Trey's Day: Urbana alum Lipscomb drafted by Nationals
Jul. 19—When Trey Lipscomb woke up Monday morning, it seemed like he would be playing professional baseball far from home.
But just a few hours and a couple of phone calls later, Lipscomb learned he would not have to travel far from the Frederick area to begin his career.
Lipscomb, the Urbana High grad and Tennessee third baseman, was selected by the Washington Nationals Monday in the third round of the MLB Draft. At 84th overall, Lipscomb is the second-highest drafted player ever from Frederick County, behind former Thomas Johnson standout Branden Kline, who was picked 65th overall by the Baltimore Orioles in 2012.
"It still hasn't hit yet," Lipscomb said, his phone buzzing every few seconds with congratulatory texts.
The destination came as a pleasant surprise to Lipscomb, his friends and his family, who only have to travel no more than two hours to see him debut in the minors and an hour if he gets to the big leagues.
Lipscomb had fielded varying levels of interest from nearly all MLB teams in the lead-up to the draft, with clubs out west like Colorado and San Diego engaging with him the most. He previously spoke with the Nationals via Zoom, but there had been little communication between the two sides otherwise.
There was hope among his camp that a team would take a shot at Lipscomb late in the second round. But as those opening rounds passed, he was still undrafted.
"After last night, I said to him, 'Good luck. It's going to happen. You know you're going to get selected,'" Urbana coach Mike Frownfelter, who was with Lipscomb on Sunday, said.
Then, shortly after he woke up Monday, the Nationals gave Lipscomb a call.
They told him he had moved up their draft board following the first two rounds and to be on the lookout for another call from them. That came at 1:50 p.m., 10 minutes before the third round officially started.
"[Their guy] was like, 'Hey, the Nationals are really interested in you. Are you ready to be a Washington National?'" Lipscomb said.
He was ready, and it became official not even 20 minutes later.
It's an added bonus that Lipscomb is staying local, particularly for his family, who can more easily follow his future.
"I can now watch his entire baseball career unfold in front of me," his father, LaVictor Lipscomb, said. "It was just a joy and a great moment for the entire family, knowing Trey would be close to home, and we can see him as often as we want to."
It could be the start of quite a career.
Lipscomb's stock skyrocketed with a breakout senior season at Tennessee, his only campaign as a starter. He hit .355 with 22 home runs and 84 RBIs, leading the SEC in the latter category. Lipscomb was named a finalist for the Dick Howser Trophy, given to Division I college baseball's top player.
That came following a stellar high school career at Urbana, where he was a three-year starter and two-time Frederick News-Post all-area player of the year.
"I saw his name pop up, and I was like, unbelievable," Frownfelter said. "What a great honor. What a year he's had."
And now, Lipscomb will be taking those talents down I-270.
There are contract details to work out — Lipscomb's slot value is $758,500, and he has until August 1 to sign. Lipscomb said he's not too sure what's next, but his next destination is set.
It won't be too far from home.
"It's definitely cool to be in this position, just to see all the hard work and dedication and the time put forward to this game," Lipscomb said. "It's only the beginning, and I'm excited to add another chapter to my book."
