BELLAIRE - A father that pitched in the minor leagues has been a “big inspiration” for Bryce Amos.

The Shadyside junior is hoping a college commitment in the south has him on the path envisioned growing up.

“I’ve always wanted to be like him,” Amos said of his dad Chad, a 12th-round selection in the 1992 MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox. “He’s been my pitching coach since I started baseball and he’s been a lot of help. I wouldn’t be as good as I am without him.”

While the elder Amos reached Class AA ball, the ninth-ranked 2022 right-hand pitcher in Ohio has decided on Tulane as a college home.

“I was in Nashville playing in the Music City Classic and my coach said to give them a call,” Amos reflected. “That was a Friday night. We talked for 30 to 40 minutes and instantly clicked. They offered me on Sunday.”

A campus visit with his father followed.

“We loved it,” Amos related about a two-day trip to the university located in New Orleans. “The campus was awesome and the facilities were unbelievable. The school has great academics and the baseball program is awesome.”

Still, the idea of going to college more than 14 hours away from home admittedly brought some apprehension.

“I always thought I’d stay close to home, I never thought I’d get an opportunity to play in the south,” Amos said. “It just seems better from a developing standpoint. There is a lot of great baseball down there.”

When all was said and done, the chance to play in the American Athletic Conference with schools located in Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kansas and Ohio as well as Louisiana was too good to pass up.

“It’s not a problem,” Amos said of the more than 1,000-mile distance from Bellaire to Tulane. “It’s worth it to go that far to play in a great program.”

A jump in velocity helped pave the way for the hard-throwing right-hander to receive college interest from colleges such as Kent State, Xavier and Pittsburgh, before making the choice to play for Tulane.

“A got to lift a lot during COVID,” pointed out the 32nd-rated incoming junior in the state. “Having no high school season was hard, but I feel like I got better during the time off working on my mechanics. I felt good about what I did.”

After topping at 84 at the PBR Preseason All-State Underclass Showcase in February, the 6-4 195-pounder hit 88 at the Southern Ohio Top Prospect Games in July.

“It was nice to accomplish that,” Amos noted. “It shows the hard work is paying off, but there’s more to do. Hitting 88 is good, now I want to hit 89.”

Tulane head coach Travis Jewett and assistant Jay Uhlman see much more in the tank according to the soon-to-be 17-year-old.

“They like my projectability and that I have a fast arm,” Amos said. “Coach (Jewett) wants to go to Omaha and win it and he wants me to get drafted. The goals he set for me are awesome. He was at Vanderbilt a few years and he wants to do what they did (win the most recent College World Series championship) and go to Omaha.”

Amos sees the potential of being a big part of a Tulane program that has made 10 NCAA Tournament appearances this century, including a pair of trips to the College World Series.

“I feel I can help them win,” Amos related. “I think as far as developing me as a player, they were the best option for me.”

Unsure of a college major at this point in time, the 3.5 student admits to being happy the recruiting process has come to an end.

“It was definitely different than I thought it would be,” noted Amos, who credited video as playing a key role in the recruitment hindered by limitations from the coronavirus. “It’s a little bit of a relief to be over. But it makes me want to work even harder to get to my next goal.”

And that is to follow in the footsteps of his father, who went to college at Ohio State before being drafted and turning pro.

“Everyone wants to play professional baseball like he did,” Amos said. “I have everything I need to get there, I just need to put the work in. That’s the next goal.”