Ankeny Centennial pitcher and infielder Elijah Starr has committed to play baseball next year at Lake Land College in Mattoon, Ill.
Starr picked the Lakers after looking at a variety of schools.
“It was most definitely a tough decision,” said Starr. “I had my decision narrowed down to Lake Land, Dodge City in Kansas, and Dakota County in Minnesota. All three are high-level baseball programs and places that have a reputation of really developing players. Ultimately, I chose Lake Land because of their facilities, coaching staff, and the current players were guys I could see myself being teammates with.”
Starr helped the Jaguars to a 24-14 record last season. He played in 25 games with 16 starts.
On the mound, Starr posted a 1-4 record with a 4.29 ERA. He also batted .235 with two doubles and five RBIs.
The Lakers are coming off a 45-21 season.
“Coach Julio (Godinez) and his staff have done some really impressive things in his six years there,” Starr said. “Last year, Lake Land made it to the JUCO World Series and finished as a top-four team in the whole country. To me that speaks to how good of a coach he is, the kind of program he’s made, and the type of players he’s developing.
“All in all, Lake Land feels like the right place and the school that can help me reach my goals,” he added.
