PBR:  Where have you decided to attend college and why did you make this choice?

Dembeck: I have decided to attend Ashland University in Ashland Ohio.  I felt Ashland has a very strong baseball program and outstanding baseball tradition that Coach Schaly has developed there.  I felt very comfortable with Coach Schaly and the other Ashland coaches.  A key deciding factor was that Ashland is a smaller D2 school but it has very strong academic programs for me to choose from.  I liked the other schools and their coaches as well, but Ashland just felt like the best fit for me overall.

PBR:  What other schools were you considering? 

Dembeck: Lake Erie College and Hillsdale College.

PBR:  Was distance from home a factor in your decision?

Dembeck: Ashland and Lake Erie were both only about 3 hours from my house and Hillsdale was only about 90 minutes from house, so no, distance was not a factor in my decision.

PBR:  Where did the coaches first see you?  How did your relationship develop with their coaching staff?

Dembeck: I did a lot of email reach outs to coaches during the late summer and early fall to try to get their attention and I also set up a BeRecruited site for coaches to see my baseball information.  The Ashland coaches invited me to a workout one weekend early this fall and I was able to throw and take batting practice with the Ashland team at that workout.  Fortunately I was able to perform pretty well during that workout and the Ashland coaches took notice.  The entire communication process with the Ashland coach, John Schaly was tremendous.  Coach Schaly always got back to me and took a consistent interest in me right from the start of the process all the way through to when I signed my NLI.

PBR:  What role do the coaches expect you to play your first year on campus?

Dembeck: Coach Schaly really wants me as an Outfielder and he likes that I bat and throw Left Handed and also that I am pretty fast.  I will have to work very hard to earn any playing time I get as a Freshman, though.

PBR:  What is your biggest strength as a player and how do you feel that will help your team?

Dembeck: I have always been a pretty good left handed hitter and also have been pretty fast, so I think hitting for average with power and then being able to run for extra bases is what I am hoping to bring to Ashland.   I know I will have to work very hard though to be able to help Ashland out and I just I hope I can earn the opportunity to be a great team mate there!

PBR:  Who do you play for in the summer and what was your most memorable experience from this past summer?

Dembeck: I play for the Oakland Reds 18U in Farmington, MI.  In one of our tournament games this past summer, I almost hit for the cycle, but on my last at bat the opposing team intentionally walked me (all I needed was a single).  I really had fun with my team mates and coaches throughout the summer!

PBR:  Now that you have your commitment out of the way, what are your goals both individually and for the team going into your senior season?

Dembeck: I think we are going to have really good HS baseball team at Gabriel Richard in Ann Arbor, MI this spring and I am looking forward to working really hard during the winter so I can be one of the key leaders on my team.  Last year we won Districts and almost won Regionals, so this year I want to help us win Districts, Regionals and to get to and win a state championship.