Solitaria Will Have Two-Way Chance At Ohio State

NORTH OLMSTED - It was no trick. On Halloween, Sawyer Solitaria received a treat - an offer from Ohio State.

“I took it on the spot,” the Saint Ignatius sophomore said.

Interest from the Buckeyes began this summer.

“That’s when I really got on their radar,” the 10th-rated 2024 in Ohio said. “They started coming to tournament games I was in and I slowly started to see myself there in a couple of years. Then at the end of the summer, after the Future Games, it got serious.

“I went to a camp there and I really liked it a lot,” Solitaria added. “I like the facilities and that it’s close to home. Both of my parents went there and I like that they can come see me play. I had a good connection with the coaches. They made you feel like they really wanted you.”

A strong performance at the Future Games helped entice Ohio State even more to Solitaria.

“They really like my pitching,” noted the 6-2 220-pound right-hander, who hit 90 on the mound along with an 87 infield velocity and 82 bat speed at the PBR event in Georgia. “At bat, I work the count a lot, but it’s nothing they hadn’t seen before.”

The top-ranked sophomore third baseman in the state will have a shot to be a two-way player at the Big 10 Conference school.

“That’s the plan,” pointed out Solitaria, who is being looked at as a corner infielder when not pitching. “I like to be a person who’s playing every day. I wanted to go to a place where I can be two-way. I couldn’t pick between the two (pitcher or position player) and they’re giving me the opportunity to do both so I took it.”

Cincinnati and Wright State were also high on the list of schools Solitaria considered.

“I talked to a decent amount of coaches but I wasn’t as interested in them as I was Ohio State,” the 36th-ranked 2024 third baseman in the nation said.

It brought to a close a recruiting process that began two years ago.

“It started eighth-grade summer at the Future 50 in Akron when schools started contacting my coaches,” Solitaria explained. “It was slow at the start but it picked up after that.

“PBR really helped a lot,” the 380th-rated sophomore in the country continued. “I was able to go to so many showcases and that helped get my name out there. It’s one of the easiest ways to get noticed. I love being around all the guys at PBR, they can help you out a lot.”

His father and Force Ohio head coach Larry Mosley are others that Solitaria pointed to as influential in development and recruitment in reaching a college baseball dream that began years ago.

“In grade school I thought it would be cool to talk to college coaches when I got older,” the 15-year-old reflected. “I knew I wanted to play baseball, and once I started to understand what college baseball was about it was something I wanted to pursue. It became realistic this summer when I began talking to a lot of coaches and people began understanding what I was capable of doing.”

Improvement was beneficial in getting recognized as a player that can make it at the next level.

“Once high school came around I got into weight lifting and that can help you,” Solitaria said. “The attitude is also big, keeping the body language in shape. Stay mellow and trust your tools and see how things turn out.”

A more controlled Solitaria believes he can be a major asset once arriving at Ohio State.

“As I get older I want to bring a lot of leadership to the program,” Solitaria noted. “I always want to be that guy to come to when you need something, be a good guy to be around.”

A 3.5 student at Saint Ignatius, Solitaria is looking at a possible major in either business or sport management.

“I’m looking forward to meeting all the new people that will come into your life and all the new experiences you’re going to have,” explained Solitaria, who admits to a feeling of enjoyment when the college commitment became official.

“My parents were really excited,” Solitaria concluded. “Sometimes you’ve got to shed a tear when exciting things happen in your life.”