By RICHIE HALL
Three years ago, the Fishers pitching duo of Luke Albright and Grant Richardson led the way for the Tigers as they romped to the school’s first-ever baseball state championship.
Albright and Richardson were reunited in a sense earlier this week, as both joined the ranks of professional baseball players: Both men were chosen in the Major League Baseball Draft. Albright, who has been playing college ball at Kent State, was selected in the sixth round by the Arizona Diamondbacks, while Richardson, playing at Indiana University, was taken by the New York Yankees.
Albright was the 168th pick in the draft, becoming the Golden Flashes’ highest draft selection since 2017, when Jake Latz was picked in the fifth round of MLB’s entry draft.
The 6-4 right-hander led the Kent State pitching roster this season, making 15 starts in 15 appearances. Albright recorded a 6-4 record and had a team-leading 3.40 earned-run average. He struck out 102 batters and allowed opponents only a .211 average at the plate. His success earned him Second Team All Mid-American Conference honors.
Over his three years for the Flashes, Albright was 12-7 in 33 appearances, with a 2.98 ERA and 178 strikeouts.
“Luke Albright is one of the hardest workers we’ve ever had at Fishers High School,” said Tigers coach Matthew Cherry. The coach said Albright was a physical presence as a freshman, as well as a tireless worker all four years at Fishers.
“Luke has a relentless desire to improve and has never been satisfied,” said Cherry. “His mental makeup on the mound and his work ethic between starts is off the charts. He will constantly learn and work to improve. We are very excited for him to reach his dream of playing professional baseball and excited to follow his career.”
Richardson was also a great pitcher for Fishers, but moved to the outfield when he played for the Hoosiers. He also became one of their top hitters, especially during the 2021 season.
Richardson led the team with a batting average of .320, getting 55 hits during the season. That included nine doubles, seven home runs and two triples. Richardson batted in 33 runs and scored 32. In five different games, Richardson collected three hits. In the field, Richardson was error-free for the season.
For his career, Richardson averaged .312 at the plate, totaling 123 hits and 21 home runs. He scored 90 runs and batted in 87.
“Just like Luke, Grant Richardson is a special young man,” said Cherry. “His talent is unbelievable! You hear people say that the ball sounds different off a professional bat and that is definitely true when Grant hits. Obviously, he was also a special pitcher for us as well, but he showed everyone at IU what he is capable of at the plate. We are excited to follow him throughout his professional career.”