PARMA — Josh Pierce will continue his education and his romance with baseball at Kent State University next year.

Pierce

“I don’t know if there is anyone who loves baseball more than Josh Pierce,” Avon High School athletic director Erich Frombach said Wednesday just before Pierce signed a letter of intent to attend KSU. “Josh is someone who has dedicated himself to one sport. That’s uncommon these days. This is really special.”

Pierce, a right-handed pitcher and shortstop for Avon, did his signing at the Aspiring Athletes training facility, headquarters of his summer baseball team, the Ohio Orioles.

Pierce was selected first team All-Lorain County and Avon’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2009 after batting .500 with five home runs, 23 runs batted in, 20 runs scored and 15 walks. For the Orioles, he pitched 111/3 innings with 23 strikeouts, seven walks, four earned runs and five hits.

“I’ve had the advantage of being able to watch him every day,” Avon coach Frank DeSmit said. “We’ve been living across the street from Josh for 10 years. I’ve seen him not only work out at school, but I’ve seen him hitting balls in his backyard and working out with his dad pitching. I think he’s a great kid. He decided long ago that baseball was something he wanted to do with his life.”

Pierce, who bats left-handed, confirmed that.

“I always want to be involved with baseball,” he said, adding that his choice of study at KSU, a major in sports management and a minor in business, could help him stay with the game.

Pierce had been a starting linebacker for the Avon football team in 2008. He decided to pass on playing football this season and spent the fall with the Midwest Redbirds, a scout team for the St. Louis Cardinals. He pitched five innings with six strikeouts, a walk, four hits and no runs allowed.

Pierce said he will probably pitch short relief for the Golden Flashes, and added that he chose Kent State because of its baseball tradition.

“It’s a top 25 baseball school nationally,” Pierce said. “They’ve won the Mid-American Conference almost every year this century.

One thing that attracted me was Mike Birkbeck, the pitching coach. He’s one of the best in the business.”

Kent State was co-champion of the MAC (with Bowling Green) this spring and second in the MAC Tournament to Eastern Michigan. The Golden Flashes had the best overall record of any conference school at 36-21.

Pierce is the son of Jeff Pierce and Belinda Borders and the stepson of Kevin Borders.

Contact Steve Byrne at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.

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