Lady Roo Basketball

Texas High School Coaches Association All-State

Perspective is everything. In 2014 I was an uncommitted senior with minimal D1 interest. Dave Nakama (head coach at San Jose State at the time) came out to watch me play. I went 0-fer and played a sloppy 3B. My worst game of the season, and I knew that any opportunity at SJSU was gone. Coach Naks called me after that game and told me he would be back out to see me again. It's baseball, "it happens", he said. 3 months later I accepted a scholarship offer from Coach Nakama to go play for my hometown team. Fast forward to 2017 - I was getting some draft buzz after coming off of 3 strong starts including Opening Day at UCLA in front of a crowd loaded with MLB scouts - they came for the guy I was starting against - Griffin Canning of the @Angels. 3 weeks later I started on the road against New Mexico and gave up 10 earned runs on 14 hits through 4 innings. My ERA quadrupled in an hour. A NorCal MLB scout called me that night and said, "It happens. On to the next one". He didn't have to do that. 4 months later I was drafted by the Cleveland Indians thanks to legendary scout Don Lyle. Perspective is everything. Coaches & scouts are looking for guys that can perform... no doubt. But more than that, they are looking for competitors who can separate from failure, reset, and continue to be difference makers. You are going to get your ass beat at some point in baseball, and in life. The way you handle the adversity is more significant than the ass beating itself.