Oregon State's Luke Heimlich not selected during MLB draft's first day

Gabe Lacques | USA TODAY

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Luke Heimlich, the Oregon State pitcher who pleaded guilty to molesting his 6-year-old niece when he was a teenager, was not selected in the first 78 picks of Major League Baseball's draft on Monday.

Heimlich, 22, was slated to be a high-round pick in the 2017 draft but his arrest as a 16-year-old was revealed by the Oregonian just days before the draft.

He went undrafted and returned to Oregon State for his senior year. However, the Texas Rangers indicated recently they have removed Heimlich from their draft board, while other organizations have refused to address whether they are considering the left-hander. Heimlich signed a seven-page guilty plea in a deal that enabled him to avoid jail time. In a recent Sports Illustrated interview, he denies molesting his niece, a claim vigorously refuted by family members.

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The draft continues Tuesday with rounds 3-10 and concludes Wednesday with the final 30 rounds.

Heimlich went 15-1 with a 2.42 ERA this year for Oregon State, which will play host to Minnesota next weekend in the super regionals of the NCAA playoffs.