LEXINGTON - Dreams do come true.

Cole Pauley can attest to that after making a college commitment to Ohio State.

“I’ve always dreamed of playing at Ohio State,” the Lexington 2022 related. “My whole life I’ve been a Buckeye fan. My whole family’s Buckeye fans. My brother lives in Columbus. I’ve been to football games there. I’ve got tons of Ohio State merchandise. It’s 45 minutes away. It was a no-brainer for me.”

The second-rated uncommitted sophomore at the time of his decision went to an Ohio State camp in January and the rest is now history.

“That’s when everything started off,” Pauley reflected. “I had nerves before the camp but when I hit 88-89 it sparked interest and since then they’ve kept in contact. I talked with coach (Matt) Angle and after that I talked with coach (Dan) DeLucia.

“They weren’t able to see me play (high school ball because of COVID-19) so I sent a video of me working out. With everything going on, I still wanted to play at Ohio State. It’s been a dream since I was a kid.”

A dream that has now been reached.

“I think they appreciate my work ethic,” the third-rated 2022 right-handed pitcher in Ohio said. “They like my athleticism and presence on the mound.”

Pauley had a fondness for Ohio State as well.

“I love the campus,” Pauley said. “The way they hype sports is awesome … I want to be part of that culture. My brother lives 15 minutes from campus so to be close to him is a plus.”

The only other offer for Pauley was from Ashland, though there was a lot of interest coming from in-state Mid-American Conference schools as well as Horizon League, Big 12 and SEC colleges.

“I got a heads up from my travel ball coach on what was going to happen the next day,” Pauley reflected back on receiving the offer. “I wanted to keep it low key. I got a phone call in the afternoon from coach (Greg) Beals and after that I went out and told my family I was a Buckeye now. They were all super excited.

“My mom brought out this cake that said ‘Congrats OSU commit.’ It was only fitting that it was Red Velvet.”

The number one fastball as well as top infield velocity at the PBR Preseason All-State Upperclass event capped off the recruiting process for the 6-0 175-pound RHP/shortstop, who at the end of February was listed among the top sophomores in the country that had stood recently according to Nathan Rode, National Supervisor of Prep Baseball Report.

“Pauley is a good athlete with a fast arm and a jump in velo was expected, just not so soon,” Rode said at the time. “He’s now up to 89 out of his explosive delivery. He compliments that with a 72-74 mph breaking ball with 11/5 shape and depth, as well as a changeup in the high-70s.”

Three months later, Pauley was a Buckeye.

“This is definitely a big weight off my back,” the 13th-ranked 2022 in the state said of making a commitment. “It’s super exciting and super humbling. It was definitely not easy with the relationships I made with all the other coaches, but I knew it was the right decision.

“Before posting on social media I let them all know. Obviously as a coach you wouldn’t want to see it first on social media.”

The focus now turns to continued improvement.

“I need to stick to my grind and get better every day,” Pauley noted. “The work has just begun.”

After all, in two years Pauley will begin living out his baseball dream wearing the scarlet-and-gray.

“I’ve always wanted to play college baseball all my life,” Pauley said. “I remember going to my first Ohio State game. My brother was in high school then and I was a little kid. I tagged along and I loved the culture. I knew then I wanted to be a Buckeye.”