Stuckey Taking Passion For Baseball To Ohio University

Gaige Stuckey LHP / OF / Miami Trace, OH / 2025

WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE - Gaige Stuckey knew at an early age that baseball was for him.

“I grew up with my dad in the military and we were always moving,” Stuckey reflected. “Every time we’d get in the car baseball was on the radio or there was me sitting in the backseat watching it on the IPad. My mom was good at softball and my sister was good at it.

“Once I started playing TBall I always wanted to be the best and make it as far as I can,” Stuckey continued. “At 12U I threw a perfect game. I know it was only 12U, but a lot of parents were saying you could actually go somewhere if you want to.”

Eric Rippeth, who played at Ohio University, was coach of that team and was one of the many influential people in a baseball journey that has landed Stuckey with a college scholarship to OU.

“My travel coach put me in contact with them most of the high school season,” the Miami Trace incoming senior related. “We made it past the first round and played at OU where I was fortunate enough to pitch and they were there. We talked more and more after that and they said we’re gonna clear a spot for you but we need to get you on campus.”

The 14th-rated 2025 left-handed pitcher in the state was excited about what he discovered at the Mid-American Conference campus in Athens.

“I felt comfortable,” Stuckey explained. “I’m a small-town kid and everybody there hunts and fishes. That’s what I like to do.”

An offer was presented prior to the visit in June, but the 17-year-old took his time before making a commitment a few weeks later.

“All the coaches were very welcoming,” Stuckey reasoned about his decision. “I talked to a lot of schools, but the coaches there felt I would impact their program more than the other schools I talked with. Freshman year I could get some innings. With so many kids in the portal now, I don’t want to go somewhere and not play as a freshman or sophomore.”

There was an offer from Lake Erie and contact with Ohio State and Wright State, but the 76th-ranked senior in Ohio became certain that being a Bobcat was right for him.

“Everything just fits my personality with OU,” Stuckey said.

Though recruited as a pitcher, the 6-1 170-pounder made an impression on the Ohio University coaches with his overall game.

“They knew about me before I even got on the mound,” Stuckey noted. “I’m the leadoff hitter and I had to slide into first to get a single. They saw I was an athlete and they could tell I had a passion for the game and would do anything to try and win.”

Stuckey also did what he could in an attempt to be recruited.

“I used PBR a lot,” Stuckey explained. “I felt it helped show my stats, with some schools big number guys. PBR was good at updating the numbers. Also helping with my exposure was my travel coach, Trey Cobb. He was very very good at getting my name out there.”

Greg Williams with Alpha Baseball and John Phillips, an assistant high school coach at Miami Trace, were others that Stuckey pointed to with helping the cause in his development.

“I tore my labrum this past football season and had surgery that set me back,” Stuckey related. “But I got in the weight room with coach Phillips and put on 121/2 pounds.”

His velocity jumped from there helping aid a recruiting process that began at an early age.

“My eighth grade summer at LakePoint my spinning curve ball was 3,000 RPMs and West Virginia talked to me,” Stuckey noted. “Ohio State, Wright State and UCF also reached out. Those things at the PBR event helped get me out there. Schools reached out from PBR sharing my 3,000 RPMs.”

A commitment left Stuckey “very excited” with senior year of high school approaching.

“This stuff stresses me out,” Stuckey admitted. “You’re picking your next home for however long. There are so many things that happen, people don’t realize how you got there. But everything was worth it because you made it.”

A 3.3 student at Miami Trace, Stuckey is looking into a major in either business management or athletic training at Ohio University, which is located 90 minutes from home.

“I want to get a good education,” Stuckey concluded. “I want to be the best version of me I can be, do what’s right for me and show a lot of people that kids from smaller towns can be something.”