’ve been working hard for the last four years. JAKE LUMLEY