Auburn Riverside senior Michael Rucker will sign a national letter of intent Wednesday to attend and play baseball at Gonzaga University, according to his father, Jeff Rucker.

“We’re all pretty excited about it,” Jeff Rucker said.

Rucker chose the Zags over Seattle University and Brigham Young.

A 3.95 student who participates in the Running Start program at Green River Community College, Rucker plans to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering at Gonzaga.

Rucker was an all-State 4A pitcher last year and represented the Kansas City Royals in the Area Code Games last summer at Long Beach, Calif.

As the staff’s ace, Rucker led the Ravens to the 4A state playoffs last spring. He was 8-2 overall, 6-1 in South Puget Sound League North play, where he had a 1.17 ERA with 63 strikeouts in 48 innings pitched.

Under the tutelage of pitching coach Scott Kelly, formerly with St. Martin’s, the 6-foot, 180-pound Rucker commands a solid fastball – clocked in the low 90s – sharp slider and good change-up.