Kent State Will Be Future Home For Solitaria

NORTH OLMSTED - Sawyer Solitaria had a decision to make after making a decommitment with Ohio State.

“I was either going to gamble on myself to go big or go with what I had,” the second-rated 2024 third baseman in the state said. “I decided on Kent State. All those coaches are really cool. When I first started communicating with them they were always engaged and always had something positive to say.”

The Saint Ignatius junior pointed to a coaching change at Ohio State with bringing on the need to look elsewhere for a college.

“There were some things going on,’ Solitaria related. “The new guys came in and there wasn’t as much active communication with me. I get it, they had a lot going on. My coaches said they wanted to make me a Pitcher Only so I decided not to go there. I wanted to be on both sides.”

So the recruiting process started over.

“At that point I had some idea what was going on,” the 261st-ranked 2024 in the nation explained. “Kent State was the first to reach out, then Wright State and then a couple of other colleges. But I was still in the big Power 5 mindset. So I went to the (PBR) State Games to try and get some attention. I played well there and thought I’d get more attention but it was the same stuff. Then I went to a Notre Dame camp and almost went to one at Indiana and Michigan. But after Notre Dame I didn’t think I was going to get what I was getting from the smaller schools.”

So the 6-3 180-pounder concluded that Kent State was best for him.

“Over the summer Kent went to four tournaments to look at me,” Solitaria noted. “They had a feeling about what was going on and as soon as they found out (I decommitted) they jumped on me. I appreciated that a lot.”

The ninth-rated junior in Ohio pointed to his parents and Saint Ignatius head coach Brad Ganor along with his advisor and summer coach with helping out in his second recruiting process.

“At first I thought it would be hard for me to decommit, but in the end there wasn’t communication,” Solitaria said. “I just used that for fuel that they’re making a mistake.”

Kent State coaches witnessed plenty about Solitaria that could help the Mid-American Conference program.

“They liked everything they saw over the summer, the way I could flip the switch and lock in when it was time to go,” Solitaria related. “As we talked more they said how they like me as a person to go along with my baseball skills.”

There was one more thing that stood out.

“They offered me as a two-way,” Solitaria noted. “They have a couple there and said some of their best pitchers now also play the field, including their top reliever.”

That was crucial in the eyes of the 23rd-ranked 2024 third baseman in the country.

“I didn’t want to go to college without a chance to do both,” Solitaria explained. “Whatever pans out, I’ll deal with it when it gets to that point.”

The 16-year-old is confident he can make an impact at Kent State wherever he is on the field.

“I think I can come in and add to the environment which Kent State is all about,” Solitaria said. “I want them to introduce me to what’s going on, and when the older guys leave, help keep the culture the same, keep the environment the same, and maybe even improve it if I can. I want to get them back to the College World Series and I think I can make an impact to help do that.”

A 3.4 student at Saint Ignatius, Solitaria is considering a major in business sales at Kent, which is located an hour from home.

“To me, going to a new school is super exciting,” Solitaria said. “I’m going to meet new people that will be buddies for life. It’s an opportunity to make new friends and improve your life.

“It’s relieving knowing I chose somewhere that will help develop me as a person and player,” Solitaria concluded. “You know you’re going somewhere that wants you.”