By Travis Cox

Lake Catholic pitcher, Joey Samuele chooses Indiana University of Pennsylvania.  The southpaw discusses his recruiting process and his future at IUP.  Read more…

PBR: Why did you choose Indiana University of Pennsylvania?
Samuele: I chose Indiana University of Pennsylvania because it was the right fit for me. They had everything I was looking for academically and also everything I was looking for in a baseball program.

PBR: What other schools were you considering?
Samuele: Ashland, Mercyhurst, Heidelberg, Marietta, and some other D2 and D3 schools.

PBR: Where did IUP first see you? How did your relationship develop with their coaching staff?
Samuele: IUP first saw me at the Ed Santa showcase in Morgantown, WV. The day after the showcase I received an email from Coach Ditch stating that he would love to get me down and visit IUP right away, from there on our relationship started to grow.

PBR: Looking at IUP's roster they do not have anyone from Ohio on their roster. Are they planning on recruiting Ohio a little more?
Samuele: I’m glad that I am the first Ohio recruit for IUP and I hope that they will consider other players from Ohio.

PBR: What role do the coaches expect you to play your first year on campus?
Samuele: I think that they want me to come onto campus and work as hard as I can and be able to contribute right away for them in the fall and spring season.

 PBR: What is your biggest strength as a player and how do you feel that you will help IUP?
Samuele: I believe that my work ethic is one of my biggest strengths because I always want to work hard to become better at what I do. Also, my ability to be positive with my teammates and be a leader.

PBR: Who do you play for in the summer and how important was travel baseball to your recruiting process?
Samuele: I play for Team Ohio. Summer baseball has made me the player that I have become today. Playing in some of these big tournaments and against good competition that have hundreds of scouts at the games really helps your chances of being noticed by someone.

PBR: What was the most memorable experience from this summer?
Samuele: When I got to pitch against the Midland Redskins who have won the Connie Mac the past several years.

PBR: Who has had the biggest impact on you as a baseball player?
Samuele: I would have to say that first and foremost my parents have had the biggest impact on me as a baseball player. They have made several sacrifices in order to get me on good teams that would help me get looked at, get me to games, and pay for the costs to play on these big teams. Secondly I would have to say, the coaches that I have had along the way; Coach Peterlin, Coach Eden, and especially my high school coach, Coach Woods and my pitching coach, Doc Schaedler.

PBR: What were your stats for this spring season at Lake Catholic?
Samuele: Record: 4-2, ERA: 3.34, with 73 strikeouts. BB: 13

PBR: Who is the toughest hitter that you have faced in Ohio?
Samuele: Probably Gordy Egen from Holy Name. He was the kind of kid that would battle until the very end no matter what the circumstances were. He was a very powerful and patient hitter who was very disciplined.