2019 Draft - Mets Pick 7.208 - Luke Ritter - 2B - Wichita State

With the 208th pick (7^th round) in the 2019 draft, the New York Mets picked Wichita State senior second baseman, Luke Ritter.

2019 Stats:  59-G, .333/.458/.545, 9-HR, 40-RBI, 36-BB, 39-K

6-0   190  

Go Shockers - 2019 Senior:

Garnered first team all-conference honors in The American as a utility player...Senior CLASS Award finalist...Named to The American Weekly Honor Roll three times...Played and started in all 59 games (53 at second, three at third and three at shortstop)...

Hit a team-best .333 with a team-high 74 hits, going along with 16 doubles, two triples, nine home runs (tied for team-high), 36 walks (team-high), 16 hit by pitch (team and American Athletic Conference-high) and 12 stolen bases...

Posted a team-best .545 slugging and .458 on-base percentage, and had a .971 fielding percentage...Tallied a team-high 22 multi-hit contests, including five games with three hits...Had a 44-game reached base safely streak from May 5, 2018, to April 10, 2019...Went 3-for-4 with three RBI in WSU's game vs. Stephen F. Austin Feb. 22 in Arlington, Texas...Posted a 2-for-5 effort with a triple, homer and three RBI in Wichita State's 12-2 triumph vs. Omaha March 26...

Added a 3-for-4 performance with two RBI and a round-tripper in the Shockers' extra-inning win at Missouri State May 7...Drove in a season-best four runs in Wichita State's 7-3 victory at USF May 18...Ends his WSU career ranked second with 36 hit by pitch.

ksn.com - The sound of a metal bat cranking a 90 mile an hour fastball into the outfield will soon be heard.

Next month, the Wichita State Shocker baseball team will kick off their 2019 season against Grand Canyon.

On this team, you'll find senior third baseman Luke Ritter.

Ritter is coming off a season that saw him hit .341 and lead WSU in hits with 76.

That helped him go in the 37th round of the MLB Draft to the Minnesota Twins last Summer.

"I love baseball, I enjoy playing, you know, the break was long," said Ritter.

Filling the gap between seasons, Ritter found ways to keep busy over the Summer.

"I played in the NBC World Series, It was fun, a lot of fun, we won that, it was a good experience and something I'll never forget," said Ritter.

It was the 84th and last year for the NBC World Series at the old Lawrence Dumont Stadium.

The stadium was demolished late in 2018, as the city plans to build a new park to welcome a Triple-A affiliated team in 2020.

Ritter spoke highly of his experience playing for the Santa Barbara Foresters in the last tournament at a stadium that had stood since 1934.

"That field, that atmosphere, that's great history, great atmosphere, I mean you can't say enough about that field and it's pretty cool to be the last, one of the last teams to play there," said Ritter.

It's also his experience going into his fourth year as a Shocker that he hopes will serve as a benefit.

"I'm the guy they look up to, kind of lead things and kind of the captain of the team," said Ritter.  "I expect our team to do well, we have a good group of guys, guys who work hard, who love to be here, energy, it's a good group, I'm excited about the year and I'm looking forward to it," added Ritter.

The Shockers were picked to finish seventh in the 2019 American Athletic Conference preseason coaches' poll.

Ritter was named to the preseason all-conference team.