By Phil Wade
Indiana Executive Director

Follow @PBRIndiana

Penn High School 2017 outfielder Trevor Waite recently committed to play baseball at the University of Dayton and Head Coach Tony Vittorio.  

PBR: Why did you choose Dayton? What were some key factors in making your decision?

Waite: I chose Dayton after visiting the campus and meeting with the coaching staff. The campus is great, and they have the academic programs I am interested in. I also felt like I was going to be in an environment where I can develop my skills and also compete to play as a freshman. Everything about Dayton seemed like a fit for me. 

PBR: Where did they first see you compete? 

Waite: They saw me play at several tournaments this summer, including the WWBA in Atlanta. 

PBR: What other schools were you considering? 

Waite: Western Michigan, Valparaiso, and St. Joseph. 

PBR: What were your expectations about the recruiting process? Was it as expected? Easy/Difficult? 

Waite: I didn't have too many expectations, just that I thought things would take care of themselves if I performed this summer as I expected to. It went very slowly at first, and then really heated up in July. 

PBR: What were you looking for out of a college program to continue you baseball career? 

Waite: An opportunity to play and contribute to a program competing for a spot in the NCAA tournament. I also wanted a place I felt comfortable being at during the school year. 

PBR: When did the recruiting process really start to heat up for you? Was there a particular game or event that you feel turned the corner for you?

Waite: July was very busy with recruiting. I think the WWBA, where I was on the all-tournament team, really helped convince coaches I was a player they wanted.  

PBR: At what point in your career did you realize you were a college caliber player and become serious about taking your game to the next level?

Waite: When I was able to start as a sophomore for Penn, I thought I had the chance to play in college. Coach Dikos has given me great feedback to push me to think about college. I've had other people - Mike Marks and Evan Sharpley to name two - who encouraged me along the way to pursue college baseball. 

PBR: Who is the best player you've faced in Indiana, and why? 

Waite: Matt Litwicki from Lake Central. The combination of his delivery, velocity, and his command makes him a very difficult pitcher to hit against. 

PBR: What advice would you give to young baseball players striving to get where you are? 

Waite: Just keep playing. Play against the best possible competition, and things will take care of themselves. You'll get where you want to be. 

PBR: What is the most memorable moment in your baseball career to this point? 

Waite: Winning the 2015 state championship, and driving in the winning run. 

PBR: Preview your high school season for us.  How do you feel your team will be?  What are your expectations and goals? 

Waite: Losing Skylar Szynski is obviously the first thing everyone will notice. We also lost a lot of leadership in Luke Schneider, Brandon Stesiak, and the rest of our seniors last year. At the same time, I am excited about the upcoming season. We still expect to compete for a state championship, and I feel like we'll surprise some people. 

PBR: Where do you play in the summer?  What has been your most memorable experience with them? 

Waite: I played for Coach Osborn and the Indiana Nitro. It was one of the best experiences of my career so far. I learned a lot from Coach Osborn, and would recommend the Nitro to anyone. They are a great organization, who care about player development and doing what's best for the players.