AURORA - Chase Gerbrick posted one of the best freshman baseball seasons in the state of Ohio in 2019, got interest from about 20 Division I schools before turning 16 and committed to Lipscomb University to play baseball. 

But his mind is on the same two things as always – continuing to improve, and touching as many lives as possible.

Gerbrick is inevitably a public figure in Aurora. Whether it’s around a baseball field, at the store or on the sidewalk, he is used to being approached in public. 

He embraces the fact that he can be a role model for the youth of Aurora, someone they can reach out to for both personal advice and tips on their swing. And, his increasing ability to support members of his community at a personal level is always at the forefront of his mind when thinking about his heightened success and notoriety in baseball.

But it hasn't always been easy for Gerbrick.

GRINDING TO THE TOP

Gerbrick was a good player growing up, but as he says, “I was never the best player on the field.” There was always someone else playing at a higher level. And with aspirations of playing in college and the pros, Gerbrick knew he had to get better.

Gerbrick and his father, Chris, would routinely go to the field in addition to year-round games and practices. When he was alone, he’d figure out other ways to improve for hours on end.

"I would throw racquetballs to myself off the couch to field grounders," Gerbrick said. "I would run sprints up my hill, 80 or 90 yards up the cul-de-sac. Constantly hitting off a tee in my garage for two to three hours a day, I even used to hit stones with sticks back in the day.”

Part of what makes Gerbrick unique is that he’s been a full-time switch-hitter since the day he moved past T-Ball. His father pushed him into learning it whether he liked it or not.

“I would cry at how much I didn’t want to, but he forced me," said Gerbrick. "Looking back, it was really a blessing in disguise.”

Gerbrick was always allowed to practice on teams with his older brother, Carter, which helped the development move along quickly. He was on the eight-and-under team when he was six, and he used those opportunities to learn from the older players. 

In addition to year-round baseball and his own hours of training, Gerbrick credits playing multiple sports as a kid to his overall development as an athlete, participating in swimming, wrestling, basketball, soccer, a year of football and even some dance classes. He upped his personal training regimen when he started lifting at a safe pace and doing joint mobility exercises with a trainer in middle school.

His father pushed him hard when playing the role of coach with travel teams from ages eight through 13.

“Growing up, I was never as mentally tough as I wanted to be," Gerbrick said. "My dad kept emphasizing mental toughness, staying in the game, short-term memory. That was probably the biggest part of my career when that adversity hit.”

BREAKING OUT IN 2020

Gerbrick knew he had to prove himself as a freshman, especially to the upperclassmen who doubted him. Making it harder was that he had to transition to second base with Penn State commit Will Carpenter locked in at his position by trade, shortstop. But once the first game came around, Gerbrick went 3-for-3 with three RBIs, and had a good game in the field. 

The 41st-ranked 2022 in the state held onto the leadoff spot hitting .319, while defensively made just two errors with a .970 fielding percentage.

Still, Gerbrick was not getting attention from colleges more than halfway through the 2019 travel ball summer season, and knew he was still a ways away from where he wanted to be as a player. Around mid-July, he had a moment of deep inspiration.

“I was thinking about how much I needed to get bigger, get stronger, get better. But I looked at myself in the mirror and realized that God gave me a really special talent for a reason. It was an experience I’d never had.” 

Feeling in touch with his inner sense of purpose, Gerbrick carried a renewed energy throughout the rest of the summer season with Force Ohio. In the last tournament of summer at Ken Dugan  Field in Nashville, Gerbrick did “fairly well” - in his words - with Lipscomb among those in attendance.

Interest followed with college and pro scouts getting in touch on social media. With dozens of coaches figuratively knocking on his door, Lipscomb was the first to offer and he knew right away that it was a perfect fit, so his family quickly went on a tour.

“Right after that offer I wanted to accept on the spot,” Gerbrick reflected. “I wanted to go somewhere they really wanted me and believed in me. Somewhere I could represent Christianity in a positive light.”

STILL AS MOTIVATED AS EVER

Now with a college commitment completed, motivation remains.

“Most kids stop (pushing to improve) once they’re committed, but I want to work harder now that I’m committed,” the 5-9, 168-pounder explained. “Show them that I can play and bring a World Series title to Lipscomb.”

Learning from college and pro players and reaching out to coaches and scouts at the higher levels for advice is a common theme for Gerbrick, who has been known to pick the brains of pros such as Francisco Lindor after an Indians game.

“I really love to learn from those guys and reaching out to people,” Gerbrick said. “To this day I still do all of those things. It's a little bit of an obsession, but I love it." 

And now he’s more and more becoming that guy for others

Since getting an abundance of interest from D-1 schools and committing to Lipscomb, Gerbrick sees the other side of things when it comes to getting approached in public, on social media, and even through the occasional random text.

“I want to change people’s lives off the field,” Gerbrick said. “I want to do the best I can to give the youth and high school kids someone to look up to. There are a lot of kids who reach out to me asking for advice, and I love that.”

If he had to pick just one piece of advice to give young players, it’s to take a moment to appreciate every single opportunity when it comes to the game of baseball - “never take a game, pitch or second of it for granted.” 

Family has been a big part of it all.

“Not many parents are willing to run their kids across the country for a one-hour practice or a weekend tournament,” Gerbrick noted. “Not everyone has two amazing parents to look up to, an older brother like that to look up to…I don’t know where I’d be without them in my corner.”

But no matter who you are, Gerbrick has the belief that “love for the game and hard work can pay off if your mindset is right.”

That means spending spare time with those racquetballs, sprints, sticks and stones, requests for advice online, and long-toss sessions with his brother Carter, who now plays at Indiana Wesleyan.

"If you love something, don't find any way around pursuing it,” Gerbrick explained. “I don't see an excuse not to if you really love something. Every day is a gift, and for me I don't want to waste a day. I'm someone who just embraces life."

Lance Smith is a reporter for Scorebook Live-California. He can be reached at [email protected].