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Jacobs senior Christian Graves was intrigued by conversations he had with Bradley’s baseball coaching staff last year.
The Braves’ coaches saw Graves ripping shots at a Prep Baseball Showcase in McCook and asked him to call. In December, he attended a camp at the university in Peoria.
But Graves wondered what happened when he had not heard from Bradley coach Elvis Dominguez or his assistants for several months.
“I figured they lost interest,” Graves said.
They definitely had not.
At one tournament for his GRB Rays team, Graves went 2 for 3 with a double and home run, and he received a text from the staff.
“I was like, ‘Here we go again,’ " Graves said. “I was interested in them from the start because it’s very good educationally. I like all their coaches a lot.”
When Graves visited the campus again in June, he was sold. He committed to Bradley last month and next year will join his Jacobs teammate Anthony Edge with the Braves.
Bradley has Graves, who was a Northwest Herald All-Area first-team selection, slotted as a corner infielder. He mainly played first base for the Golden Eagles, hitting .299 with six homers and 30 RBIs during his junior season.
Graves also worked as Jacobs closer, going 5 of 5 in save opportunities and striking out 44 batters in 27 2/3 innings. He had a 2.78 ERA. Graves, who is 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, wants to keep working on pitching and possibly keep that option open, although Bradley regards him as a hitter first.
“At that PBR Showcase (in 2021), we were doing live at-bats and facing pretty good pitching,” Graves said. “It was one of the best days hitting of my life. I was on the barrel constantly.”
Graves transferred from Marengo to Jacobs before his junior season and fit in well with his new team.
“Being a first-year guy in our program, a transfer, there’s pressure there,” Eagles coach Jamie Murray said. “They knew he was a talented player, but he earned the respect of his teammates and went even further. When they’re in the hallways, there’s always people around him. People gravitate toward him.
“Christian has a great body, he’s extremely hard-working, he’s coachable. He’s an incredible teammate.”
Graves has played with Edge, a pitcher-infielder, since they were 13 years old in travel baseball. He consulted with Edge, who committed to Bradley last summer, about the school.
“He gave me insight after he committed,” Graves said. “He knew they were interested in me. They saw him (in 2021) at the showcase I was at. He kind of said the coaching staff is knowledgable and has a desire to win and make something happen in the Missouri Valley.
“I thought if they contacted me again I would make a move there and it happened and here we go.”
Murray pitched at Bradley himself, and his wife Jamie, a Huntley graduate, played volleyball there.
“For me, having played at Bradley and having two players from your own roster to go to your alma mater, that’s pretty cool,” Murray said. “I never force players. They found it on their own, it just worked out for both of them to have that opportunity.
“Elvis is a fantastic coach. When I was playing at Bradley, he was an assistant at Creighton. They’re going to a great situation there with Elvis. He’s been around the game for a long time. And they want them. I tell the players, ‘Go to a place where you have an opportunity to compete, but where they show a lot of interest.’ "
Graves’ GBR Rays team this summer has seven players, including Edge, who have committed to D-I schools. He thanked everyone who helped him reach this level, starting with his parents, C.J. and Jennifer.
“They have put in so much time and effort and money into giving me the best opportunity to getting to where I want to be,” Graves said. “I would say hard work and determination. Love for the game. My dad coached me forever and always taught me to work harder than anyone around you.
“My friends as well. I’m always with my friends doing something baseball-related. They tell me I have something special to keep working. And obviously my coaches. I’ve been through many, many coaches and they all told me I have something special and keep working for it and you’ll get to where you want to be. I can’t thank everyone enough. I wouldn’t be where I am without them.”