Prep Baseball Report

Q&A with William Jewell Commit C Nick Gavin (Lee's Summit North, 2015)



Shon Plack
Missouri Scouting Director

Nick Gavin (Lee's Summit North, 2015) has verbally committed to William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri.  Gavin is a strong, athletic 5-foot-9, 170-pound right-hand hitting catcher, and has been on upward trend throughout the last year.  He throws from an over-the-top arm slot with short arm action, with a POP range of 1.90-2.01 and a 76 MPH from behind the plate. At the plate, Gavin has an athletic-up with a smooth back load and long stride. He has excellent balance and a short bat path, that stays inside the ball. Nick has gap-to-gap power. His exit velocity was 85 MPH.

Gavin will lead a talented senior group on Lee's Summit North in 2015.  Below is look into the recruiting process of Gavin, and how chose to play college baseball at William Jewell. 

PBR: What were your expectations about the recruiting process? Was it as expected? Easy/Difficult?

Gavin: I expected the recruiting process to be very long and drawn out. However, once I started visiting colleges it went rather quickly.   

PBR: Did location or distance from home play a factor in your decision?

Gavin: Yes, I wanted to be close enough to home so that friends and family could come to see me play. 

PBR:   Where did William Jewell first see you? How did your relationship develop with them?

   

Gavin: They first saw me play during a tournament two summers ago, after that they invited me to their fall camp, and we started to email back and forth.

   

PBR:  Who is the best player you have faced in your state, and why?

 

Gavin:  The best player I have faced is Kyle Wilson. He is a RHP from Ray-Pec that throws 90+ with a sick curve.


PBR:  What were you looking for out of a college program to continue your baseball career at?

 

Gavin:  I wanted a school that played the game hard and placed a huge emphasis on catcher. Jewell was one of the few schools that has their own catching coach.


PBR: What advice would you give to young baseball players striving to get where you are?


Gavin: I would suggest that you should play the game as hard as you can and learn to enjoy baseball.


PBR: What do you do in the offseason to keep yourself in baseball shape and prepare for the upcoming season?

 

Gavin: In the offseason, I workout at Building Champions for catching and hitting. I also lift and condition 3-4 times a week with the high school.


PBR: What is the most memorable moment in your baseball career to this point?

   

Gavin: My most memorable moment is catching Michael Marra’s no hitter at UCM against Mac-n-Seitz.


PBR: What do you like most about William Jewell and what were the key factors in making your decision?

   

Gavin: I chose Jewell because I knew that I could get a good education while playing baseball and I really liked the coaching staff.


PBR: What other schools were on your short list before you made your final decision?

   

Gavin: UCM, Missouri S&T, and Northwest Missouri State


PBR: When did the recruiting process really start to heat up for you? Was there a particular game or event that you feel turned the corner for you?

   

Gavin: It really started heating up once the summer ended.


PBR: Preview your high school season for us. How do you feel your team will be? What are your expectations and goals? Name some players that will play a key role for Lee's Summit North in 2015.

   

Gavin: This year we will be really good. We have great senior leadership on the mound with Michael Marra and Zach Ours; along with junior pitcher, Nate Webb. We also have strong hitting with Cole Persell and Collin Rice.  


PBR: Where do you play in the summer? And what has been your most memorable experience with them?

  

Gavin: In the summer, I play for Building Champions and my most memorable experience was playing in the Junior Premier Championship this summer.

 

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