Prep Baseball Report

Become a Member

More +

Q&A with William Jewell Commit C Nick Gavin (Lee's Summit North, 2015)

October 30, 2014

Shon Plack
Missouri Scouting Director

Nick Gavin (Lee's Summit North, 2015) has verbally committed to William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri.  Gavin is a strong, athletic 5-foot-9, 170-pound right-hand hitting catcher, and has been on upward trend throughout the last year.  He throws from an over-the-top arm slot with short arm action, with a POP range of 1.90-2.01 and a 76 MPH from behind the plate. At the plate, Gavin has an athletic-up with a smooth back load and long stride. He has excellent balance and a short bat path, that stays inside the ball. Nick has gap-to-gap power. His exit velocity was 85 MPH.

Gavin will lead a talented senior group on Lee's Summit North in 2015.  Below is look into the recruiting process of Gavin, and how chose to play college baseball at William Jewell. 

PBR: What were your expectations about the recruiting process? Was it as expected? Easy/Difficult?

Gavin: I expected the recruiting process to be very long and drawn out. However, once I started visiting colleges it went rather quickly.   

PBR: Did location or distance from home play a factor in your decision?

Gavin: Yes, I wanted to be close enough to home so that friends and family could come to see me play. 

PBR:   Where did William Jewell first see you? How did your relationship develop with them?

   

Gavin: They first saw me play during a tournament two summers ago, after that they invited me to their fall camp, and we started to email back and forth.

   

PBR:  Who is the best player you have faced in your state, and why?

 

Gavin:  The best player I have faced is Kyle Wilson. He is a RHP from Ray-Pec that throws 90+ with a sick curve.


PBR:  What were you looking for out of a college program to continue your baseball career at?

 

Gavin:  I wanted a school that played the game hard and placed a huge emphasis on catcher. Jewell was one of the few schools that has their own catching coach.


PBR: What advice would you give to young baseball players striving to get where you are?


Gavin: I would suggest that you should play the game as hard as you can and learn to enjoy baseball.


PBR: What do you do in the offseason to keep yourself in baseball shape and prepare for the upcoming season?

 

Gavin: In the offseason, I workout at Building Champions for catching and hitting. I also lift and condition 3-4 times a week with the high school.


PBR: What is the most memorable moment in your baseball career to this point?

   

Gavin: My most memorable moment is catching Michael Marra’s no hitter at UCM against Mac-n-Seitz.


PBR: What do you like most about William Jewell and what were the key factors in making your decision?

   

Gavin: I chose Jewell because I knew that I could get a good education while playing baseball and I really liked the coaching staff.


PBR: What other schools were on your short list before you made your final decision?

   

Gavin: UCM, Missouri S&T, and Northwest Missouri State


PBR: When did the recruiting process really start to heat up for you? Was there a particular game or event that you feel turned the corner for you?

   

Gavin: It really started heating up once the summer ended.


PBR: Preview your high school season for us. How do you feel your team will be? What are your expectations and goals? Name some players that will play a key role for Lee's Summit North in 2015.

   

Gavin: This year we will be really good. We have great senior leadership on the mound with Michael Marra and Zach Ours; along with junior pitcher, Nate Webb. We also have strong hitting with Cole Persell and Collin Rice.  


PBR: Where do you play in the summer? And what has been your most memorable experience with them?

  

Gavin: In the summer, I play for Building Champions and my most memorable experience was playing in the Junior Premier Championship this summer.

 

For More Missouri News