2 for the third round
Calvert Hall’s Torres (Reds), Gilman’s Heubeck (Dodgers) hear names called
Two former Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference baseball standouts — 2019 Calvert Hall graduate Jose Torres and recent Gilman grad Peter Heubeck — were third-round selections in the Major League Baseball amateur draft on Monday.
Torres, who was The Baltimore Sun’s 2019 All-Metro Player of the Year and played shortstop at North Carolina State, was taken by the Cincinnati Reds with the 89th overall pick. Heubeck, a 6-foot-3 pitcher who is a Wake Forest commit, was selected by the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers with the 101st pick.
Heubeck, who turns 19 on July 22, led the Greyhounds to their first league championship title since 2010 in May. He added to his special year when he got a call from the Dodgers on Monday afternoon.
“That moment was unreal and I still haven’t processed it fully, but it’s the best feeling ever. It was awesome,” he said.
A hard-throwing right-hander who touches the mid-90s with his fastball and also throws a curveball and changeup,
Heubeck switched from catcher to pitcher in his freshman season in 2018 and was a varsity standout throughout his career.
This spring, he went 8-2 with a 1.20 ERA, striking out 101 batters in 64-plus innings and was named Maryland’s Gatorade Player of the Year.
He was at his best in his final high school start, tossing a three-hitter with 15 strikeouts in a 3-2 win over John Carroll in the MIAA semifinals that sent the Greyhounds into the championship round with no losses in the
double-elimination tournament.
Gilman went on to beat Spalding, 6-2, in the championship game with Heubeck getting the game’s final three outs in the seventh inning.
“What he brought to Gilman was a winning mindset, unbelievable athletic ability and he just developed over the last three years into quite a pitcher. For him to be able to throw the fastball, curveball, changeup any time in the count makes him pretty special,” Gilman coach Larry Sheets said.
Heubeck said he’s grateful to have the promising options between Wake Forest and the Dodgers and expects to make a decision on his future in the next day or two.
Torres had the same decision coming out of Calvert Hall after being selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 24th round of the 2019 MLB draft. He opted for college ball and enjoyed a fine sophomore season playing shortstop at NC State. Starting 50 of 52 games for the Wolfpack, who went 37-19, he batted .289 with 10 home runs, 44 RBIs and 31 runs scored.