Prep Baseball Report

Q and A with 2015 Virginia Commit: Drew Blakely (Gull Lake HS)



Drew Blakely, C, Gull Lake HS, Class of 2015

PBR: Why did you choose Virginia?

Blakely: I chose to commit to UVA because ever since middle school it had been my dream to play college baseball there. After seeing them fall short in the National Championship this year, I was incredibly impressed with the amount of success they had and I was motivated to do my part in helping Virginia bring home a National Championship, so when the offer to play baseball there was made available there was no doubt in my mind that's where The Lord called me to be. 

PBR: What other schools were you considering?

Blakely: I visited Michigan, Michigan State, Western Michigan, Central Michigan, Notre Dame, Louisville, Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina, South Alabama, Miami (OH), Cincinnati, and Virginia. I also received offers from some of those schools. 

PBR: Where did the Virginia coaches first see you?  How did your relationship develop with them?

Blakely: The UVA coaching staff had a chance to see me play in the 17u Perfect Game tournament in Marietta, GA. 

PBR:  Was distance from home a factor in your decision?

Blakely: I will most definitely miss my family and close friends when I head to a school over 10 hours away from home. I'm very close with my sister and leaving her back home when I head off will be the hardest thing for me to do, but I'm ecstatic to be able to play in the ACC and that makes it worth the distance.

PBR:  You are going in to your junior season.  Why did you choose to make your decision so early?  Are you completely finished with the recruiting process or are you still open to other options?

Blakely: I am honored to have the opportunity to go and play baseball at such a wonderful university under an amazing coaching staff. I am 100% set on going to play baseball at Virginia and I made my decision once I knew that the school was the right fit.

PBR: What were your expectations about the recruiting process?

Blakely: I didn't have many expectations, rather than having expectations I considered it all a blessing from The Lord. I put my full trust in God, and I knew that when I trusted Him that He would provide a perfect fit, and He came through.

PBR: Who has had the biggest impact on you as a baseball player?

Blakely: Unquestionably my father has had the biggest impact on my baseball career. He has been the head coach at Gull Lake for over 20 years and he's coached me in little league and travel baseball all my life. He inspires me to work hard every day, but he has done so much more than impact me in baseball and that's what I'm most thankful for. He has raised me to be a young man on fire for Jesus Christ and that's had the biggest impact on my life.

PBR: What were your stats this spring season at Gull Lake?

Blakely: .474 BA, .590 OBP, 36 RBI's. (30-10 in the HS season and made it to the state semi-finals). Allowed 6 stolen bases in 40 games.

PBR: Who is the toughest pitcher that you have faced in Michigan?

Blakely: The best 2016 pitchers I've seen are Karl Kauffmann, Tommy Henry, and Jack Weisenburger. I have the opportunity to catch all of these players on my summer team and they're all dominant.