Road To Toledo Was A Long One For Kross

MEDINA - “Anything you put your mind to you can do it,” was the advice Josh Kross gave after his college commitment to Toledo. “Don’t let anyone say different.”

Early interest from the Mid-American Conference school came in February.

“I went to a camp and they liked what they saw,”  the fifth-ranked 2021 catcher in Ohio said. “They first saw me through a PBR video, which was cool.”

An offer came following the camp.

“I had offers from JUCOs but I didn’t want to take that route,” Kross noted. “I was considering Toledo but I waited after the offer to see what else I’d get. Then covid happened.”

Admittedly, it was a struggle at that point.

“I talked to Toledo every week or every other week,” Kross related. “I was emailing schools promoting myself to them, but it was hard getting out there. I started talking to more schools but there were no offers. Covid really messed up D-I recruiting, you just couldn’t get out there.”

After thinking it over, Kross decided Toledo was the place for him.

“My goal was to go D-I, and I still had time, it just felt right with Toledo,” Kross said. “It was a D-I school that already had an offer on the table so I committed.”

The decision came after long consideration.

“I took an unofficial visit after the camp after they offered,” Kross reflected. “I loved the campus, and the facilities and workout room were really nice.

“I also liked the other recruits that were getting brought in. It’s a great class and me committing there helps make it a whole lot better in my eyes.”

The coaching staff also stood out to the 50th-ranked senior in the state.

“I really like coach Mack,” Kross said in reference to assistant Nick McIntyre, who serves as the hitting coach and recruiting coordinator. “He’s a great guy, he stayed in touch and he was good at communicating.

“Coach Rob (Reinstetle), I think he can get this school turned around and on a winning record,” Kross added about the head coach of the Rockets, who took over in July of 2019.

Interest in the 6-2 200-pound switch-hitting catcher was genuine.

“They like that I’m a power hitter from both sides of the plate,” pointed out Kross, who hit 100 with his tee exit velocity at the PBR Northern Ohio Top Prospect Games in July. “They also like the frame on my body.”

There is also the improvement made over the past year.

“All the time I put in during the offseason watching videos, fixing old habits, staying good in school, I’m a lot better,” Kross said. “But I definitely need to improve my receiving at catcher and staying consistent at the plate.”

The Brunswick senior has been catching for some time.

“I started at it when I was seven or eight and love it,” Kross explained. “I’m the one in control of the game, calling pitches and making all the calls. I’m just comfortable there. I’m someone with leadership qualities and that’s also good to have back there.”

In addition to being a leader, Kross sees more he can bring to the UT program.

“I’m definitely a student first, athlete second,” pointed out Kross, a 3.0 student planning on a major in physical education. “I’m a funny guy and definitely bring leadership.”

An ability to switch-hit is also a plus.

“I started that at 12 while playing wiffle ball with my brother in the backyard,” Kross related. “I found out I could switch hit and started doing it with my dad. Then I took it into fall ball. Now it’s natural for me. I thought ... what can I do to be better than someone else and it’s definitely something.”

Kross pointed to his father, Christopher, as his biggest influence.

“My dad has always been the one who coached me and taught me everything I know,” Kross said. “He was always pushing me to be better now than I was yesterday.”

It helped Kross, now 17-years-old, grow into a Division I commit.

“I’ve always wanted to play D-I baseball, but the last few years it became more realistic when schools started watching me play,” Kross said. “It’s definitely been my dream since I was a little kid. It means the world to me to achieve a goal that’s been there for the longest time.”

Admittedly, Kross is glad the process has come to an end.

“It was very, very stressful throughout,” Kross acknowledged. “I had to email schools to try and get myself out there and kept reminding myself to do that every day. It was great when schools would text you. What a great feeling when they said they liked you and wanted you to come to a camp.

“Now that I’m committed I’m a lot more relieved,” Kross added. “It’s not as stressful any more. I plucked out all the gray hairs that grew.”