Cape Henlopen's Johnson drafted by Washington Nationals

LEWES — It’s been a pretty memorable run for Cape Henlopen High when it comes producing top-notch baseball players lately.

Now former Viking Luke Johnson can add his name to that list.

After a standout college career at UMBC, Johnson was drafted in the 10th round by the Washington Nationals on Monday.

The 6-foot-1, right-handed pitcher went with the 290th pick overall.
Johnson joins other Cape Henlopen players who were drafted and are currently playing professionally like Zach and Jake Gelof and Mason Fluharty.

Vikings’ coach Ben Evick said Johnson getting drafted is just more proof that a player doesn’t have to be at a Top-25 program to get noticed. He said he was just making that point to a player on Tuesday.

“I said, ‘Look, just yesterday Luke Johnson got drafted in the 10th round by the Nationals out of UMBC,’” said Evick. “There’s nothing wrong with going to UMBC or mid-majors like that.

“He’s got a chance (in the pros) and that’s all it takes sometimes.”

According to a story on MLB.com, the Nationals liked “Johnson’s competitive nature along with his ability to throw strikes and pitch multiple innings.”

At UMBC, Johnson was a two-time America East Pitcher of the Year .He was the first Retriever draft pick since Kevin Lachance in 2016 (Los Angeles Dodgers, 10th round, 311 overall).

Johnson led the America East in wins and strikeouts in conference play, while finishing top five in all other pitching categories. He was only the second player in the award’s 34 year history to win the America East Pitcher of the Year award twice.

Johnson, who was also a position in his first two seasons at UMBC, also earned first-team all-conference honors three times.

A member of Cape’s DIAA state championship team in 2018, Johnson was a first-team All-State pick in soccer. His dad, Drew, played baseball at Maryland and then in the Orioles organization.

Johnson had been pitching for the Williamsport (Pa.) Crosscutters, who are now an MLB Draft League team and aren’t affiliated with any specific organization. He was 2-0 with a 0.79 ERA and nine strikeouts in 11 1/3 innings.

Zach Gelof, who is now playing second base for the Oakland A’s, and his brother, Jake (Dodgers farm system), were both drafted with the No. 60 pick in back-to-back seasons. Fluharty, who is pitching in the Blue Jays’ system, went with the No. 158 pick in 2022.

Cape also had Tyler Townsend go to the Orioles in the third round of the 2009 draft; Brian Mifflin (1994, Mets, 50th round), Brad Lee (1994, Rangers, supplemental), Oliver Maull (1981, Orioles, 26th round) and Ben Wiltbank (1977, Pirates, 15th round).

Other Delawareans drafted

Johnson was one of at least four former Delaware high school players who were drafted this week.

Outfielder Eddie Micheletti, a standout catcher at Wilmington Friends who went on to play at Virginia Tech, was the top pick of the group. He went in the eighth round with the No. 247 pick to the Blue Jays.

Appoquinimink High grad Aidan Deakins, a left-handed who played at two-year school Wabash Valley (Ill.) College, went to the Rangers in the 13th round with the No. 405 pick.

Concord High grad Luke Gabrysh will get the chance to stay close to home after going to the Phillies in the 15th round with pick No. 462. A right-handed pitcher, he played at St. Joseph’s in college.