College Baseball Dream For Wells Ends At Akron

VERMILION - There was plenty that stood out about Jack Wells when Akron checked out video of the Vermilion High School junior.

“They love my versatility and my ability to play anywhere, infield or outfield, and that I’m not one dimensional,” noted Wells. “They love my left-handed bat which is something they want to build their program on. And they love how I play baseball 110 percent.”

A connection between Wells and the Mid-American Conference school began in late summer.

“Adrian Abrahamowicz reached out to Akron to gauge their interest in me,” the third-ranked 2022 second baseman in Ohio said in reference to his summer coach of the Lake Erie Warhawks. “They recommended I send tape. I showed my PBR video from the Top Prospect Games this summer and he loved it. After that I built a great relationship with (assistant) coach (Cory) Mee and all the other coaches there. I talked to coach Mee a lot.”

In late October, Wells did an admissions tour at the school.

“I fell in love with it on sight,” Wells reflected.

An offer came a week later and a commitment followed a week after that.

“Definitely the relationship with all the coaches, Mee, (Connor) Faix and (Chris) Sabo,” Wells said about what emerged in his recruitment in making Akron his college choice. “It almost felt as if I’ve already been playing for them.”

There was one more plus with Akron in the eyes of Wells, whose other college possibilities included Toledo, Ohio Dominican, Lake Erie, Eastern Michigan and Tiffin.

“My high school and summer teammate Jacob Krausher is a 2021 committed to Akron,” Wells pointed out. “That was another selling point.”

Where the 84th-rated junior in the state fits in at Akron is an uncertainty.

“They like how I play second base and the outfield,” Wells explained. “Because of how much they like my ability to hit, they said they’ll find me a spot. I feel comfortable at any of the different positions.”

That is something the 5-11 160-pounder has focused on this year.

“With no high school season, it gave me time to reflect on what I needed to do to get better at,” Wells said. “I really put in a lot of work on my defensive skills. I’ve also gotten a lot stronger since last year.and matured as a baseball player. I’ve gotten stronger at all the parts of the game.”

But Wells understands playing college baseball is a big step up, especially at the Division I level.

“I need to bring more consistency in the field at all the positions,” Wells admitted. “I need to keep getting stronger and keep working on my hitting so I’m ready for the great pitching I’ll face when I get there.”

The thought of moving on and playing at the next level is something Wells has thought about for some time.

“For as long as I can remember I’ve known I wanted to play college baseball,” the recently-turned 17-year-old related. “It’s always been the end goal of mine. Then when I joined the Warhawks last year, I knew it was going to become a reality. A bunch of D-I guys were on the team and I fit right in.”

Wells believes he will also be a great fit to the Akron program.

“I’m a hard worker, a good student and will bring positive energy,” noted Wells, who carries a 3.7 GPA and is considering exercise science or sport management as a college major. “Wherever they put me I’ll play. I love putting work in and I enjoy playing the game of baseball.”

Wells pointed to his parents, as well as Abrahamowicz, as being major factors in getting where he is in the game today.

“My parents have always pushed me to make me realize my potential,” Wells noted. “They sacrificed so much to allow me to play all summer.

“Coach Abrahamowicz helped with my recruiting process. I didn’t know much about it and he put me through it and I ended up at Akron. Kudos to him.”

Recruitment was fun for Wells, especially when it came time to make a commitment.

“I enjoyed making a connection with coaches and building relationships in a short period of time,” Wells said. “I expected it to be different and with the dead period it changed a lot.

“But in the end it was very surreal,” Wells added about making it official with Akron. “I’ve always dreamed of the moment and to have it happen was awesome. It’s something I’ll remember the rest of my life. It’s like a weight off my shoulders to finally reach my dream.”