EASTLAKE - A slow-moving recruiting process was not about to stop a determined Jeremiah Atwell.

“It was definitely complicated and rough at first,” Atwell related. “I was very frustrated. Friends were getting offers and I was happy for them, but I really wanted to get some.”

That finally materialized. 

“PBR really helped me out,” Atwell said. “After that everything came into a place. My exposure the last six months was better than everything before.”

St. Bonaventure then came into the picture for the 18th-rated 2023 catcher in Ohio.

“They saw me on PBR and also my high school coach has a connection with them,” noted the Willoughby South incoming senior, who attended the Top Prospect Games in June. “They reached out and saw me play and I stood out. They wanted me to come on a visit.”

That proved to be beneficial for Atwell, whose other interest from colleges included an offer from Ashland and talks with Northern Kentucky and Tiffin.

“The campus and the coaches were great,” the 17-year-old said of his trip to the university in the state of New York. “The campus was beautiful and I had a good connection with the coaches. It was definitely the right place for me.”

St. Bonaventure liked what the 6-2 215-pounder had to offer.

“They like that I’m eager to win, that’s huge for me,” Atwell explained. “They also like how I’m a hard worker. They saw my progress looking at my numbers on PBR and saw how I’ve improved. They looked at the videos and then when they saw me play it all came together.”

The same can be said for his game, in which Atwell has continued to make strides.

“Improvement has been huge for me,” the 154th-ranked 2023 in the state said. “Hitting has always been what I’m best at, but I’ve been working the last few years on my catching and that’s really helped me out a lot. My pop time as a freshman was 2.2 and now I’m consistently 1.8 the last three PBR showcases I’ve been to.

“Also, my receiving and blocking have gotten a lot better. When Covid hit my parents bought me a pitching machine and I’ve worked with it on my blocking and receiving. That’s really been helpful for me.”

It has aided the desire to play baseball at the next level.

“Since I was a little kid I’ve wanted to play college baseball but I was never serious about it until the end of freshman/beginning of sophomore year,” Atwell reflected. “That’s when it became serious for me. My cousin played at Mount Union and that inspired me. I realized I never wanted to stop playing and that I wanted to play college ball. I just love the game.”

Playing collegiately  is now a reality at the Atlantic 10 Conference school located three hours from home.

“It’s definitely relieving and a weight off my shoulders,” Atwell said of making a commitment. “The first game I played after committing I was relaxed. The hard work paid off, but it’s also made me want to work harder to make an impact as a freshman.”

That is something Atwell, who carries a 4.4 GPA and plans to major in business and sport management, is looking to do.

“They will have a solid catcher there when I’m a freshman so I hope to be able to help out as a DH or in the outfield,” Atwell said. “In later years I hope to be catching. I want to help the program get above .500 and be a winning program.”

It is just one of the things Atwell is looking forward to when it comes to college.

“Definitely traveling to beautiful fields and playing good competition, that makes the game more fun,” Atwell said about what he is most anticipating once joining the program at St. Bonaventure. “I’m also excited about having the independence that goes along with college.”