Fitzpatrick Believes Ball State Can Help Achieve His Dream

Brady Fitzpatrick LHP / St Xavier, OH / 2024

LIBERTY TOWNSHIP - Brady Fitzpatrick is confident Ball State is the right place for him.

“They send out draft picks yearly, especially pitching” the St. Xavier incoming senior said of the Mid-American Conference baseball program in Muncie, Ind. “It looks like a school that can help me achieve my dream.”

Interest from Ball State came while the 26th-ranked 2024 left-handed pitcher in Ohio was playing at Grand Park.

“Thirty minutes after my first game Ball State went to my head coach and said we want him,” Fitzpatrick reflected. “I got a call that night and they said they want to see me on a visit as soon as possible. I went on a tour when I was there and after that they said they’d like to give me an offer but didn’t have the money right now. A few days later they gave me an offer.

“Liberty and George Mason were interested, but I decided it felt like home. It’s only one-and-a-half hours from home.”

Ball State sees a lot of promise in the 6-2 175-pound southpaw. 

“They like my frame and projectability,” Fitzpatrick related. “My fastball gets a lot of swings and misses. It looks like a fastball that moves.”

It was not the case just a few short years ago.

“My freshman year I was throwing 70 miles an hour and was 130 pounds,” the 221st-rated senior in the state noted. “I had bad mechanics, I was an all-arm guy. But I put on 50 pounds and started to eat well. I went on a strict diet and started weight lifting. I worked on my mechanics and did long toss and was seeing the benefits. The stronger I got the faster I was throwing. I now sit 85-87 and top at 88.”

It has Fitzpatrick achieving a college baseball dream that has been around since he was young.

“I have two older brothers, one a catcher that went through the process but he got hurt,” Fitzpatrick explained. “As a kid I was D-I, D-I. But my freshman year I didn’t have the numbers to be a D-I guy. I started thinking would I be fine as a D-III, JUCO? I thought, I want to do this. It brings me joy. So I started working harder and this past summer I was 85-87 in my first tournament at Dayton. Schools started to become interested.”

The 18th-rated uncommitted 2024 left-handed pitcher in Ohio at the time of his commitment gave out a lot of credit for making his journey to the next level a reality.

“PBR really helped,” Fitzpatrick related. “It’s nice to have verified numbers. I’ve met a lot of kids that say they throw harder than they do. This is a very trusted organization. Coaches believe you. The State Games, the Future Games, video from summer games, tweets, the trusted radar guns. They have it all.”

There was additional help along the way in the eyes of Fitzpatrick, pointing to Alpha pitching coach Greg Williams, the CBC Blackhawks, Adam Deleat, Jarret Rindfleisch and his parents in addition to his two older brothers.

“As a kid I was always watching them play,” Fitzpatrick reflected. “When it was Covid summer I was bad. But my older brothers spent the year lifting with me and teaching me.”

It all proved beneficial in a recruiting process that had “ups and downs” according to Fitzpatrick.

“In January I went to individual camps and thought I’d go to THAT school. But when they came to see me in the summer I had my worst outing and they crossed me off their list. After that I became more open-minded about every school.”

Only a couple months later, the 17-year-old found a home.

“It’s a little bit of a relief,” Fitzpatrick admitted. “I was worried about what was happening with no offer. I wasn’t sure where I’d end up. After I committed, the next few games I threw the best of my life with all the weight off my shoulders.”

A 3.5 student at St. Xavier, Fitzpatrick is looking at a major in business at Ball State, a place that he looks forward to attending with high ambitions.

“Exposure is the reason I chose Ball State,” Fitzpatrick concluded. “My number one goal is to develop and make the Big Leagues, or the minors, getting one step closer.

“I’m also looking forward to all the relationships with people I meet in college, especially in the baseball world. A lot of buddies are made there. It’s a small world in the baseball world of things and I look forward to being a part of it.”