Prep Baseball Report

Droll Finds A Way And Commitment To Pitt Follows


Bruce Hefflinger
PBR Canada Senior Writer

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Droll Finds A Way And Commitment To Pitt Follows

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Will Droll

Class of 2021 / LHP

Player Information

  • Graduating Class: 2021
  • Primary Position: LHP
    Secondary Position: OF
  • High School: St. Ignatius
    State: ON
  • Summer Team: Toronto Mets
  • Height: 6-1
    Weight: 185lbs
  • Bat/Throw: L/L

Statistics

Pitching
85
Max FB
(09/28/19)
83 - 85
FB
(09/28/19)
72 - 74
CB
(09/28/19)
74 - 76
CH
(09/28/19)
Pitching
Max FB
85
FB
83 - 85
CB
72 - 74
CH
74 - 76
Pitching
Max FB
83
FB
79 - 83
CB
65 - 66
Pitching
Max FB
81
FB
80 - 81
CB
69 - 70
CH
70 - 72
Position
7.45
60-yard
(06/26/19)
82
OF Velo
(06/26/19)

Droll Finds A Way And Commitment To Pitt Follows

THUNDER BAY, Ontario - Getting seen is not always easy for Canadian baseball players. The coronavirus has added to the difficulty for high schoolers such as Will Droll.

“It’s tough,” the St. Ignatius senior admitted. “I’m guessing all the players in Canada that want to compete in the U.S. need to find a place to go for exposure. With the pandemic, it’s been tough to get out there. I just had to find ways to get out there and be seen, but it was a bit harder than usual.”

It meant the need to quarantine to abide by the rules. That happened for the14th-ranked 2021 in Ontario with his desire to check out if Pittsburgh and Xavier, two schools on his radar, were the right fit.

“I went to Toronto to get some games in about a month-and-a-half ago and produced some good video from that,” Droll reflected. “After that my recruitment amped up. Pitt and a couple other schools showed a lot of interest in me.

“So I pulled the trigger. I wanted to visit campuses, it’s the dead period now, but I wanted to see how Pittsburgh was as a city and how it felt. On that trip I also visited Xavier. It was down to those two and a couple others for me. I had to quarantine, so I had to stay 14 days. I visited Pitt and then had to quarantine at home for 14 days. But it was worth it.”

The fourth-rated uncommitted senior in Ontario at the time of the trip found what he was looking for at the Atlantic Coast Conference university.

“I fell in love with the campus,” Droll related. “It had a city feeling. My high school is moderately small and I kind of wanted to get away from that feeling and I found what I was looking for at Pittsburgh.”

A commitment followed for the southpaw from Thunder Bay, who impressed the Pitt coaching staff on the video.

“They liked the makeup of me being a left-handed pitcher,” Droll pointed out. “They also like my curveball. I think I can get where I want to with coach (Mike) Bell (the head coach and pitching coach). He was a left-handed pitcher and I think I'll be able to connect with him and get better as a player.”

Improvement has been made by Droll in getting to the point of being a D-I commit to an ACC program.

“I’ve gotten stronger and my velo has picked up,” the 6-1 185-pounder noted. “I’ve also gotten better on the mental side. I’m trying to polish every aspect, trying to be a better teammate and player overall.”

More strength and mobility are the focus ahead for the fourth-ranked 2021 Ontario left-handed pitcher, who admits to some uncertainty in late summer.

“Going into August I wasn’t sure what was going to happen,” Droll explained. “I was throwing three to four times a week so when games started I made sure I was ready and sent some good video. That’s how I communicated. Nobody could come to Canada, but my coaches and everyone helped me along the way. They gave me encouragement not to be worried. They said you’re a left-handed pitcher, have trust in what you do.”

Droll credited 17u head coach Rich Leitch, advisor Justin Musil, pitching coach Jordan Prosper and his previous coach Grant Lilley with their influence in his game.

“Those four have really been big in helping with my development,”Droll said.

A major in the arts and science field is the tentative plan for Droll, who carries close to a 4.0 GPA.

“I really thought Pitt was the best fit for me,” noted the 17-year-old, whose recruiting process started off with a visit to Maine last November. “I’m ecstatic about the future to come. I’m relieved to be going to the right place for me.”

Droll believes he can be a huge benefit to the program at Pittsburgh, which is an hour flight to Toronto followed by a four-hour drive away from his home in Thunder Bay.

“I have three pitches that I think I can have a lot of success with down the road,” Droll said. “I’ll be a great teammate ... I communicate well with other players. I feel I can make an impact with what I do, competing to the best of my abilities.”