Update: 9:07 p.m.
Ohio junior pitcher Seth Striech, who was selected by the Oakland Athletics with the 199th pick in the MLB Draft Tuesday, said he will not make an immediate decision involving his decision to sign with the club.
Streich will finish out the quarter in Athens before returning home to Ridgway, Pa. to meet with Athletics representatives.
He said he is not sure which of the Athletics' minor league teams he would be assigned to if he were to sign, but was elated to be presented the opportunity to negiotiate a professional contract.
"I don't think it's set in fully yet," he said. "To have the experience of sitting back and watching your life’s greatest goal come true and your lifetime goal unfold in front of your face and seeing all of your hard work and dedication in one moment is one of the best experiences of my life."
If Streich were to sign, he could be placed on one of the Athletics' two California farm teams, or others in Iowa, Texas and Vermont.
In any circumstance, it's likely a professional deal will drive Streich from Athens.
"Right now, of course I’m leaning toward signing and leaving," he said. "I’d be hurting myself If I didn’t put some thought into the decision."
He did say that if Ohio associate coach Andrew See, who also serves as the team's pitching coach, succeeds outgoing skipper Joe Carbone, he would be more apt to stay in Athens.
"I would like to see Coach See get the job," he said. "If he gets it, it’d be much more enticing if he would stay."
If Streich were to ink a professional deal, he would not compete as planned for the Southern Ohio Copperheads this summer.
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Scouts lined the backstop at Bob Wren Stadium for one day each Ohio homestand this season. Each time they convened, it was Sunday at 1 p.m. when junior starting pitcher Seth Streich took the hill.
"I would like to say it didn’t effect me, but it’s hard to say it didn’t," he said, about the extra attention. "There were times when I was pitching when it would cross my mind. I didn’t break during the tough times this season, and all my hard work paid off."
If Streich signs he will be the 43rd player under former Ohio coach Joe Carbone to sign a professional contract. The official Major League Baseball recommended bonus for that slot is $183,500.
Sluggers Marc Krauss (second round, 64th pick by the Arizona Diamondbacks), Gauntlett Eldermire (6th round, Philadelphia Phillies), and Robert Maddox III (18th round, Cincinnati Reds) are among the most recent group of signings for Ohio.
Streich, who held a 4.42 ERA and had a 4-7 record on the year, has the “stuff” to catch scouts’ eye, even though he missed a substantial portion of his season with oblique and hamstring injuries.
Despite starting two less games than fellow weekend starters Brent Choban and Jason Moulton, he had a team-high 62 strikeouts. He also had three complete games on the year.
Streich’s season ended on a sour note at the Mid-American Conference Tournament, where he was brought in by Ohio coach Joe Carbone to hold Buffalo scoreless in the bottom of the 10th inning, an elimination situation.
After putting runners on first and second with no outs, Streich reached back and struck out two straight batters. It was the third out where he fell short, allowing a line drive single to right field to score the Bulls’ runner, who had initially reached base on a hit by pitch to open the inning.
Streich has been a force for the Bobcats for each of his three seasons. He had a 4.00 ERA in his 2011 campaign, where he started 14 times, and totaled a .273 batting average on the other side of the equation.
As a freshman, he hit .317 and knocked seven home runs. He also pitched 50 innings for the Bobcats in his rookie season.
Streich was honored with the Bobcats' other seven seniors in Ohio's final home game this season.
jr992810@ohiou.edu
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