CHESAPEAKE (WAVY) — When Major League Baseball held its three-day draft, Old Dominion pitcher Hunter Gregory had to play the waiting game and finally got a call from his agent.
“8th round came, he Facetimed me and said how do you feel about being a Blue Jay?”
Gregory was projected to be drafted between the 3rd and 8th rounds.
“They said 3 through 8, I wasn’t expecting to go until the 8th, but I am extremely blessed to be drafted,” Gregory said.
Gregory said the Blue Jays plan to use him out of the bullpen.
Gregory first starting turning heads on the field at Hickory High School in Chesapeake, one of the top programs in the area where he helped lead the Hawks to a state championship.
“One of the first things I realized about Hunter was everything was so easy and fluid,” Hickory coach Hank Kraft said. “His arm action was phenomenal and his mechanics were great.”
When it came to college, Gregory decided to stay close to home and attend Old Dominion.
“Freshman year we had the worst season in ODU history with my class,” Gregory remembers. “We turned that right back around my senior year and we’re the best team in ODU history.”
Gregory was a key component to a Monarchs team that won its first Conference Championship in 25 years, and a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament.
As Gregory begins his professional journey with the Blue Jays, he has a goal. He won a state championship in high school and a conference championship in college, he say’s he’s not done yet.
“My goal now, I had a dog pile in high school, I had a dog pile in college, and now I’ve got to have a dog pile at the next level.”
Two other Monarchs also joined Gregory in the draft. Pitcher Aaron Holiday was selected in the 13th round by the Athletics with the 398th pick. And Pitcher Ryne Moore was picked in the 18th round at No. 537 by the Milwaukee Brewers.