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Joey Velazquez, OF, DeSales, Class of 2019

PBR: Why did you choose Ohio State?

Velazquez: The reasons I choose Ohio State, were they had everything I wanted academically, I loved the culture of the baseball team, I have also built a strong relationship with Coach Beals, Coach Holick, Coach Stafford, Coach DeLucia, and the rest of the coaching staff, and I have a huge family (4brothers, and 2 sisters), it was very important to me and them that they had an opportunity to watch me play!

PBR: What other schools were you considering?

Velazquez: Louisville, Ole Miss, and several other schools in the south.

PBR: Where did Coach Beals first see you?  How did your relationship develop with them?

Velazquez: The OSU coaching staff first saw me in the Cincy Flames tournament this past summer, then they saw me at the PBR Top Prospect Camp. I had several conversations with Coach Beals and then I attended a fall practice and spent time with the other members of the coaching staff.

PBR: You are only a sophomore, how important was it to get your commitment out of the way so early?  Are you finished with the recruiting process?

Velazquez: Being able to get the commitment out of the way early wasn't that important to me, finding the right  fit for me was. I was very fortunate and blessed to find that early with OSU, which now allows me to focus on high school.

PBR:  Who do you play for in the summer and what is your most memorable experience?

Velazquez: Last season I played for Ohio Elite, which is now Bo Jackson Elite. My most memorable experiences have been being able to play for some great coaches and with some amazing teammates that I will have as life long friends.

PBR: What were your expectations about the recruiting process?

Velazquez: I really didn't have any expectations. The biggest things for me were finding the right fit academically, a program that had a great culture, a brotherhood, a chance to play in Omaha, and somewhere I could grow as a person and baseball player.  

PBR: Who is the best pitcher that you have ever faced?

Velazquez: The best pitcher I've ever faced was Matt Dockman from Bishop Watterson. Matt does a great job of pitching off the fastball, and really mixes his pitches up but his delivery and motion never changed. He was comfortable throwing any pitch no matter what the count was, and his slider to a left hander which I am was NASTY!