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Quinn Lavelle, LHP, St. Edwards HS, Class of 2017

PBR: Why did you choose Northwestern?

Lavelle:  It starts with the academics--Northwestern offers a world-class education that is fairly close to home.  As I continued to learn more about the vision of Coach Allen for the program and I grew comfortable with how Coach Reynolds saw me fitting within the pitching staff, Northwestern started to stand out as the best option for me.  With a $15 million renovated baseball stadium and the new athletic center for student-athletes, we will have first class facilities.  However, it was mainly that Northwestern painted a very clear picture of where the program is heading that I wanted to be part of.

PBR: What other schools were you considering?

Lavelle:  Duke, Wake Forest, Auburn, Oregon, Michigan, Columbia

PBR: Where did the coaching staff first see you?

Lavelle:  Coach Reynolds first saw me at the PBR Future Games in Indianapolis.  We started talking which gave me a better feel for the program.  They saw me again in Ft. Myers a the PG Underclass and I took an unofficial visit to a football game soon after. 

PBR: What team do you play for in the summer and what is your most memorable moment.

Lavelle: I play for Release Baseball. From a team perspective, we were playing the Ohio-Elite Valentine 17U team and down 2-0 in the 6th inning when the game was suspended to darkness; we came back the next morning and resumed the game against one of their top pitchers and scored 3 runs to pull out a 3-2 win.  I was the DH for the game and didn't do much offensively, but it was a thrill to see what we were capable of as a team.  On a personal level, one day prior I threw a 2-hit shutout against Cincy Flames 17U team--it was a low scoring game until we broke it open late.  In both cases, I think it showed what type of team we were--hard working, never quit, and usually with strong pitching, great defense, and timely hitting.

PBR: What were your expectations about the recruiting process?

Lavelle:  I'm not sure I knew what to expect.  It took more time in talking with the coaches to get to know them and their programs, but once I started to figure out how to schedule these calls into my daily schedule it became easier to deal with.  It was more fun on the visits than I had thought it would be.  Getting the exposure through the late season games with Release, the PBR Future Games, and PG Underclass was very helpful with the process and you're playing baseball--so it has to be fun.

PBR: What were your stats last spring?

Lavelle:  4-1, 1 save, 1.63 ERA. 

PBR: Who is the toughest hitter that you have faced?

Lavelle:  I've been taught that the toughest hitter is always the one up to bat.