Aptos’ Gaeckle commits to UCLA
Junior, coming off Tommy John surgery, opens eyes with 93 mph fastball, big curve
APTOS >> Aptos High’s Gabe Gaeckle hasn’t pitched much since making his varsity debut as a freshman in the Mariners’ two-game, COVID-19 canceled 2020 baseball season. He was also robbed of his sophomore season while he recovered from Tommy John surgery.
Gaeckle rocked college scouts’ minds — and radar guns — in his first post-surgery appearance against live hitters at the outset of the summer. He was on a limited pitch count and only threw fastballs, for safety purposes. It was a good fastball, maxing out at 93 mph.
Essentially, it was more of the same when competed for the Oakland A’s Underclass Team at the 2021 Area Code Games at Loyola Marymount University on Aug. 12-14.
Scouts were wowed. Gaeckle, a 5-foot-11, 180-pound right-handed pitcher and third baseman, received more than 25 scholarship offers. LSU, Arkansas, and nine of the 11 programs in the Pac-12 Conference wanted him.
“It was pretty cool,” he said of the interest.
On Tuesday, the highly-touted, flame throwing junior, also armed with a knee buckling breaking ball that he’ll throw in any pitch count, committed to national power UCLA.
“My excitement is through the roof,” he said Wednesday. “I can’t wait to get under the coaches’ arms and let them develop me. It’s a special place.”
PrepBaseballReport.com lists Gaeckle, who also competes for the Alpha Prime travel ball team based out of Stockton, possessing a fastball that averages 91 mph, an 83-84 mph changeup and a 73-76 mph curveball.
“He’s one of the better ones to come
through here,” said Jason Biancardi, the Mariners’ seventh-year head coach.
Not just through Aptos, Biancardi clarified, through Santa Cruz County — all time.
Biancardi has coached several future collegians in his program, but he never dealt with such interest as he did for Gaeckle, especially from one UCLA scout.
“He’d call eight times a day,” Biancardi said. “I’ve never seen a college coach put in so much effort. They wanted him bad.”
Gaeckle chose UCLA over Arkansas after making visits to both schools. In his Los Angeles visit over the weekend, he saw the women’s volleyball team sweep Oregon at Pauley Pavilion on Friday and, standing on the sideline in the Rose Bowl, witnessed the football team to lose 34-31 to Ducks in front of 55,675 fans on Saturday.
In addition to the facilities, Gaeckle said he liked the connection he had with the coaching staff, which includes head coach John Savage and assistants Bryant Ward and Niko Gallego.
“I like the culture,” Gaeckle said. “The players run the program. It’s intense. Everyone is working for a job and they all have the same goal. It’s a competitive environment and they’re going to push me to get better.”
The Bruins (37-20, 18-12) finished last season ranked No. 24 in the nation. They took fourth place in the Pac-12 Conference and qualified for the regional play. Their season ended with a loss to Texas Tech in the Lubbock Regional championship.
The program, a postseason regular, won its only NCAA title in 2013. It also reached the NCAA title game in 2010.
With Gaeckle’s commitment, the Mariners (15-3, 142), who won the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League title and qualified for the Central Coast Section Open Division playoffs last season, have three Division I players to help pace their title repeat bid. Pitcher Reed Moring is committed to UC Santa Barbara and Owen Dueck, a left-handed pitcher and outfielder, is committed to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Biancardi believes there’s a good chance Gaeckle gets drafted following his senior season. Gaeckle said he hasn’t put much though into that, but said he’d have to be a pretty high selection to decommit from UCLA. He said he’s dreamed of playing college baseball for a long time and is looking forward to it.
Aptos coaches knew they had something special in Gaeckle years ago. In his varsity debut, he gave up one hit in four shutout innings, while striking out six batters and walking three.
After the game, a 5-3 win for the Mariners, one Los Altos coach approached Biancardi and asked, “Where is that kid playing next year?”
“He’s only a freshman,” said Biancardi, beaming.
Now, he can tell them UCLA.
“He has a presence,” Biancardi said. “You’d never know he’s an underclassman. And he’s confident.”