On Tuesday, May 1, 2012, Wissahickon seniors Daniel Chou, Joe McGinley and J.T. Crits were recognized at a special news conference for signing letters of intent to play baseball at the collegiate level.
J.T. Crits – La Salle University (Baseball)
(To view an article that was previously posted on the web site about J.T.’s signing with La Salle, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/article/content/crits-play-baseball-la-salle
Daniel Chou – California Institute of Technology (Baseball)
Major: Biomedical or Chemical Engineering
Final list of colleges: Cal Tech, Johns Hopkins, Penn State
Reasons for choosing Cal Tech: “I visited Cal Tech during spring break, and the campus was beautiful, and its engineering program is so well-known.”
What was the progression that led you to playing collegiate baseball? “Over the summer last year, I got my first chance to be a pitcher, and I ended up taking my team to the regional playoffs, one game away from states. That’s when I realized I was good enough to play college baseball.”
Coach Shannon Gunby said: “Dan has been in our program for four years. He’s a kid who’s a hard worker, and he’s probably one of the most competitive players I’ve had in our baseball program. He’s just a real competitor out there, and he’s a complete team player. He would do anything the program needed on and off the field and was very versatile, focused and committed.
“We always talk about the legacy you’re going to leave to the program, and he’s a kid that definitely improved the quality of baseball at Wissahickon High School. He was a kid that had every facet of the high school experience – high academics, worked hard in the classroom and was just a great kid overall but also put a 100 percent maximum effort towards baseball. With that, he’s going to one of the best institutions in the country to play baseball.”
About Daniel:
Favorite food: PJ Houlihan’s Hot Honey Wings
Favorite movie: Gladiator
Favorite music: J.T. Crits and Stefan Del Conte
Joe McGinley – Ursinus College (Baseball)
Major: Business/Economics with a minor in Finance (Pre-law)
Final list of colleges: Ursinus, Dickinson, Gettysburg, Chestnut Hill
Reasons for choosing Ursinus: “The quality of education. They have a very strong writing program as well as a pre-law program. It was really the best choice to prepare me for the future.”
What was the progression that led you to playing collegiate baseball? “Very early in high school – I got some varsity time as a freshman, and I did all right. My brother played college baseball, so it was always a dream of mine, something I wanted to get done.”
Coach Shannon Gunby says: “Joe is one of those kids that during the offseason was always doing something to get better. Whether it be at a pickup basketball game, working out with the trainer or pitching coach, he was the kind of kid who was relentless in improving himself as a baseball player.
“He saw his brother Jack go off to play at Chestnut Hill College, and he had a goal that he wanted to do the same. He was very focused when it came to baseball, and he’s another high academic kid. He worked very hard in the classroom and did everything he needed to do. He’s another program kid that was an example for other kids to follow.
“Joe contributed very early on in our program two years ago. When we won our conference championship and made it to the district quarterfinals, Joe - as a sophomore - came into some very clutch games for us on the mound and shut down some teams, and that was very critical for us. You could tell then he had that competitive nature about him and the ability to go out there and be successful.”
About Joe:
Favorite food: ‘Whatever my mom cooks.’
Favorite movie: Anchorman
Favorite music: J.T. Crits and Stefan Del Conte
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