Former center picks MLB over basketball American University thought he would be the Eagles’ top returning scorer and rebounder. Instead, he hasn’t touched a basketball in five months.
In fact, instead of being the Eagles’ senior center, Stephen Lumpkins is now a member of the Kansas City Royals. Instead of preparing himself for a winter spent inside Bender Arena, he’s at home in Redwood City, Calif., after spending the summer on the Royals’ Arizona rookie league team.
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If it sounds a bit strange, that’s because it is. In June, Lumpkins was selected in the 13th round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. American University hasn’t had baseball as a varsity program since 1986.
But its basketball that’s quickly becoming a memory for the 6-foot-8 left-hander, who compiled a 2-1 record with 26 strikeouts in 10 appearances on the mound in the summer following a basketball season in which he averaged 13.5 points and 8.2 rebounds and had the best field-goal percentage in the Patriot League.
“It’s kind of getting away from it,” Lumpkins said in a phone interview. “It’s something you do for so long, and obviously, I loved doing it, but I’ve kind of shifted gears into baseball, and I’m just focused on how I can keep improving and hopefully work my way up in the Royals’ organization.”
Lumpkins had worked himself up in the rotation for the Eagles, as a freshman appearing off the bench in every one of American’s 32 games during their Patriot League title-winning season and near NCAA first-round upset of Villanova in 2009.
“Out of high school, I didn’t really think I wanted to play baseball anymore,” Lumpkins said. But his body told him differently after being persuaded into a throwing session and eventually a summer with Bethesda Big Train manager Sal Colangelo after his sophomore season.
“He came to a bullpen with me, and I saw right away, a good loose arm, arm strength, a good change-up, which is surprising, and a good work ethic,” Colangelo said.
A structured strength and conditioning program had changed Lumpkins, and it turned scouts’ heads right away, leading to him being taken in the 42nd round of the 2010 draft.
The enticement wasn’t enough to draw him away from American then, but the Royals’ offer this past June, including covering the rest of Lumpkins’ college tuition, was too good to turn down.
But the timing denied American coach Jeff Jones a chance to replace Lumpkins, having already committed his scholarship. Sophomore Tony Wroblicky, who averaged 1.3 points and 1.8 rebounds, will take the bulk of Lumpkins’ minutes this season.
“If I wanted to pursue a career in professional baseball, this was the time to do it,” Lumpkins said. “It was hard leaving my friends and teammates and everyone at AU, but it was something that was a great opportunity for me.”
Lumpkins will report back to Arizona in March. Next fall, he’ll head back to American to finish his studies. But while he’ll reunite with some of his former teammates, he won’t even be able to participate in workouts for the sport he played there for three years. He said his contract says he’s not allowed.
