Joey Slivik, LHP/OF, Warren Mott HS, 2013

Slivik recently signed his letter of intent to play for Owens Community College (OH). Slivik preformed extremely well at the Unsigned Senior Showcase in January.  He sat between 81-85 mph but has been up to 87 mph in the past.  Slivik will benefit greatly of getting another year to continue to develop at Owens.

PBR:  Where have you decided to attend college and why did you make this choice?
Slivik: I have decided to attend Owens CC for the fall of 2013. I picked Owens because I feel like Juco would be a great option as a transition moving forward. I really liked Coach Taylor, the campus and I felt like Juco was the best option for me and my situation. 

PBR:  What other schools were you considering?
Slivik: I was deciding between Owens, Tiffin, and Adrian.

PBR:  Was distance from home a factor in your decision?
Slivik: Distance wasn't much of a factor. I knew I wanted to go away to school. Whether that be in Ohio, Kentucky, or Texas, I knew I'd be excited and ready so start independence.

PBR:  Where did the coaches first see you?  How did your relationship develop with their coaching staff?
Slivik: I believe Coach Taylor saw my PBR Spotlight video first. Once he called me he made it clear that being undersized means nothing to him, if you can play ball then you can play ball and that's all he cares about. That meant a lot and I respected that right off the bat.


PBR:  What role do the coaches expect you to play your first year on campus?
Slivik: I'm open minded on what my role is my first year. I plan on getting much stronger in my legs and core and improving my mental game and mechanics. Ill go wherever I'm needed to win, whether that be a starter or reliever. While juco's purpose is to develop the individual player, no one likes to lose.

PBR:  What is your biggest strength as a player and how do you feel that will help your team?
Slivik: I feel like my biggest strength as a player is my work ethic. I pride myself in being the first to the field and last off. That'll help the team because it'll help lift me individually to the best I can be.

PBR:  Who do you play for in the summer and what was your most memorable experience from this past summer?
Slivik: I play for Maloney's 18U Detroit Metro Stars. Last year I played for Russo's 18u team and my favorite memory was going up to Canada to play.

PBR:  Now that you have your commitment out of the way, what are your goals both individually and for the team going into your senior season?
Slivik: My in-season individual goal is to get  my K to BB ratio better and WHIP better. I'd also like to continue to hit over .350. As a team, the ultimate goal is a state championship. But we have to  win our district first so we have all our targets pointed at De la Salle.

PBR: Who is the best player you have played against in the state? 
Slivik: Carmen Benedetti is the best player I have played against. The kid just mashes. Wish I got a chance to pitch against him this year, that'd be a fun one. But he's a really nice kid, I have a ton of respect for that guy.