Long before his son, junior outfielder Danny Gavin, ever stepped into the batter’s box at Butler, Mike Gavin’s path to Indianapolis was anything but certain.
Growing up in Iowa City in the 1990s, Butler was not nearly the nationally recognized brand it is today. In fact, when Mike told people where he was going, they were often confused.
“When I told people I was going to Butler, they kept thinking I was going to Bradley,” Mike said. “Obviously, this was pre-Brad Stevens, pre-Final Four.”
Mike found his way to Butler through a chance connection in the first place.
In 1995, a small baseball recruiting organization called Perfect Game USA was formed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, creating wood-bat summer leagues designed to bring exposure to young players from Iowa. What started as a regional opportunity has since grown into one of the most influential pipelines in modern baseball, assisting in over 6,000 college commits yearly.
For Mike, it was the right place at the right time.
“There was an assistant coach from Butler that came through and scouted some of those early wood-bat league games,” Mike said. “[He] saw me and reached out. I was really lucky. From there, I went and looked at [Butler], everything felt right and I was appreciative of the opportunity.”
That opportunity was enough. Mike joined the program and became part of a Butler team that found success in the Horizon League — then the Midwestern Collegiate Conference (MCC) — learning under head coach Steve Farley and alongside future professional talent.
In Mike’s junior year in 2000, Butler won its second MCC title in program history, with a 4-2 win over UIC. This win secured the first NCAA tournament berth in program history.
More than 20 years later, another Gavin found his way to Butler.
For Danny, playing at Butler had always been the goal.
Also growing up in Iowa City, he followed the program from afar — catching any games he could, making trips to campus and imagining what it would be like to wear the same uniform his father once did.
“When I was little, like seven years old, [my cousin] asked me, ‘Where do you want to play baseball in college?’” Danny said. “I remember telling him I want to play at Butler.”
However, unlike his father’s straightforward recruiting journey, Danny’s path took a detour.
After he was a three-sport athlete in high school — football, wrestling and baseball — Danny followed baseball to college. The lefty began his college career at the Division III (D-III) level, playing for Gustavus Adolphus College (GAC) in St. Peter, Minnesota.
Danny found resounding success at GAC, developing into a consistent hitter and proving he could produce at a high level. As a sophomore, he hit for a .413 average, getting on base in over half of his at-bats and clubbing six home runs. The lefty was also spotless in the outfield to the tune of a 1.000 fielding percentage with 75 putouts.
Danny’s success at the top of GAC’s lineup helped spearhead the program’s best season in school history. The Gusties finished with a 37-9 record — 17-3 mark in conference — taking home both the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) regular season and tournament title. In the MIAC championship game vs. Bethel, Danny smacked an important three-run double in the fifth inning to give the Gusties a 9-3 lead in a game they would go on to win 11-9.
The win sent GAC to its first NCAA tournament in program history, where the Gusties later fell to the University of Chicago to end their season.
Despite the numbers and the accolades, a question still lingered in the back of Danny’s mind.
“I think there was just something that he wanted to know,” Mike said. “Could he play at [the Division I (D-I)] level?”
That question led Danny to the transfer portal, a process that brought uncertainty, pressure and at times, doubt.
“It was a little nerve-wracking,” Mike said. “If he went back [to GAC], that would’ve been great too. One thing about Danny is that he is always working, wanting to maximize his potential.”
After an up-and-down summer in the Prospect League, Danny was set on returning to Minnesota for his junior year with the Gusties. Not long after, however, the opportunity he had been waiting for finally came.
Butler was looking for an outfielder and a left-handed bat. Danny did not hesitate.
“Once I got on campus and talked to all the coaches, I just knew [Butler] was where I wanted to be,” Danny said. “I always wanted to go to Butler. It was pretty surreal.”
Now, that lifelong goal is a reality, and Danny is making the most of it.
Through the early part of the 2026 season, he has emerged as one of Butler’s most reliable bats. Now, 36 games in, he leads the team in walks while posting a tremendous .435 on-base percentage. His approach at the plate — patient, disciplined and confident — has translated seamlessly to the D-I level.
Head coach Blake Beemer sings his praises more than anyone.
“He’s a patient hitter,” Beemer said. He’s not afraid to get the two strikes. He thinks he knows his [strike] zone better than the umpire, as I think most of his strikeouts seem to be looking, and sometimes he’s right.”
For Danny, the adjustment has not been changing who he is as a player; it has been refining it.
“I kind of built it up in my head what the adjustment was going to be like,” Danny said. “You get surrounded by such good players that your [skill] level kind of raises itself. It’s just attention to detail.”
Whether in the starting lineup or coming off the bench, Danny has embraced his role, delivering quality at-bats and finding ways to contribute in key moments.
These key moments have come recently, and Danny has delivered.
In the Dawgs’ home opener on April 7, the lefty pinch-hit in a game that Butler was trailing 10-2. Danny drew a walk and later scored in a seven-run inning.
The junior later came to the plate with the bases loaded in the seventh inning, now trailing 12-9. He got a fastball over the middle of the plate and sent it beyond the wall in left-center field for a go-ahead grand slam. Danny’s swing was the difference in a 14-12 Butler win over Southern Indiana.
Three days later, the lefty would pinch hit in another important spot. Trailing UConn 4-2 in the ninth, Danny came up to the plate, once again in high leverage. Ahead 2-0 in the count, he clubbed a ball to right field, just missing the scoreboard and tying the game at four. The “Junkyard Dawgs” went on to win 5-4, and twice in one week, the D-III transfer from Iowa City was the difference.
Danny Gavin swings and crushes the game-tying home run against UConn on April 10. Photo by Drew Kosmak.
Even now, more than halfway through the season, the moment still has not quite sunk in.
“It still kind of gets me,” Danny said. “I walk [through] campus every day. I’ll walk by the Sellick Bowl, and every time I see the Butler logo, I can’t believe I’m playing here.”
That love for Butler makes him a guy any teammate or coach would have in the clubhouse.
“He cares for Butler at a high level,” Beemer said. “Obviously, it’s in his blood. He’s got a good temperament. He leads. He is everything you’d want in a clubhouse guy.”
For his father, watching it all unfold adds a new layer to a place that already meant so much.
“It means a lot,” Mike said. “It’s a dream come true for him, and for me too.”