Controversial Oregon State pitcher Luke Heimlich won't attend College World Series

He has released a statement on the matter, saying his presence would be a distraction

As No. 1 Oregon State (54-4) gets set for play in the College World Series, it'll do so without ace pitcher Luke Heimlich. The junior lefty was the Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year, but reports surfaced last week that he pleaded guilty to felony child molestation when he was 15 years old. 

The fallout has included Heimlich going undrafted -- which previously would have been an outright shock -- and now he has released a statement about not attending the College World Series (via oregonlive.com): 

"For the past six years, I have done everything in my power to demonstrate that I am someone my family and my community can be proud of, and show the one person who has suffered the most that I am committed to living a life of integrity. This situation has caused great pain to my family members over the years and I am devastated that they have to relive it all again so publicly. Today the Oregon State University baseball team is heading to Omaha for the College World Series - something my teammates, my coaches and I have worked for all year and dreamed about for a lifetime. I'm sad to say I am not joining them, because doing so would only create further distraction for my teammates, more turmoil for my family, and given the high profile of the national championship, direct even more unwanted attention to an innocent young girl. I want to wish my teammates the best. I hope they understand this decision as my family and I continue to work through this together. My hope is to return to OSU next year as a student-athlete and continue to earn the trust of my community."

Take particular note of the latter statement, because this is the first we've heard of Heimlich's desire to continue his baseball career. For what it's worth, Oregon State's president, Ed Ray, doesn't have issue with a return next season (via oregonlive.com): 

"Yesterday, Luke decided that he would no longer represent the university this year as a member of the baseball team. As such, he will not participate in the NCAA College World Series nor travel with the OSU baseball team to Omaha. I concur with this decision as to do otherwise would certainly serve as a disruption and distraction to the team due to the significant public scrutiny that this matter has attracted. As well, I am mindful of the need for providing safety for all concerned that otherwise might be at risk during times of heightened emotions.

"If Luke wishes to do so, I support him continuing his education at Oregon State and rejoining the baseball team next season."

Heimlich had a 0.76 ERA this season and was likely to be taken in the first two rounds of the MLB draft before the revelation about his past. There was a chance he'd have gone in the first round. It remains to be seen how things unfold next season, but falling from a potential first-rounder to undrafted through 40 rounds speaks volumes about where the 30 teams in MLB currently stand.