Reds make the call for Lonsway

The call may not have come as early as he, his family and friends and fans might have hoped, but Seth Lonsway did get the call.

The Celina graduate was selected by the Cincinnati Reds with the 557th pick (19th round) of the Major League Baseball Draft on Wednesday.

"It's great. Really great. A little later than we were hearing, but that's okay," said Lonsway in a telephone interview. "We're thankful for the opportunity."

The place where Lonsway landed in the draft was lower than some expectations. Some draft projections had him going early during the second day of the draft on Tuesday, when rounds three through 10 were selected.

But by the time Tuesday's picks were concluded, Lonsway was still on the board.

"It was kind of an emotional roller-coaster the first two days of the draft," Lonsway said. "You're looking at all the talent (being drafted ahead) and feel down. You kind of just stick it out and hope God is on your side. I woke up this morning hoping for the best.

"I got a call from my advisers that different teams starting to come into contact with them and negotiating. I'm just grateful to get this opportunity."

The fact that the Reds were the team that made the pick was one that made Lonsway happy.

"I'm very excited. They're on the turnaround," Lonsway said. "This is Reds Country up here, so it's exciting. A lot of people are rooting for me and the people have been great. No matter what my decision is, the community has been awesome in supporting me through any decision. I'm thankful the Reds have given me an opportunity and I'm going to make the most of it."

The next few weeks will be a time of decision for Lonsway, his family and advisers. The deadline for teams to make deals with draftees is July 7. Also in consideration is Lonsway's having a scholarship to pitch at Ohio State next season. If Lonsway does not sign and elects to join the Buckeyes, he would not be eligible for the draft again until after his junior season.

"We're going to sit down and discuss things and go over terms. The Reds will come to us and give their information," said Lonsway, who went 7-1 with a 1.31 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 48 innings pitched this past season. "We'll assess (the information) from there and make our decision what we'll do with my family and the advisers. The next two weeks or so, we'll get everything figured out and go from there."

On line video:
See an interview with Seth Lonsway and watch him pitch.