Duke Baseball: Jack Labosky Selected by the Tampa Bay Rays

The busy day continued for Duke Baseball on Wednesday as they prepared for Super Regionals, another key player got the phone call of a lifetime.

Jack Labosky is one of the most important players on the Duke Baseball roster.

The third baseman and a pitcher got the phone call of a lifetime yesterday as the Tampa Bay Rays selected Labosky in the 22nd Round of the 2018 MLB Draft with the No. 660 overall pick.

Labosky has been a two way player from the moment he stepped foot on campus at Duke.

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Back in 2015 Labosky hit .265 with three doubles and nine RBI. His year on the mound was much more successful, posting a 3-0 record with a 2.88 ERA in 28 innings.

2016 showed much improvement for Labosky at the plate, bumping his average to .290, blasting eight home runs, 18 doubles, and 47 RBI. On the mound, Laboksy was very unlucky going 0-5 with a 2.20 ERA in 32.2 innings pitched.

Labosky was named to the All-ACC Second Team while being a semifinalist for the Gregg Olson Award which is given to the breakout player of the year in college baseball. Jack was also named to the ACC All-Academic Team.

His numbers took a dip during his junior year. A .275 batting average to go along with six home runs, two triples, 17 doubles, and 43 RBI. Labosky’s pitching numbers were uncharacteristically down in 2017. A 2-4 record with a 4.50 ERA did not sit well with Labosky but he was able to rack up seven saves.

Here in 2018, Labosky’s batting average has continued to fall, now sitting at .234 with seven home runs, 12 doubles, and 40 RBI.

However, Labosky has been virtually unhittable on the mound a 3-0 record, 10 saves, and an outstanding 0.71 ERA in 38 innings.

Labosky was named as a Third Team All-American by Baseball America and Duke’s 11th All-American Selection, the first since Marcus Stroman in 2011. He was also named as a semifinalist for the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award.

The Duke senior has posted a .266 batting average, 21 home runs, 139 RBI, with 113 walks for his career, while an 8-9 record on the mound with a 2.50 ERA and 18 saves, the most in Duke history.

While the Rays selected Labosky as a pitcher, players and teams have switched two-way players many times before they settle on a position. Labosky will look to keep his outstanding year going both on the field and on the mound as Duke takes on Texas Tech in the Super Regionals of the NCAA Baseball Tournament.

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