McDaniels Happy To Make Miami College Destination

DELAWARE - An offer from Miami had been on the table for a year when Parker McDaniels needed to make a decision.

“Miami gave me a deadline,” explained the second-rated 2024 catcher in Ohio, who had also been talking to “all the Ohio schools” along with East Tennessee State. “I always wanted to go to Miami, it has a really nice campus and I always felt like I wanted to go there. When they put a timeline on, I thought that’s where I should go.”

A process that began his freshman summer when McDaniels was seen by Miami while playing in a PBR tournament in Cincinnati had come to fruition with a commitment to the university 21/2 hours from home.

“It’s always been a top MAC school with a winning program,” explained McDaniels. “Two years ago they had the number nine draft pick and a year after two picks in the later rounds. The coach has sent three to the pros so they’re developing players well. They’re getting more pitchers drafted so you’re catching good pitching which is intriguing to me.”

The Olentangy Berlin junior made an impression on Miami.

“They like my leadership and how I call the game well,” McDaniels noted. “They also like my arm strength. I’ve naturally always had a strong arm.”

It has the 16-year-old, who also plays hockey in high school, on his way to the next level.

“From day one of playing AAU travel ball college baseball has been the goal,” McDaniels pointed out. “I don’t know many that work as hard as I do. My dad played Division II football and baseball at Ashland and that’s been my goal since day one.”

There was help along the way in achieving his dream.

“PBR really helped in making my decision,” McDaniels said. “I talked to Jordan (Chiero, PBR Ohio Director of Scouting) a couple of times in the week leading up about the situation. PBR has good connections with those types of situations.”

Still, it was admittedly nerve-racking for the 23rd-ranked 2024 in the state..

“The whole process was pretty stressful at the end,” McDaniels explained. “You don’t know 100 percent if it’s the right decision, but once I made it the stress was relieved. It was a nice feeling.”

McDaniels gave credit to others with bringing it all together.

“I’m a really impulsive person, but my parents helped me take it slower,” McDaniels said. “(Head) Coach (Danny) Hayden called the night before the deadline and took me through the steps to be a pro catcher. That helped me determine to go there.”

A 4.0 student looking to major in the business field, the 6-1 210-pounder is confident about his ability to impact the Miami program.

“I need to fix a few kinks in my swing to be a power hitter, but I think I can be a double-digit home run guy with solid defense,” McDaniels noted. “With what coach Hayden can do with me I think I can be a draft pick.”

There is more that McDaniels is excited about when it comes to baseball at the Mid-American Conference school in Oxford.

“I’m looking forward to being able to get better on my own time or working with friends,” McDaniels concluded. “But I’m really looking forward to the freedom to get better on my own.”