Brandon Ritchie is a 6-foot-1, 210-pound RHP from Laurel HS. The hard throwing senior who tops out at 87mph has committed to George Washington University. Ritchie, who is currently the No. 36 ranked player in the Class of 2013, talked to Prep Baseball Report about his decision.

                                        

PBR:  Where have you decided to attend college and why did you make this choice?
Ritchie: I have decided to attend George Washington University. I was greatly impressed with the campus when I went to visit, and they are experiencing such a drastic change with the new coaching staff and the new field. I wanted to be a part of the future for GWU because they are going to do great things with the program.  The education is something I couldn’t pass up, especially wanting to go into Biology and the Pre-Med program.

PBR:  What other schools were you considering?
Ritchie: I was also considering Mercyhurst and Marietta.

PBR:  Was distance from home a factor in your decision?
Ritchie: Distance was a factor for me. I didn’t want to stay local and playing in D.C. is going to be a great experience. Driving past the Pentagon and monuments every day to go to the field and being a couple blocks from the white house is going to be awesome.

PBR:  Where did the coaches first see you?  How did your relationship develop with their coaching staff?
Ritchie: Coach Lorber watched me throw in Durham, North Carolina with the Allegheny Pirates. He emailed me following the game expressing his interest, and I got back to him right away.

PBR:  What role do the coaches expect you to play your first year on campus?
Ritchie: They expect me to contribute to the pitching staff and be a good asset on the mound.

PBR:  What is your biggest strength as a player and how do you feel that will help your team?
Ritchie: My biggest strength is my pitching /arm strength. I hope that my ability can play a key role on the mound for the team and that they can use me in any situation necessary.

PBR:  Who do you play for in the summer and what was your most memorable experience from this past summer?
Ritchie: My summer team is Creekside Physical Fitness in the Youngstown B League. I loved hanging out with the team whether it was on or off the field. The coaching staff is absolutely hilarious and they really know the game of baseball. There were a bunch of crazy kids on the team and it was a blast to have success in the B- league and tournaments while having a ton of fun at the same time.

PBR:  What is your current GPA?
Ritchie: My GPA is probably above a 5.0 right now. I know last year it stayed between a 5.11 and a 5.33 on a 4.0 scale with all the AP Classes in my schedule, so I’m not sure what it is right now.

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?
Ritchie: I can’t wait for this season, and our goals haven’t changed for the high school team.  Our team goals are winning the section first, then the WPIAL Championship, and then going for a state title. I want to individually step up and be more of the leader and the voice for the team since we graduated a lot of seniors this past year. I want to refine my pitching to get ready for college ball and sit more consistently in the 90mph range and develop a few more pitches to use.