OREGON - The initial conversation with Bowling Green head baseball coach Kyle Hallock was a great sign according to CJ Boudreaux.

“The first time he saw me pitch was in Adrian with 18U Demand,” Boudreaux reflected. “We got on the phone and I liked his personality on the first phone call. We continued to talk most of the summer and we ended up setting up a visit a month-and-a-half ago.”

That was all it took.

“I really liked the visit and got an offer,” related the Clay High School junior. “I pretty much knew I’d go there. I committed two weeks later.”

After all, there was a lot to like about BG according to the 15th-rated 2024 right-handed pitcher in Ohio, who had an offer from Oakland and had taken a visit to Toledo.

“The biggest thing was the way I connected with coach Hallock,” Boudreaux explained. “I like the way he coaches. I went to a couple of practices and he really enjoys coaching. He reaches out to each individual player. I like how he treated me the whole process.”

Improvement proved to be something that Bowling Green noticed about the 6-1 175-pounder.

“They like how hard I work,” Boudreaux said. “They saw where I was my freshman year and where I was by my sophomore year. The biggest thing for me was getting stronger overall. As a freshman I was 150, but going into sophomore year I was 175. I put a lot of work in the weight room. I also was learning how to move on the mound and knowing more about mechanics and pitching.”

It has the 42nd-ranked junior in the state on track to play at the next level.

“My whole life I’ve played baseball,” Boudreaux related. “My cousin played college baseball in Florida and I looked up to him. That inspired me to play college baseball. When I was told a college coach wanted to see a video of me, that’s when I realized I could do it.”

Fortunately, there was plenty of help and advice in making it happen.

“The recruiting process was definitely a big shock for me,” Boudreaux  admitted. “I was very nervous and very stressed the first time I talked to a college coach. As it went on it became easier.

“One thing that helped was sending out videos,” Boudreaux added. “Coach (Dave) Wagner and (Josh) Bradford with Demand have connections that helped.”

High school head coach Jim Phillips along with coaches Kirk Fortier, Jon Niese, Jeremiah Przybylski, Kirt Hurley and Sam Fischer are others Boudreaux pointed to with aiding the cause in becoming a commit to the Mid-American Conference university located just a half hour from home.

“It was stressful at first, but it felt nice to commit,” Boudreaux said. “My goal was to play college baseball and to have it come true feels great.”

The fifth-rated 2024 uncommitted right-handed pitcher in Ohio at the time of his commitment is excited about what he can bring to the next level.

“I’ll be another hard worker who wants to come in and help from the start,” Boudreaux noted. “I plan to be a leader and help us win.”

The plan is to major in business according to the 17-year-old, who carries a 3.8 GPA at Clay.

“I’m looking forward to meeting new people, meeting players I’ve never met before and being around the older players,” Boudreaux concluded. “I want to bond with them, learn from the guys with more experience and see what it’s like playing in college.”