FRACKVILLE — One local three-sport athlete didn’t have to worry about what sport he’d like to play in college — just what school he wanted to play for.
North Schuylkill’s Tevin Murray — a standout on the football field, basketball court and pitcher’s mound — had his heart set on furthering his baseball career at the NCAA Division I level.
Wednesday, Murray decided to do so at Rutgers University.
Murray committed to the Scarlet Knights despite interest from fellow Big Ten schools Penn State and Maryland, as well as Saint Joseph’s and James Madison. He said in a phone interview Wednesday night that his final decision came down to Rutgers and Saint Joseph’s.
“The coaches were awesome and they were really good to me,” Murray said as he explained why he felt Rutgers offered the best fit for him. “I felt at home there. I felt really good. I liked the campus, I liked the athletic facilities and their business school is great.”
Murray, who plans to study business, added that he likes the program the Knights are building. They went 19-35-1 overall and 7-17 in the Big Ten in 2015, their first season in the conference.
Murray makes his decision several months removed from a solid year of baseball. He went 4-3 on the mound with a 2.90 ERA, striking out 41 and walking 18 in 41 innings.
At the plate, he batted .352 with 20 RBs and 17 runs as North Schuylkill reached the District 11 Class AA championship game for the first time in school history before losing to Schuylkill Haven.
Following the Spartans’ 16-7 season, Murray played in the Big 26 Baseball Classic in Harrisburg for the second straight summer.
The lefty said he also received some interest in football. A wide receiver, the 6-foot-6 Murray hauled in 40 catches for 795 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior last year in the Spartans’ 11-1 season.
But Murray said he’s always had a passion for baseball, going back to when he could first walk and had a baseball in his hand.
“That was really my sport since I was young,” Murray said. “I played all three, but baseball and pitching — there’s nothing like it.
“You’re out there on the mound by yourself, and that’s a great feeling. You’re in control of the game.”
Murray plans on playing his final season of basketball before rounding out his Spartans career on the mound. He said it hasn’t quite registered that he’ll be playing his final seasons of football and basketball.
“I’m sure it will. It’s going to be tough,” Murray said. “I’m just trying to make the most of it.”
Once spring comes back around, Murray can expect to feel even more comfortable on the mound.
He described getting his college decision out of the way a “huge stress reliever” and a weight off his shoulder. With the future out of the way, Murray can focus on what he listed as his goals in all three sports: league and District 11 championships.