DREAM FUL-PHILLIED

Josh Ludy has dreamed of playing professional baseball for as long as he can remember.
The Philadelphia Phillies are giving him the chance to make that dream a reality.
Philadelphia selected Ludy, a 2008 Jay County High School graduate and Baylor University senior, with the final pick of the eighth round, 278th overall, in the Major League Baseball Draft on Tuesday.
“He’s is extremely excited,” said Sheri Ludy, Josh’s mom, after taking her son and his teammate, fifth-round draft pick Max Muncy, out to dinner to celebrate. “They both had pretty big smiles on their faces and both were pretty happy with what had happened. It had been his lifelong dream.”
Because of NCAA rules, Josh Ludy will not be available to talk to the media until Thursday.
Ludy was one of three Bears selected in the draft, joining Muncy, who was selected 169th overall by the Oakland Athletics, and Logan Vick, who was taken in the 10th round by the Cleveland Indians.
Phillies regional scout Brian Kohlscheen said his team had interest in Ludy last season, but his breakout senior campaign pushed him well up their draft chart.
“He had a whale of a year,” said Kohlscheen. “He really had a great year at Baylor. He’s a big reason why they were as good as they were this year …
“He’s going to have the opportunity to continue his career, and hopefully right on up to where we’re watching him on TV someday. That’s what we’re hoping for.”
Ludy, who was third on Baylor’s catching depth chart less than two years ago, earned the starting job late in his junior season and has been one of the best players in the country this year.
He ranks ninth in the nation in RBIs (69), 20th in home runs (15), 25th in total bases and 26th in slugging percentage (.637). He leads the Big 12 in all four of those categories.
Ludy won the Big 12 Player of the Year award, and became just the sixth player in conference history to earn the league’s player of the week award in back-to-back weeks. He was also named the Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week in April, and was selected as a third-team All-American by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.
“We are extremely excited for him,” said Sheri Ludy, recalling playing baseball with her son as a youngster. “I don’t know how many balls we had to pitch to that child.
“It’s very rewarding, because he has worked his tail off.”
Ludy is just the third player from Jay County to be selected in the MLB Draft.
The Chicago Cubs selected Shane White after his senior season with the Patriots in the 24th round of the 1992 draft. The Florida Marlins picked 1993 Jay County graduate Dan Ferrell in the 22nd round of the 1996 draft following his junior season at Indiana University.
Ludy was a star from the start for the Patriots, hitting a home run in the first at bat of his first game during his freshman season. He owns the school record for home runs in a career, and earned all-state honors during his senior season.
“I am tickled to death for him,” said JCHS coach Lea Selvey. “That is awesome.
“He’s a kid that has just worked and worked and worked and deserves it. If anybody out there deserves it, it’s him. I’m just so happy for him at this moment.”
Although he has been drafted by the Phillies, Ludy still has business to take care of at the college level.
He and the Baylor Bears won the Waco Regional in the NCAA Division I Tournament, and they will host a Super Regional against Arkansas beginning at 5 p.m. on Saturday. (The game will be broadcast on ESPNU). The winner of the three-game series will advance to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb.
With the MLB draft continuing today, Kohlscheen said the decision on where Ludy will be assigned once his collegiate career comes to an end has not yet been made.
He said he expects Ludy to skip rookie ball and likely start his career Philadelphia’s Class A short season affiliate, the Williamsport (Pa.) Crosscutters. He said there is also a chance that he could jump directly to the Lakewood (N.J.) BlueClaws, who are the Phillies’ Class A full season squad.
“We’re just happy that we got the opportunity to get him in the organization,” said Kohlscheen. “He’s the type of person that it’s not just the ability that he brings on the field, but he’s just a good person all the way around. Those are the type of people that we look for ... With the bat and his ability to handle pitchers and the leadership, those are the qualities that really set him apart from a lot of other people.”

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