Change Of Plans Has DeVooght Headed To Ohio State

Gavin Devooght RHP / 1B / Walled Lake Central, MI / 2023

WALLED LAKE - A decommitment with the start of college only months away is not easy to do. But when you can throw 95, there is less to worry about when it comes to finding a new home as Gavin DeVooght discovered.

“I never really announced I decommitted, I just hoped for the best,” the recent Walled Lake Central High School graduate said. “When I hit 95 people reached out and asked if I was committed and I said I was looking for a place.”

The 18-year-old quickly found a home at Ohio State.

“It all happened after the coaches at Central (Michigan) left,” the 12th-rated 2023 right-handed pitcher in the state reflected. “I waited to see who got the job and after the assistant coach didn’t get the job I thought it was best for me to reopen.

“I’d also gained velo at the time. The week before that I hit 95 so I knew I’d have somewhere to go. Ohio State heard about me through a PBR video that was posted. That’s how they first saw me. They reached out to me in early July and wanted to get me on a visit. I visited on July 6th and from there the following Friday they came and watched me throw, liked what they saw and offered me.”

There was also an offer on the table from Cincinnati, where DeVooght visited the morning of July 6th with the trip to Ohio State in the afternoon. Missouri, West Virginia and Michigan were also in the mix before the 6-5 230-pounder decided on becoming a Buckeye.

“It took me a week,” DeVooght said of his decision to commit once offered by the Big 10 school in Columbus. “I had to decide if I wanted to keep looking. It was a second-year staff that had been to great places and I liked where they were talking about taking the program.”

The 32nd-ranked 2023 in Michigan is now part of the future at Ohio State thanks to recent improvement.

“I hit 95 at a PBR tournament at the University of Michigan,” DeVooght said about the irony of being recognized while throwing at the rival school of OSU. “My velo has constantly been going up over the year with a winter throwing program and my trainers helping get my timing down. In high school I was 90-93 topping at 94 in most outings and in the summer on a good day I’d hit (9)5.”

It brought intrigue from Ohio State among others.

“They’ve been playing up and down over the years,” DeVooght said of Ohio State. “The new staff likes velocity and they think they can help me improve even more and be good enough when I’m eligible for the draft.”

DeVooght, who pointed to trainers Kyle Fedorka and Greg Haeger with helping his development while Ward Elliott was valuable in reaching out to schools, is pleased to have his second round of recruitment over.

“It was definitely nerve wracking,” DeVooght admitted. “I was supposed to be on campus at Central in two months and then everything changed. We took the risk and we’re happy.”

Aug. 18 is the arrival date for DeVooght at Ohio State.

“I’m hoping to get in there and improve in every way,” DeVooght related. “I’m hoping to get innings in any role. I want to get in there, compete and try to win a Big 10 championship and then go even further.”

Plans are to major in athletic training at OSU.

“This is definitely a relief,” DeVooght said. “I don’t know any of the guys, but I’m excited. I really like the facilities and the weight room and rehab. The nutrition side really interested me along with their plan for the next few years with the baseball program. I’m looking forward to all of that and working toward my degree.”