Most high school baseball players
hear from many different sources of
what to expect or anticipate when
they get to college to play baseball.
This will be a series of interviews
with actual players who are there
now. JUCO players who have
moved on to 4 year schools, NCAA
DI players who have transferred,
players who have been with one
school and everything in between.
This is in their words, decisions why
and what they experienced so future
players can get a clearer picture of
what to expect.
Q: What was your biggest challenge
during your college search while in
high school?
A: For me, I wasn't in a position, skill wise,
to realistically look for a school where I
could play right off the bat. Physically, I
developed very late, so to me, it was
about finding somewhere that would allow
me to continue my development as a
baseball player. With that being said, most
schools aren't necessarily looking for
someone who can't benefit there team
from day one.
Q: Why did you choose to go to Tyler a
JUCO school vs. a four year school?
A: Again, I wasn't ready to compete at the
four year school level. I knew that by going
to a JUCO I would be able to still fulfill my
dream of playing D1 baseball, and it would
just be a different route to get there. JUCO
allows you to get playing time, develop, and
gives you the freedom to transfer anywhere
after a year or two, which was exactly what I
was looking for.
Q: You were “Redshirted” your first
year. Some players would be
disappointed. How did you handle
that?
A: Redshirting was the best thing that has
ever happened to me. Being able to
physically and mentally develop for
a whole year without it costing me a year
of eligibility was the perfect scenario for
me. I knew I wasn't going to get the
playing time I wanted, so instead of
basically wasting a year of eligibility, I took
that year and worked as hard as I could
and learned as much as I could.
Q: To follow up to question #3. Do you
believe “Redshirting” last year allowed
you to be the dominate pitcher you
were this year?