STERLING HEIGHTS - Success is important to Gabe Jones. The De La Salle Collegiate High School senior believes a commitment to Ball State will satisfy that appetite for prosperity.

“Mostly what I liked about them is the culture and the winning they’ve done the last couple of years,” Jones said about the perennial Mid-American Conference power that has finished in the top two of the standings every year played since 2016, including a regular-season championship this past season. “That intrigued me. I wanted to go where they win.”

A connection with Ball State began this summer.

“I played for the Metro Travel Stars organization a little bit and the hit coach is the brother to the Ball State head coach,” Jones explained. “After going to a PBR I had video to send to the coaches and that’s when they started calling me. They saw me play two or three games this summer and then invited me to a camp. They offered me two days after on a call and I committed the same day.”

The 20th-ranked 2023 right-handed pitcher in Michigan had made a lot of improvements to get to the point of drawing interest from Western Michigan, Northwood, Saginaw, Eastern Michigan, Dayton and Miami in addition to Ball State.

“I lived in the weight room,” Jones said of his recent drive to get better. “I got faster and developed a couple pitches with a couple of coaches and that took me to the next level.”

It was just part of what stood out to Ball State.

“They called my high school coach, who used to coach at Oakland, and found out I come from a good family and that I was a good fit,” Jones said, referring to current De La Salle mentor John Musachio.
The desire to play ball at the collegiate level has been there awhile for the 59th-rated senior in Michigan.

“I always had an idea that I wanted to play college baseball a little,” Jones noted. “Once high school began I started really working toward it. My freshman year I wanted to get better and play at the highest level I can. It’s a sport that I’ve loved my whole life.”

But being recruited did not happen overnight.

“Before going to a PBR event I was sending video highlights from high school coaches and not receiving anything back,” Jones reflected. “It was getting stressful seeing guys in my class committing and I’m wondering why not me. But after I went to the Top Prospect Games with PBR everyone started texting me.”

Jones pointed to his parents “for support,” Musachio “for development the last few years” along with Metro Stars pitching coach Joe Wolf and coach Angelo Plouffe “for helping with velo and development as a pitcher” in aiding the process.

“It’s a very relieving feeling,” Jones said of being committed. “The recruiting process was definitely stressful when you don't know where you’re going and what you’re going to do.”

But that is no longer the case for the 3.9 student at De La Salle, who plans to major in marketing at Ball State, which is located four hours from his home in Sterling Heights.

“I’m looking forward to developing and seeing how good I can get,” the 6-3 185-pounder said. “That intrigues me. I think the Ball State coaches will help me reach my highest potential.”

Jones is confident improvement will come.

“Developing three pitches I can throw for strikes will be big along with a little gain in velo,” Jones said. “That will help out.”

It has the 17-year-old excited about what he can bring to the Mid-American Conference program.

“I feel I’ll be a good teammate that brings morale to the clubhouse,” Jones noted. “On the field I’ll bring intensity to the game and pitch my heart out.”