Competitive Gormley Brings Strong Qualities

MEDINA - Andrew Gormley believes he has the qualities to make a college baseball program better.

“I’m a hard worker,” the Walsh Jesuit junior said. “I think I’ll outwork the guy next to me. But it’s bigger than baseball for me. It’s about being a good person and being a good teammate. I pride myself in all those things.”

Improvement is vital when it comes to the recruiting process for the 15th-ranked 2022 right-handed pitcher in Ohio.

“I’m working out a ton, trying to gain weight,” explained the 6-foot tall Gormley, who is now up to 180 pounds. “I’m working on that now and also doing long toss getting my arm more whippy and faster. That’s how I get all my velo.”

It is a big part of his game that attracted those at the next level.

“Right now it’s relatively quiet recruiting-wise, but I was talking to a decent amount of MAC schools,” Gormley related. “I started talking to schools as soon as summer started. I was up to 86, so that got me a little notice. Then my first tournament of the summer I was up to 89,5 and that got me a lot of notice.

“The Future Games definitely helped as well,” Gormley added about the PBR event in early August. “I talked to a couple of schools after that. It was an awesome, fun experience.”

Velocity is what originally made Gormley realize he had a future in baseball.

“In the seventh and eighth grade I played because I liked it,” Gormley reflected. “I wasn’t too serious with it. But once I saw how competitive high school was, especially at Walsh, things changed.

“The first time I went to a college camp was Ohio U the winter of my freshman year. I topped at 85 and talked to a coach there for 20 minutes afterward. That’s when it became realistic.”

Unfortunately, covid slowed things down on the recruitment front.

“It took a whole season away from me,” the 44th-rated junior in the state said in reference to missing out on his sophomore year with Walsh. “Summer went well with coaches watching video of me, but it’s not as real as watching in person and communicating.”

Gormley feels they are missing out by not seeing him live.

“I’m a competitor, I love to win,” the fourth-ranked uncommitted 2022 in Ohio said of what may not show up as much on video. “That’s my goal every time I pitch. I’m a competitor, a hard worker and a good teammate with a positive attitude and a good person overall.”

Jordan Chiero, PBR Ohio Director of Scouting, looks forward to seeing what Gormley can bring to the table in the coming months.

“Gormley is one of my top priorities to get out and see this spring and I'd assume there are a number of colleges who feel the same way,” Chiero said. “He’s an athletic dude with a fast arm and in general just shows multiple physical indicators of a guy who will make a velocity jump at some point. I don't think it's even a matter of if with him but when. ,,, And I think his recruiting timeline will speed up almost directly with when that happens.”

Gormley pointed to Walsh Jesuit head coach Chris Kaczmar with playing a major role in getting him to this point in his baseball journey.

“He’s been my number one influence,” Gormley said. “He really told me what it takes to be a college baseball player. He helped with not just skills but with the mindset thing. My parents have also helped a lot when it comes to the recruiting process.”

The 16-year-old junior, who carries a 3.3 GPA and is planning on a college major in business, has an idea of what he is looking for in a program at the next level.

“Coaches that compete, that have that want-to to win and that can get you better,” Gormley noted. “But I also want a school that’s not just about baseball, but also about your life and coaches invested with that.”

There is also the possibility of finding a place to give him an opportunity at being a two-way player.

“After talking to schools, they want me as a pitcher,” explained Gormley, an outfielder when not on the mound. “They like my athleticism and pitchability and that I’m a pitcher instead of  a thrower. But I’m also working on the possibility of two-way. I haven’t had a big opportunity with that, but I’m hoping to with Walsh. I played outfield this summer and also freshman year at Walsh. Right now there’s a 50-50 chance of doing it this year.”

For now, Gormley is focused on finding a school that is the perfect match for him.

“I don’t have a time frame when I want to be committed,” Gormley concluded. “I really just want a school that will give me an opportunity and that’s a good fit. I’m working toward that.”