Gausman feels great about Aflac game

Jim Ecker

Kevin Gausman lives in Centennial, Colo., about 30 minutes south of Denver. "It's kind of quiet," he said.

Things got a lot noisier in his household, however, when he was invited to play in the Aflac All-American High School Classic at PETCO Park in San Diego on Aug. 16.

"I was definitely surprised," he said. "I think I'm good enough to be in the game, but being out in Colorado, I didn't know if I'd get enough exposure to be nominated or be selected. It's great."

Gausman is a 6-foot-4, 180-pound right-handed pitcher from Grandview High School who can throw a baseball 97 mph. He also throws a good slider, curveball and changeup, but not a lot people knew it until he played in the Perfect Game National Showcase in Minneapolis in early June.

"That definitely opened a lot of eyes," he said. "Nobody really knew who I was until then."

Before the PG National Showcase, he'd been seen by Nebraska, Oregon and Oregon State at their camps. "That was pretty much it," he said.

Then came Minneapolis, which was heavily attended by college and pro scouts. He performed well, which led to his invitation to the Aflac game. And it also led to an avalanche of phone calls once college coaches could start calling 2010 recruits.

"July First was crazy for me," he said. "I never would have imagined some of the schools that called me. It's kind of a dream come true. Texas, LSU, Arkansas, Oregon State, Miami, Arizona State, Arizona. It's crazy.

"After Minneapolis, I was just bombarded with questionnaires," he said. "My dad kept every single letter that we got. He'd go, 'this says Texas on it.' Kind of crazy."

Gausman said he'll narrow the list to "four or five schools" and take his official visits this fall before making a decision. There's also the possibility of pro ball, of course, but he said he'll worry about that in the future. His brother, Brian, reached Double-A ball as a pitcher for the Kansas City Royals and could be a good source for advice.

Gausman has watched the Aflac All-American game on TV and is looking forward to the trip to San Diego.

"It's a definite honor," he said. "I think it's really cool how they send you out there. You kind of get rewarded for working hard all of the years."

Gausman enjoys the great outdoors in Colorado. He likes to snowboard and has gone skiing, and also likes to ride a mountain bike, hike, camp and fish. His brother works at a major resort in Vail, Colo., which makes it convenient.

"It's awesome up there," Gausman said. "I always make sure I go up there at least once during the summer."

And now that he's on everyone's radar screen, he's been able to relax a little on the baseball field.

"I think now that people have seen me, I don't really need to impress anyone," he said. "I just need to stay consistent."

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