AVON LAKE - The desire to play baseball at the next level came honestly for Kevin McKinley.

“My dad pitched at Coastal Carolina and as I got older I figured out just how good that is,” McKinley related. “My family lives and breathes baseball and I’ve always wanted to play in college. I’ve looked forward to it.”

That time has arrived for the Avon Lake senior, a recent commit to Ashland.

“It’s one of the top schools I was interested in,” McKinley noted. “Last July I visited the school and they treated me like family. You could tell they really wanted me and I respect that. They have fantastic coaches and facilities.”

Making the commitment took some time, however.

“Covid had a huge, huge dent in my recruitment,” McKinley explained. “So I was sending out a bunch of emails every day, making sure my name was on the map and letting coaches know how my bullpen was going. I was making sure my name was not forgotten.”

Interest in the 6-3 230-pound right-handed pitcher developed with the help of PBR.

“It’s a lot of fun competing against a bunch of new kids,” pointed out McKinley, who attended PBR events such as the Northern Ohio Top Prospect Games, Central Ohio Prospect Games, Northern Ohio Prospect Games and Release Scout Day in the past 14 months. “Every time I’d go to a PBR it was a cool and different type of competition. I saw improvement in my game at every event, especially at Prasco. There was pressure, but it was good pressure that would make you perform better.”

Schools liked what they were seeing in the 25th-rated 2021 RHP in the state.

“I was talking to Toledo and Eastern Michigan and they were gonna see me play this summer, but I decided I didn’t want to wait. I wanted to play with someone I knew that wanted me.”

That would be Ashland, a little more than an hour from his Avon Lake home.

“They like my ability to throw three pitches for strikes and my composure,” McKinley said of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference program.

The mental part of the game has been an area of improvement according to the 80th-ranked senior in Ohio.

“What’s really made me a better player began between my freshman and sophomore year,” McKinley reflected. “I had some bumpy outings and it was then that I told myself that I just had to stay with it. Now when I have my back against the wall in tough situations I find a way to get it done. It’s a great attribute to be able to compete and get it done.”

A 3.1 student planning to major in business marketing, McKinley credits his father with helping become the player he is today.

“He has been a huge help, I couldn’t have done it without him,” McKinley said of his dad Scott, who pitched for Coastal Carolina in 1984-85. “I’ve had a lot of positive talks with him about college baseball and any situation.  He was always doing things to help me, like writing notes and putting them up on my mirror, or reading through my emails from coaches and giving his thoughts, anything to help me out. I couldn’t be more thankful for it.”

The excitement for McKinley, who turned 18 on May 27, is also strong when it comes to making the right college commitment.

“It’s the best decision I’ve ever made,” McKinley concluded. “As soon as I committed, I had a big sigh of relief knowing that I will be going to a great program with good coaches. It was one of the great moments of my life. It was something special.”