Baseball (Virginia Tech / Chicago White Sox draft)
For Luke Craytor (Class of 2018), some of the best parts of his Peabody experience were the people. The school’s small size meant that everyone knew one another well, both in and out of the classroom. “We just had so much fun together,” he remembers. Two of his closest friends to this day are Peabody classmates, and he still keeps in touch with many others.
Luke’s love of sports began early, and he played baseball in a youth league and basketball on Peabody’s team. He played recreational basketball when he first entered high school, but eventually committed to baseball, playing travel ball and setting his sights on playing in college. Luke went on to play at Lafayette College before transferring to Virginia Tech, and also spending a season with the local Tom Sox summer collegiate league team.
Luke shared that, in some ways, the demands of a Division I baseball schedule made tackling the demands of college life a little easier because there simply wasn’t much time to overthink things. At Virginia Tech, most of his classes were in the mornings, followed by practices and time on the field until around 6 p.m., with homework and studying to fit in afterward. During the season, the team played nearly 60 games, with frequent weekday travel and missed classes that required careful planning and rescheduling. Between practices, games, travel, meetings, and academics, Luke learned how to make the most of his time, and graduated this spring with a degree in economics.
As a senior right-handed pitcher for the Hokies, Luke went 4–0 with a 3.16 ERA during the 2025–2026 season. His persistence and strong finish to his college career paid off in July, when the Chicago White Sox selected him in the ninth round, 255th overall, in the 2026 MLB Draft.
After the draft, Luke headed to Charlotte with his draft class for physicals and orientation before traveling to Arizona for training. He’s now adjusting to the more independent world of professional baseball, where players have to take greater ownership of their training and development. He’ll report back for spring training in February and wait for his team assignment in the following months.
For Peabody students dreaming of a future in baseball, he has one practical piece of advice: “Pay attention in Spanish class!” With players from Cuba, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, and beyond, Luke says knowing Spanish can make a big difference on and off the field.
Looking back, Luke credits consistency, learning from mistakes, and sticking with it as important lessons along the way: “it’s really about figuring out where your efforts are best put, and staying disciplined. It’s a job, not an option: you’re only hurting yourself if you don’t show up.”