Congrats on your new commitment! What is it about Furman that excites you the most?

The thing that excites me most is both the family atmosphere that our coaches have created and the much warmer weather that I will get down in Greenville, SC.

You have been playing with Top Tier for the past couple of years. Tell us about your experience and what it means to wear the TT’s.

It was one of the best decisions of my life to put on the TT’s. Top Tier gave me an immense opportunity to play in front of schools that otherwise would not have seen me. They helped me also in seeing that getting me in front of the scouts is only half the battle. It’s my job to perform and be in the best shape to perform. Wearing the TT’s means you will go out every day and do your job. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. If you don’t, believe me, there is someone else on your tail that will.

Share one of your favorite Top Tier memories.

A memory that really sticks out is the championship game in the St. Louis Gamers tournament this past summer. We were in a big moment where we needed to get out of a jam. Man on third for the other team and they hit a ball to left field in the air. Ryan Thiese gets behind it, catches it and fires a one hop strike to Johnny Hernandez at home for a double play. I have never felt that kind of excitement ever before and it just gives me chills thinking about it. The whole team just went absolutely nuts too so that was great.

Talk a little bit about the recruiting process and how everything went down.

The recruiting process is a pretty simple one. Just play your game every day to the best of your abilities, and when the scouts show up, do not get nervous. Just keep doing what you do. For me, I had a unique situation where I took a gap year going into my senior year, so I fortunately basically had second chance at the heavier recruiting period which is the summer before your senior year. I worked my butt off during that year not in school and it showed. I had 3 HR leading the team in the summer and during a tournament in Westfield, IN is when Furman took notice of me. After my pace of play and my high energy on the bases and in the field, Furman was really interested and offered me my first offer shortly after. I visited Furman before our last tournament in Atlanta, GA and as soon as I stepped on campus and spoke with Coach Harbin, Harker, Davis, and Cox, I knew I was going there. About 3-4 days later I called Saint Louis University and explained how thankful I was for their offer and that I was going to commit to Furman. I then called Coach Harbin at Furman and committed. I nearly cried just thinking about all the hard work that had been put in for that moment right there.

What were some of the priorities you looked at when deciding where you wanted to commit?

I wanted to feel like I was at home, I wanted a place that wanted me as much as I wanted to go there, and I wanted a place that would develop me the most to help me make it to the MLB. Furman checked all of those boxes for me.

What challenges do you see ahead of you before you get to campus?

I just have to make sure I keep busy and get my work done. There isn’t always someone there telling me where to be and what to do. Just adapting to not having my parents there will be a big challenge.

What are some of the goals you have set for yourself as a college baseball player?

I want to, first, start as a freshman. Then, I want to be all-conference. After that, I want to be an all-American and be considered the best player in college baseball.

Is there anybody you would like to give a shout-out or thanks to?

I’d like the first thank my parents for always believing in me even when things weren’t going well. Through everything, they’ve been the ones always in my ear and pushing me to be the best I could be on the field and off of it. I’d like to thank Coach Joe Ferro for being my hitting and fielding coach since I was 6 years old and for teaching me so many things about the game. I’d like to thank my coaches at Top Tier such as a Coach Plante for giving me the opportunity on Top Tier Americans and helping me through the recruiting process. I also want to thank all the other coaches I’ve had along the way. Especially Coach Taylor, Hironimus, and Paquette from Lake County Lightning. Lastly, I’d like to thank my Abuelo for his unconditional love and just sheer joy in seeing his grandson play the game he loves with a passion that can only be described as Boricua!