BUTLER TWP — Brady Gavula and Braden Marcellus are nearing their final go-rounds with Butler's baseball team. Both will do so without worrying where they'll be headed afterward.

Recently, Gavula signed on to continue his career at Patrick & Henry Community College, while Marcellus pledged to join Mt. Aloysius College.Mainly a third baseman for the Golden Tornado, Gavula made the varsity team as a sophomore, but hadn't garnered much attention from teams at the next level until he messaged Patriot coach Brandon Nania on Twitter in November.He visited the junior college, in Martinsville, Virginia, a week later and committed the day after.“They're a powerhouse,” Gavula said. “I know they're very big on the development and getting you to the next step.”Weighing around 170 pounds, Gavula wants to bulk up while facing stiffer competition. He hopes to use his time at PHCC as a stepping stone to another program.“He understands that it's a process,” said Butler coach Josh Forbes, who is heading into his third year at the helm and his fifth with the team overall. “I think it's a really good fit for him, just being able to showcase his talents and continue to put on weight and grow.”Gavula has a good swing that will hopefully lead to more long balls this spring. Forbes expects him to learn a lot and contribute offensively with the Patriots.“The dude can just hit,” Forbes said. “He flat-out works at his craft.”The Patriots reached the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) World Series last year. The group rounded out with a 43-17 record and went 28-2 in its home confines.“(He's) definitely going to a good program there,” Forbes said.

Marcellus was listed on Butler's junior varsity team a year ago, but spent most of the campaign as a role player on varsity. He can fill in behind the plate as well as at the corners.Mt. Aloysius, a Division II school in Cresson, Pa., plays in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference. The baseball team began recruiting Marcellus toward the start of this past summer season, when he took part in a tournament in Altoona. Up until that point, he planned on moving on to play at Pitt-Bradford.“That was probably the best baseball I played in the three games we had that day,” Marcellus said of his performance as his soon-to-be coaches watched.The college's mix of old-school classroom buildings and modern residence halls and facilities impressed Marcellus. He wanted to be part of the team and what he called a rebuilding process.His older brother, Shawn, also a Butler grad, pitches for La Roche College, a team in the same conference as the Mounties.Marcellus, who Forbes describes as being a team player and doing whatever is asked of him, has made strides offensively with hitting to the gaps. He'll major in history and secondary education.“He's one of the guys you just have to have on your team to have a successful team,” Forbes said. “Being a great teammate is going to go a long way. Whenever he gets an opportunity and he flourishes, he might not ever look back.”Mt. Aloysius has gone 51-32 over the past three seasons, including a 23-11 mark in league play.In the past half-decade, Butler's program has now helped 20 players reach the next level.“At the end of the day, we have kids that are going off to play college baseball and they might not even play very much varsity,” Forbes said. “That just tells you how deep the program actually is.”

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