June 5, 2012
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky junior catcher Luke Maile – a 2012 All-Southeastern Conference selection – has been picked in the eighth round of the 2012 MLB Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays, going No. 272 overall, it was announced on Tuesday afternoon.
A native of Crestview Hills, Ky., Maile was picked in the eighth round of the MLB Draft by the Tampa Bay, joining teammate, junior outfielder Brian Adams, as an eighth-round pick, with Adams going to the San Diego Padres with pick No. 255. The duo marks the 15th and 16th Kentucky players to be picked in the top-10 rounds of the draft and the 36th overall selections since UK won the 2006 SEC Championship.
A 6-foot-3, 220-pound catcher, Maile has had a decorated three-year career for the Wildcats since arriving on campus as the Kentucky High School Mr. Baseball at out Covington Catholic High School. Maile led UK to its best season in the history of the program in 2012, with UK winning a record 45 games and finishing a game out of the regular-season SEC Championship.
As a second-team All-SEC catcher in 2012, Maile hit .319 (73-for-229) with 13 doubles, 12 homers and 51 RBI, owning a .533 slugging and a .426 on-base percentage. Maile owned a 34-35 walk-strikeout ratio and stole nine of 11 bases. Defensively, Maile helped lead UK to the fewest stolen bases against and the most pickoffs in the SEC, throwing out 10 of 18 would-be base steals and a staggering eight of 11 would-be base stealers in league action.
In his career, Maile owns a .295 average (130-for-441) with 23 doubles, three triples, 24 homers and 93 RBI, stealing 17-of-21 bases. As a freshman, Maile opened his career with a homer in his first UK at bat, batting .200 (7-for-35) in 2010 with three homers and six RBI. Maile emerged as one of the top players in college baseball as a sophomore, batting .282 (50-for-177) with 10 doubles, three triples, nine homers and 36 RBI.
A 43rd round pick out of high school by the Boston Red Sox, Maile earned a bevy of honors in 2012. He was on a semifinalist for the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award and the Dick Howser NCAA Player of the Year Award. In addition, Maile earned two SEC Player of the Week accolades.
