Round 16, Pick 478: Andy Loomis | LHP, Purdue | SIGNED

[JJ]

[!NICK!]

1.72 ERA in 36 innings out of the pen for the Boilermakers.

[Ralph]

LOOGY!!

[JJ]

Andy Loomis' first baseball season at Purdue was pretty forgettable, but the second one was a different story. Healthy this spring after being limited to 7 2/3 innings as a junior, Loomis emerged as one of the top situational lefties in the Big Ten. And the 5-foot-11, 170-pounder also pitched himself into the mix for baseball's annual first-year player draft, which begins a two-day run today. Loomis, a Whiting native and Bishop Noll grad, is one of several players with Northwest Indiana ties who have been checked out by major league scouts in preparation for the draft. Also on the radar are Valparaiso University senior outfielder Zach Rodeghero, the Horizon League batting champ with a .418 average, and Clark lefty and Central Michigan recruit Trent Howard. Loomis came to Purdue after going 21-4 in two seasons at South Suburban College, but his career hit a speed bump when he suffered a torn labrum in his right shoulder. To this day, he's still not sure what caused the injury. "I think I got it either from (weight) lifting or wakeboarding," Loomis said. In any case, that turned his 2007 season into a rehab campaign, as he had no record and an 8.22 earned run average. But the Boilermakers still had big dreams for Loomis. During preseason meetings before last season, he said Purdue coaches "told me they are expecting me to be their No. 1 reliever." Loomis didn't disappoint, going 4-1 with a 1.72 ERA in 32 games. He struck out 30 and walked just eight in 36 2/3 innings. More importantly, he displayed the ability to bounce back and pitch frequently on short rest. That, plus a fastball that topped out in the low 90s and was consistently from 86 to 88 mph, caught a few eyes. The teams that expressed the most interest in Loomis included the Florida Marlins, Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates. Because he's out of college eligibility, Loomis knows he doesn't have a lot of bargaining power and may drop out of the draft entirely. But he's hopeful at the least that a free-agent deal could be coming. "This is what I was working for since I was little: wanting to play professional baseball," he said. "I'm just hoping to get that opportunity."

Breakout season gets Purdue reliever Loomis noticed by MLB :: Sports :: Post-Tribune

[Ralph]

The dude Wakeboards!!!

[JJ]

Interesting that he was foreseeing being undrafted and was picked in the upper half of the draft.

Not being an expert I'm wondering if he and his school underestimated his stock, he was being pessimistic on purpose, or this was a large reach pick or something. Interesante.

[markotsay7]

Andy Loomis was too excited to be mad at himself. But his appetite did get in the way of his big day in the sun Friday. Loomis thought he was safe to go grab a bite to eat with a friend Friday afternoon in Whiting, and wouldn't have to worry about missing anything on the TV or Internet with live coverage of the 2008 Major League Baseball draft. Unfortunately, Loomis missed seeing his name flash across the screen. "I figured I was going 30th (round) or later since I'm a (college) senior and they usually go late," the left-handed pitcher said. "Then my brother calls me and said I was drafted in the 16th round (by the Florida Marlins). I was like, 'You've got to be kidding me? I missed it.'" The good thing is Loomis didn't miss the plate much this past season at Purdue. The standout southpaw and Bishop Noll grad went 4-1 as a reliever for the Boilermakers. He finished with a 1.72 ERA and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 30-8 in 32 appearances. Loomis thought he might be a later pick because he's a senior and doesn't have options like underclassmen or high school seniors who get drafted. "I'm just glad I got an opportunity -- that's all you can ask for," Loomis said. "Now I'm just going to worry about baseball. That's my main focus now." Loomis, who pitched two seasons at South Suburban College before playing the last two at Purdue, thinks a big boost in going so early was the fact his velocity increased at the perfect time. He said he was topping off at 88 mph for most of the season, but hit 92 mph on the radar gun against Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament championship game. Next up for Loomis will be signing a contract and heading to one of the Marlins' minor league affiliates, most likely the Single-A Jamestown Jammers in the New York-Pennsylvania League, he said.

Former Noll pitcher Andy Loomis goes in 16th round to Florida / nwi.com