MASSILLON - A commitment to play college baseball at Bowling Green means a lot to Garrett Wright.

“I kind of feel completed,” the Massillon Jackson junior related. “I’m part of that family tradition in athletics.”

In joining older sister Erinn and brother Trey in Division I sports in the Mid-American Conference, both at Toledo, the sixth-rated 2023 catcher in Ohio is thrilled to be headed to BG, the arch-rival of the Rockets.

“My sister was a softball player at Toledo and my brother is at Toledo for baseball so I thought maybe playing baseball in college was a possibility for me,” Wright noted. “I wanted to follow in their footsteps, but not at the same school.”

That dream started to become realistic once in high school.

“My freshman year in the middle of winter during workouts coach Gamble came up to talk to me about getting recruited and that piqued my interest,” reflected Wright, referring to Jackson head coach Bill Gamble.

Adrian Abrahamowicz and Derek Carmichael, along with Gamble, were vital in his recruitment, according to Wright, while Ted Guskoff and Nico Marchetti assisted with hitting and Austin Szink catching.

“I’ve really improved a lot,” noted the 39th-ranked junior in the state, an avid disc golfer who credits the sport with helping strengthen and stabilize his throwing arm. “During summer last year I worked on a lot of catching stuff and my high school coaches helped me in the winter. I also had help with hitting and by the time high school season came around I was more in control of everything. By the time summer came around I was in my prime.”

Recruitment has been on-going for the 5-11 175-pound catcher.

“It really wasn’t what I expected,” Wright admitted. “I never expected it to start my sophomore year. I thought maybe junior summer I’d get my first offer but sophomore winter was a big surprise.”

Communication with Bowling Green head coach Kyle Hallock led to an offer.

“After my first call with coach Hallock I was pumped,” Wright explained. “I talked to my parents about it and they said it would be a great choice, but I really didn’t expect it to go further.”

However, the connection with BG continued.

“About every three weeks we’d get on the phone, it was small talk about how baseball was going or how school was going,” Wright said. “We actually connected. Then in early May I received an offer on a Facetime call. We had another call a week before the Future Games.”

At the prestigious PBR event in Georgia, Wright hit a two-out, run-scoring double in the last inning against Team Michigan to send the game into extra innings, highlighting a performance enjoyed by the 16-year-old.

“It was nerve-wracking in front of hundreds of scouts, you just try to do your best,” Wright said. “I saw coach Hallock there and he waved at me. It was like a bond.

“A while after the Future Games he called and asked if I was ready to make a decision. Then I called one day and we were done.”

Toledo and Eastern Tennessee State were others under consideration.

“I really like the connection the coaches have with their players,” Wright said of BG, which he visited in June. “They want to know how you’re doing, they want to be part of their lives.”

Wright has drawn raves from PBR Ohio Director of Scouting, Jordan Chiero.

“Complete skill set behind the dish, which is why he's considered one of the state's top defenders regardless of position,” Chiero said. “Big-time arm back there. The combination of throw tool and athletic feet/quick exchange allow him to pop under 2.0 in a workout setting consistently.”

Bowling Green saw a lot to like in Wright.

“They said I was pretty gritty on the field and when I’m on the bases I didn’t seem like a catcher,” Wright related. 

A 4.0 student with plans to major in criminal justice, Wright is happy to have his recruitment at an end and know where his college future lies.

“I’m stress free,” Wright said. “I don’t have to worry about talking to coaches and what I’m going to do and can focus on my game and getting better. I can’t wait to get there and try to be a leader.”