nwitimes.com – James Boyd

Carter Doorn has been playing baseball since he was 3 years old, and on Wednesday he reached a milestone that once seemed like a fantasy.

On the first day of the NCAA’s early signing period, Lake Central’s standout right-handed pitcher signed his National Letter of Intent to continue his career at Purdue. Doorn verbally committed to the Boilermakers when he was a sophomore and was thrilled to finally make it official.

“Committing as a sophomore was surreal to me,” Doorn said. “At the time, I was just looking to be a better baseball player. Getting the chance to play baseball at a Big Ten school, I was ecstatic. It’s just a blessing to have this opportunity and to know where I wanted to go from such a young age.”

Doorn transferred from Illiana Christian to Lake Central after his sophomore year, and due to the coronavirus pandemic he has yet to suit up for the Indians. The IHSAA canceled spring sports April 2 because COVID-19, but competition did resume this fall.

After missing out on his junior campaign, Doorn is excited to see what Lake Central is capable of in the spring of 2021. The team graduated a strong class, highlighted by ace and Dayton recruit Brock Begesha. In his absence, Doorn will most likely take over as the Indians’ No. 1 pitcher.

Lake Central coach Mike Swartzentruber said he was extremely proud of Doorn signing with Purdue and commended the senior for being a tireless worker. Now, Swartzentruber just wants to be in the right dugout when Doorn takes the mound.

“Unfortunately, we haven’t got to see him in a high school game, but I did get to see him pitch this summer. We have our own summer team here at Lake Central, and he was dominant when he pitched against us,” Swartzentruber said with a laugh. “That’s really the only time I’ve seen him pitch and it was against us, so that kind of stunk.”

Valparaiso infielder Ty Gill will join Doorn at Purdue, while Gill’s teammate, pitcher Grant Comstock, heads to Northwestern. Both players, like Doorn, verbally committed as sophomores and inked their National Letters of Intent on Wednesday.

Vikings coach Todd Evans said Comstock and Gill showed flashes of their potential early on in their prep careers, and it’s only continued to reveal itself as they’ve grown older.

“For them to be able to compete on the varsity level as sophomores and as 16-year-old kids, I think that just goes to show you their talent level,” Evans said. “Grant is a big, tall, right-hander that throws in the upper 80s and touches 90. … Ty is an unbelievable middle infielder.”

Rounding out the Region’s Big Ten baseball signees Wednesday was Hanover Central outfielder Jared Comia. He made his commitment official with Illinois, following in the footsteps of his older cousin, Branden Comia, who is an infielder for the Illini.

Jared Comia, who verbally committed in July 2019, said his decision to attend Illinois was a no-brainer because of his cousin’s success across state lines. He added that the NCAA’s embargo on official visits due to the coronavirus pandemic did not affect him since he’s taken multiple trips to Urbana-Champaign in the past.https://e169ee260217382a88e4c17d677ab709.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html

“It’s crazy. When you’re a kid, you don’t think these things are possible. You just think they’re dreams,” Jared Comia said. “I’m glad that I have a chance to play Division-I baseball. … The biggest thing for me (in regards to Illinois) is that when you step on campus, it just feels like home.”

Wildcats coach Ryan Bridges, a 2007 Griffith alum, was an infielder at Purdue. He knows firsthand what it takes to play in the Big Ten and has no doubt that Comia will shine in college.

“Athletically, he is extremely gifted. You can put him in any sport, and I think he would excel,” Bridges said. “But on top of that, what sets him apart is his work ethic. He created this opportunity for himself by putting in a lot of work outside of what we do here at the high school.”