With one phone call, years of long bullpens, early mornings, and summer nights under the lights can all pay off. That call came for pitcher Mikey Fekete (‘27), who has announced his verbal commitment to play baseball at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, also known as Virginia Tech. 

Playing Division I baseball has always been a dream of Fekete’s, but he knew it would not come easy, demanding countless hours of work beyond high school ball. For the past four years, he has competed with Ghost National Mocha, one of the top 20 teams in the country, allowing him to face some of the best talent in his age group and sharpen his skills into those of an elite pitcher.

Fekete threw 47.2 Innings Pitched (IP) for Cherry Hill High School East this past season, while only giving up 16 Earned Runs (ER), striking out 62 batters, and maintaining a 2.35 Earned Run Average (ERA). In addition to this, Fekete picked up his 100th career strikeout early on in his high school career, as a sophomore. 

“Mike has always been a great talent and even a better teammate, and having him together through these two years and going for our junior and senior years has been awesome,” said one of his teammates, Dillon Haddock (‘27). 

Choosing the right school was about more than just baseball, and when it came down to making a decision, there was only one school that fit all of the criteria. 

“The reason I chose Virginia Tech was because of the amazing coaching staff and facilities. Right when I got down there for my official visit, I knew it was the one,” said Fekete. 

For months, the pressure of making the right choice hung over him, but now that he is officially a “Hokie”, Fekete feels great to have that pressure lifted off his shoulders. 

“It feels great to be committed, but there is still so much work to be done; the job is not finished yet,” said Fekete. 

Playing baseball at such a high level doesn’t come easy, physically or mentally. Between so many late nights in the batting cages and long days running poles during practice in the blazing heat, there are things only a ballplayer truly understands. Every part of the journey has been worth it and now that grind has turned into an opportunity to pitch in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). 

“It’s honestly amazing. All the hard work I’ve put in since I was young is finally starting to show. Now I gotta continue to work hard to get even better,” said Fekete.