Year at junior college helps CV grad Gulakowski get back on track to Division I baseball

In order to move his baseball pursuits forward, Brady Gulakowski took a step backward.

Gulakowski, a catcher, went to play at N.C. State after helping Chartiers Valley win its first WPIAL title as a senior. But playing time at an ACC school can be hard to come by, and Gulakowski found his path blocked by three other catchers.

After taking a redshirt his first season then appearing in only five games for the Wolfpack in 2018, Gulakowski decided to transfer.

“I loved it (at N.C. State). I had a great relationship with everyone there,” he said, adding he still talks to some of his former teammates regularly. “At the end of the day, it was about getting on the field.”

He will get another crack at Division I baseball next season when he dons a uniform for Liberty. But in between his D-I gigs, he made a pit stop at Polk State College in Florida.

While a junior college might have been a step back in prestige and competition, the year there proved to be invaluable to Gulakowski’s development.

There he found a perfect coach in Al Corbeil. Like Gulakowski, Corbeil was a catcher during his playing days and a left-hander. Most importantly, he had pro experience, spending seven seasons in the minors after being drafted in the 16th round by the L.A. Angels in 2001.

“He had a really good year for us,” Corbeil said. “I think the more he plays, the better he’s going to get. I think he developed quite a bit just playing every day.”

Added Gulakowski: “I would definitely say the reps were huge. Catching every game and getting four or five at-bats every game … just being on the field was awesome and definitely helped me.”

Gulakowski hit .293 with seven homers and a team-best 35 RBIs, earning second-team all-state honors from the Florida College System Activities Association. He produced those numbers while playing against what he called “great” competition, facing many players like himself who were Division I transfers.

Moreover, he excelled despite playing much of the season on a sore hamstring.

The injury mostly affected his hitting as he was unable to push off his back leg with full force. His defense, however, was solid. Gulakowski made only one error, and Corbeil called him a “pro-caliber defender.”

“I thought he was going to get drafted,” Corbeil said. “I was pretty surprised that he didn’t get picked up. But I think that’s going to happen for him.

“I don’t know what his true numbers could have been if he was healthy. He showed some toughness and grit playing through it.”

Gulakowski hopes to show off his full arsenal at Liberty. He already will have a level of comfort with Flames coach Scott Jackson, who was North Carolina’s recruiting coordinator when the Tar Heels were trying to woo Gulakowski to Chapel Hill.

He will head to the Lynchburg, Va., campus next month to start a class as well as begin working out for baseball. He is eager to try to prove himself at the highest level again.

“I feel like I’m a pretty big believer in everything happens for a reason,” he said. “Making the decision to leave (N.C. State) and go to Polk was the best decision I’ve made to this point. That’s where I kind of made a jump.

“I’m definitely going in confident. I’m ready to work and get after it and get on the field and put some numbers up and win some ballgames.”