Ilitch Embraces Opportunity Ahead At Duke

DETROIT - Blake Ilitch is not bashful when mentioning what he is looking forward to when it comes to playing college baseball at Duke.

“I want to dominate the ACC,” Ilitch said in reference to the Atlantic Coast Conference. “I want to be one of the top dogs in the ACC. I want to be a Friday night starter throwing shutouts. That’s my goal.”

The seventh-ranked 2025 right-handed pitcher in the country, who in late July made Duke his college choice over the likes of Vanderbilt and Miami of Florida, was admittedly not always the dominant-type pitcher he is looking to be at the next level.

“I was not gifted at the age of eight,” Ilitch related. “I really worked hard from the age of eight to 12 and at 12-years-old I started to develop and began thinking there may be some opportunities out there. By the time I was 14 I knew I could do this and be a college baseball player.”

Duke felt the same way after seeing Ilitch pitch in a game on TV.

“I tweeted out that I was going to pitch at 7 p.m.in a Select Festival game and I threw really well,” the University Liggett sophomore right-handed pitcher said in reflecting back to the summer of 2021. “Duke reached out after that and then my Canes’ coaches Dan Gitzen and Rob Younce helped out. I ended up developing a great relationship with the head coach and eventually had a visit in the fall. It was a great campus with great academics.”

Although the head coach at the time, Josh Jordan, has since left for LSU, Ilitch has developed a strong relationship with the new head coach, Chris Pollard, as well as pitching coach Brady Kirkpatrick and an offer was made in May.

“I’ve been working out four or five times a week for two years in a row,” Ilitch explained. “There are no weeks off. In terms of velocity it definitely helped. At 14 I was throwing in the lower 80s.”

The fastball velo now tops 90, making an impression on Duke and the new coaching staff.

“They like my offspeed,” Ilitch noted. “They like my curve and how I can throw it for strikes.”

 When the initial offer was updated at the end of July, Ilitch accepted.

“Everything about it stands out,” the 47th-ranked 2025 in the nation said. “The baseball, the head coach, the pitching coach, they have a lot of knowledge and are good at developing, and they have great academics. The combination of all those things, it’s just a great fit for me.”

The second-rated sophomore in Michigan is confident about what he can provide the Duke program.

“I’ll bring a lot of energy and win games,” the 16-year-old proclaimed. “I want to be a positive guy and bring a positive attitude to help make a great, great environment for the team.”

The 6-3 195-pounder was grateful for help received in his recruitment.

“I couldn’t have done this without the Canes’ coaches,” Ilitch said. “Their connections were big for me. PBR was also helpful. I did a showcase in March and (former PBR Michigan scouting director) Aaron Wilson consistently stayed in contact with me.”

Ilitch, who carries a 3.9 GPA and plans to major in business at Duke, is excited about his future.

“It feels good to know where I’m going and that I don’t have to worry about it any more,” Ilitch concluded. “But I’m not going to stop working, I want to get drafted. This is a milestone through the journey, but it only motivates me to keep working. I want to get one percent better every day.”