HIGHLAND - Connor Demko found his future home on his list of potential colleges.

“My coach asked me what are some schools I was interested in - and make it realistic,” Demko reflected. “I thought West Virginia was one of the reachable schools and he said I can see you going there. He told me to reach out to as many of the schools I listed as possible and I emailed them in January or February of this year. West Virginia got back to me the same day.

“They thanked me for reaching out and said they’d like me to come to a prospect camp on Aug. 13. I thought I could develop more and be better by then.”

The trip to Morgantown, W. Va., was memorable for the eighth-rated 2023 left-handed pitcher in Michigan.

“I went down there the day before,” Demko related. “My coach actually knows the recruiting coordinator there and told him I was coming and here are his numbers. I was the first one up in the bullpen. They had an agenda to throw, I hit my spots and my velo was super super good. My mechanics were flowing.

“Afterward I was debating about going up to the coach about how I did and I went up and said thank you for the opportunity. He said he was impressed and that I threw well and was definitely someone that could earn a spot. On the drive home he sent a text and offered.”

It was not a difficult decision for the Lakeland High School senior.

“Being a late 2023, I wasn’t sure I’d have any more opportunities to go to a Power 5 school,” Demko explained. “I knew I wanted to go there, it seemed like a good fit. I waited a couple of days and then committed three or four days later.”

While there were no other offers, Central Michigan, Virginia, Rutgers, Michigan State and Michigan were among those that had reached out to Demko’s coach.

Recent improvement was vital in making it all take place.

“As a freshman I was pretty underdeveloped for my grade,” the 6-2 195-pounder pointed out. “As a sophomore and junior I got stronger and taller. It was rapid how it happened. I hit the weight room hard and was working with all the right people. My velo went from 72 to 82 from freshman to sophomore year and 82 to 90 from sophomore to junior year.”

West Virginia liked what they saw in the 58th-ranked senior in Michigan.

“They liked my pitching mechanics, my control on the mound and just my presence,” Demko noted.

The connection with the Big 12 Conference school helped bring an end to a somewhat difficult recruiting process.

“It was definitely stressful being a late developer for 2023 and where I wanted to be in my senior year when it was the beginning of my junior year,” Demko explained. “I just had to make sure I was emailing coaches and doing as many prospect camps at schools I wanted to go to.”

The hope now is to be able to make an impact on the mound at West Virginia.

“Hopefully, I’ll be somewhat of a power lefty arm for them,” Demko said. “I’ll be a hard worker putting in hours in the gym and putting in work on the mound making sure all is fine-tuned while pitching to the best of my ability.”

Demko, who is closing in on a 3.5 GPA at Lakeland, plans to major in a sports marketing related field at West Virginia.

“I’m super excited,” the just-turned 17-year-old said of his commitment. “It didn’t feel real for a couple of days. Honestly, it’s making me want to work even more. I’ve still got a lot more in the tank.”

As for his arrival to college, Demko looks ahead with anticipation.

“I’m looking forward to all of the experiences,” Demko concluded. “The football rivalry games, what it’s like living with players, what it’s like having top-notch coaching and facilities, pitching on a nice field with the stands full. I can’t wait to see what the atmosphere is like.”