Until recently, Ankeny senior Travis Gerstel wasn’t planning to continue his baseball career in college.
Now, the righthanded pitcher has committed to play for Ellsworth Community College.
“At the start of the season I wasn’t planning to go onto the next level,” said Gerstel. “It wasn’t until recently I had a conversation with my dad that changed my mind about a week or two ago. I decided to reach out to some of the Iowa jucos. I had some interest from multiple schools, but Ellsworth really made me feel like a valued player. My visit really made the decision easy for me as it already felt like home. I really liked how it felt like there was a close community as I met a lot of the staff.
“I could tell they all saw Ellsworth as a family,” he added.
Gerstel has helped the Hawks to a 14-19 record. He has appeared in five games with four starts, compiling a 2-2 mark with a 3.45 ERA.
Gerstel has recorded 12 strikeouts in 22 1/3 innings of work. He had four of those strikeouts on Tuesday, when he scattered seven hits across six innings to earn the win in a 6-3 victory over Southeast Polk.
Gerstel will be joined on the Ellsworth roster by fellow Ankeny pitcher Zach Halverson, who previously committed to the Panthers.
“Zach going to Ellsworth was definitely a factor,” Gerstel said. “It’ll be easier to adapt to a new town on my own when I have one of my best friends with me.”