Congrats on your new commitment! What is it about Depauw that excites you the most?
Aside from the countless academic opportunities that Depauw will provide me with, I think what excited me the most about Depauw is the coaching staff. Having a head coach with Vanderbilt experience in Coach Allen is tough to beat. It will definitely be a great experience being able to play under him and the rest of the coaching staff with all the knowledge they have to offer. Also being able to play with my high school teammates in Mac Neal and Drew Mullarkey again will be very exciting.
You have spent your entire high school career with Top Tier. Talk a little bit about your experience.
Top Tier definitely brought out the best in me when it came to baseball. Every coach and instructor taught me something different every time I was at the MAX with them or at a tournament. They pushed me to be the best baseball player I could be. With their knowledge and experience I was able to learn and grow as a player and as a person. Whenever I needed anything whether it be extra reps in the cages to fix and adjust my swing or an extra bucket of ground balls, there was always a coach willing to help me and teach me. They also gave me countless opportunities to play in front of college and pro scouts whether it be at tournaments or showcases. They did whatever needed to get done in order for me to live out my dream and play college baseball.
Talk a little bit about the recruiting process and how everything went down.
My recruiting process was definitely stressful but was no doubt a great learning experience. I loved getting to know a lot of coaches and see a lot of programs and what they have to offer. Top Tier also helped me a lot in contacting schools for me as well as putting me in situations to showcase myself in front of hundreds of scouts throughout the years. It was a bit longer than I expected, but when it comes to deciding on a college it was definitely better for me to take my time in order to make the right decision and not rush it. At the end of the day, it was a family decision for me, and every coach was understanding and did not rush my decision at all which took a lot of stress off of me, allowing me to make the right decision on where I will be going in the fall.
What were some of the priorities you looked at when deciding where to commit?
Academics came first when it came to deciding where I was going to go in the fall. Depauw has a great academic reputation, especially for what I am choosing to study. I know it will create opportunities for me to be successful throughout my career after my baseball is over. It is unfortunate that you can’t play baseball for your whole life, so I wanted a school that would give me the most opportunities to become successful in whatever I choose to do in the future. After my 4 years at Depauw I will be able to spend 1 year at Indiana University to study at the Kelley School of Business, which is something you cannot find anywhere else. Depauw’s partnership with the Kelley Business School was a big factor in where I wanted to go next year.
What challenges do you see ahead of you before you get to campus?
One challenge definitely has to be figuring out how to make an immediate impact and how I am going to set myself up to have the most success playing baseball at Depauw. I hope to prove myself to the rest of my teammates as well as my coaches that they can rely on me to get it done on the field, so in order to do that I have to get better throughout the spring with my high school and during the summer with Top Tier.
What are some of the goals you have set for yourself as a college baseball player?
Throughout my college career I want to make a lasting impact at Depauw so that when my 4 years of playing college baseball are done, I will leave a legacy at Depauw. Whether it be being a great teammate, getting it done on the field, at the plate, or simply doing the little things to help my team win, my goal is to make an impact on the baseball program to bring it to the next level. My goal is to bring more success to an already successful program so that we can do something special.
Is there anybody you would like to give a shout-out or thanks to?
First and foremost, my parents helped me a lot throughout my baseball career and recruiting process so I definitely could not have gone through this experience without them. Secondly, Top Tier has molded me into the player I am today which has given me the opportunity to play baseball at the next level. Special thank you to coach Matt Plante who also helped me through this process and was always there when I had questions or concerns on anything whether it be about baseball or recruiting. I would be a completely different player and person if it weren’t for my family and my coaches.
