When Anthony Wayne pitcher Owen Graf got an offer from Ohio State, he was so excited that he lost his appetite for a few days.
He has worked tirelessly to increase his velocity on the mound to where it is currently, maxing out at 94 miles per hour. He did everything he could during the summer season to get noticed by the Buckeyes. He had battled back from a seemingly cursed injury streak early in his Anthony Wayne career.
It all paid off with an offer from his dream school.
Graf took a bit of time to consider the offer, but it was too good to pass up, and he recently announced his commitment to Ohio State .
“Ohio State has always been a dream as an Ohio kid,” Graf said. “I said if I was going to stay in Ohio and stay up north it was going to be Ohio State. It was between there, Michigan State, and Princeton. I think it was really a no-brainer for me. It was just nice to see that all the work I put in was starting to pay off getting that offer.”
To begin his career at Anthony Wayne, Graf battled a back injury as a freshman and said he was throwing about 82 miles per hour.
That summer he reached 83 or 84 mph on the radar gun.
In the fall of his sophomore year, Graf broke his arm in the weight room. He admitted that panic set in about his baseball future. But he worked diligently on his lower body in his recovery and during his first bullpen session he was sitting at 84 to 86 mph and topped out at 88 mph.
“That was like, wow, I didn't expect that,” Graf said. “Then after that, it gave me some motivation to stay consistent in the process and consistent with everything — the arm chairs, the plyometrics balls, the yoga, the mobility. It all comes together because being consistent in your craft is the big key to making strides and gains — not just in velocity but with your body and the way you move and everything on the mound.”
Now standing 6-foot-3 and throwing up to 94 mph, Graf said when he steps on the mound, he wants hitters to feel the presence of his fastball, and he is not backing down from anybody.
“My mindset is I'm going to throw the fastball until someone hits it,” Graf said. “I'm going to establish my dominance on the mound. When I go out there, my mentality is that I'm better than anybody that stands in the box no matter where they are going or what kid it is or what school they go to.”
His junior season included a seven-inning no-hitter, which can be seen here:
Anthony Wayne baseball coach Ryan Donley also has coached wrestling for the Generals. He sees some of the one-on-one mindset and toughness that wrestling necessitates in Graf on the mound.
“Every at-bat is a one-on-one between the pitcher and the hitter,” Donley said. “Owen is not afraid to compete, and the biggest thing is when he gets out there he has a presence. He's a big kid. He works quick, he's powerful, and he throws three pitches at a very high level. He keeps hitters on their toes, and he attacks.
“...When he is out there, he believes he is the best guy in every matchup that he's in. More times than not, it works out in his favor. Sometimes it doesn't if you have an off day. But he never goes out there expecting anything less than being able to shove the baseball and give us a chance to win.”
Donley mentioned a turning point during a game against Olentangy Berlin early on in Graf's junior season when he was struggling.
Graf, who likes to use all the available information to help him maximize his results on the mound, was worried about his heart rate so he would not over-exert himself on the mound.
“I had a talk with him and it was really uncomfortable to Owen, but he was so into it and he was so worried about all the extras at the high school level that don't really matter,” Donley said. “I told him once you get to college or the pro level, they'll work on that stuff with you when you get there. But you are not there yet, and I just told him to trust the process and keep doing the little things that you can control. That other stuff, it just puts too much pressure on you. It took a little bit of trial and error but once he settled in, his velocity was jumping. That's what stands out and turns heads, but he learned how to pitch and doesn't worry about the little things.”
The fastball is Graf's calling card, but he also features a devastating slider Donley said he can spin on the inside corner to right-handed hitters.
“Before it was a little bit of a spinner that was inconsistent,” Donley said. “He's starting to be able to locate it and is able to throw it on the inner half of the plate, which is absolutely disgusting when you get 94 and then you get one that looks like it's coming at your hip and then it breaks onto the inside corner. That's tough at any level.”
Graf is also working hard to develop his changeup, which Donley said he will need his senior season as more teams become aware of his strengths.
Overall, it's a three-pitch mix that makes Graf an intriguing college prospect.
“Owen has everything a baseball scout looks for.” said Dylan Hefflinger, editor in chief/advanced scout for Prep Baseball Ohio, “a projectable frame at 6-3, 200-pounds, a filthy arsenal on the bump, the confidence in his stuff, a good personality in the dugout and off the field, and of course raw talent.”
Continuing to improve rapidly, Graf maintains big goals. He would consider jumping to professional ball out of high school if everything unfolded favorably this coming spring.
“Everything would have to be right for my family and me, but if it all works out my dream is to make it to the MLB,” Graf said. “But everything has to line up the right way, because it's a big step to go from high school to pro ball. It's a big step, but if I stay consistent, it's a possibility.”
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