NORTH ROBINSON — Drayton Burkhart has been playing baseball most of his life. As a senior at Colonel Crawford, many of his peers would be facing the end of their careers this spring.
Burkhart, however, is fortunate to be able to continue playing the game he loves beyond high school. The right-handed pitcher has committed to play at Defiance College beginning next year.
“It means lot to me and my family,” Burkhart said of the opportunity. “I’ve been dreaming of this since I was a little kid and I’ve been working hard my whole life — through travel ball and school ball and all that.”
The big righthander lost his junior year last year, as did other seniors of the 2021 class. But Burkhart’s stats from his sophomore year and playing summer ball were enough to get college scouts’ attention.
“He’s just worked so hard at being a good pitcher,” Colonel Crawford baseball coach Dan Gorbett said. “He’s one of the more focused pitchers I’ve had in my career. He’s such a bulldog out there. He never wants to come out.”
Other colleges showed interest, but Defiance rose to the top for Burkhart.
“There were other colleges interested, but Defiance was the first one to actually offer me a scholarship,” Burkhart said. “So, I took them because I really like the coaches and the facilities. They have a really good history of players going to the MLB or the next level past college.”
The Yellow Jackets belong to the Heartland Athletic Conference, comprised of 10 Division III schools in Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky.
“He’s so efficient. He throws all four of his pitches for strikes,” Gorbett said. “It’s just fun to see him pitch. I always joked that I just sit down on my bucket and the inning’s over. I’m really happy for him. I think Defiance is really getting a steal.”
Burkhart views his future with a mix of realism and optimism as he pursues his degree in sports management.
“They had a lot of guys come back this year, but they didn’t have many freshmen,” Burkhart said. “All their pitchers are mostly seniors, so I’ll be able to come in and hopefully pitch right away.”
His current coach has some advice for his protégé.
“Be patient,” Gorbett said. “There’s going to be a lot of good players there. There may be opportunities for him, but if not, he’s got to understand that he’s a freshman and to pay his dues. I think initially, he could be a good middle reliever for them — with his control and his off-speed pitches — and eventually be a full-time starter there.
“He’s got a lot of upside and I think he could throw a lot harder than he is right now,” Gorbett continued. “I think as he matures, that will come.”