Commitment Spotlight: '20 Cade Lommel, LHP, Delano
September 4, 2019
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PBR: Why did you choose the school you did?
Lommel: The first thing I wanted to look for in a school was a place that would put me in a good position if things don’t work out for me in baseball after college. So that’s where I finalized the three schools that I wanted to purse. Creighton was relatively close to home, had a great education and a winning program. Also, the coaching staff was very knowledgeable, and I liked a lot of the things that they taught and told me when I was there.
PBR: What other schools were you considering?
Lommel: The other schools I visited were Rice and Northwestern.
PBR: Where did the coaching staff first see you? How did your relationship develop with him?
Lommel: Jeremy Musil got me into contact with coach Connor Gandossy. I believe he first saw me play at the Future Games. On my visit I met the pitching coach and some of the things he said really opened my eyes to the mental side of pitching.
PBR: Do you feel relieved that the process is over and you can focus on baseball and not deal with everything that goes into picking a school?
Lommel: It is relieving but, in a way, I thought the recruiting process was fun because you get to travel and meet new people and show coaches what you can do. It is relieving in a way because it made this summer and fall a lot less stressful knowing that I got it out of the way my junior year.
PBR: What was one deciding factor that put your choice over the top?
Lommel: I liked the coaches, campus, and education at Creighton, but the last stop of the visit put Creighton in the top spot. We went to where they play their home games at TD Ameritrade Park, which is also where the College World Series is held.
PBR: Who has helped you the most to get to where you are today?
Lommel: I’d say first my parents for supporting me and my dad for coaching me. However, there were some coaches that helped me get to where I am today. Darren Knight was a coach I had in all of youth baseball, Dan Paulson gave me a chance to prove myself my freshman year, and my current coach Jeff Olson has made me into the player and person I am today. Gerrit Van Bergen instilled work ethic in me as soon as I had him as a coach for hockey. Also, Bret Mitchell helped me craft some new pitches and taught me a lot about the mental side of the game.
PBR: What were your expectations about the recruiting process. Was it easy/difficult?
Lommel: I had no idea what to expect and neither did my parents when I first started getting recruited. Jeremy and Justin Musil at Elite Sports Advising helped a lot when it came to what to look for in schools, what to say to coaches, etc. In all, I’m happy with how smoothly the whole thing went.
PBR: What plans does the coaching staff have in store for you your freshman season?
Lommel: They told me that it depends on how ready I am coming into my freshman year. I might have a different role at Creighton than I may be used to on other teams I’ve been on.
PBR: What is your most memorable baseball moment to date?
Lommel: I’ll always remember pitching against Waconia in front of a lot of people in the section playoffs my freshman year when they had an undefeated season. Either that or the Future Games is something I’ll never forget.
PBR: Who is the best player you have competed against?
Lommel: Eric Rinzel is always a tough out; he would have hit a bomb against me on a changeup I left up if it wasn’t for the wind.
Scouting Report
2018 PBR Future Games- Easy delivery and pitchability with four pitches from a high ¾ slot that were all used in a variety of counts. The FB ranged from 81-83 and was offset with a split-finger change at 72-74 with late, hard downward movement.
6/17/18- 6-foot-2, 185-pound left-handed hitting 2-way player. On mound; one of top arms in MN 2020 class. Strike thrower with easy arm action and ability to work both sides of the plate. Fastball was 81-83 mph with heavy action and late arm-side run. Avg. breaking ball with 1/7 shape, consistently thrown for strikes, upsetting timing and allowing fastball to play up. Above avg. changeup thrown with fastball arm speed; works bottom of zone well with pitch. 7.5 runner. Slight open stance, hitchy hand load, drives through contact well with lower half, line drive swing plane, mid/pull approach, 75 mph exit velocity. Soft hands in field, tends to field underneath, comfortable around bag, 79 mph arm across infield.
3/17/18- 6-foot-2, 185-pound left-handed hitting 2-way player. The velocity isn’t there yet, but as was seen from some big velocity jumps at the event, a year can bring on a lot of change. Lommel has wide shoulders on his long-limbed, 6-foot-2, 185-pound frame. The southpaw has an elastic arm that produces some whip before releasing out of a high ¾ slot. He has a clean, repeatable delivery stepping slightly across his body releasing with normal effort and eyes that try to remain fixed on the glove. His fastball worked 78-80 with some natural arm side life, and it looks like there could be much more on the way given how freely the whole delivery plays. HIs secondary offerings are still more developing pitches including a slider at 70-72 and changeup at 70-71. However, given his long frame and loose left arm, Lommel looks like a pitcher that some schools will want to follow moving forward. As a position player Lommel ran a 7.82 60, was 78 mph across the infield, and produced a 70 mph exit velocity. Slight leg kick with choppy rhythm, consistently works the middle of field with spray contact, moves around first with ease, shows athleticism, and has loose easy actions as a defender.