How does it feel to make the Texas Collegiate League All-League team? That was a lot of fun. I was going in, I wanted to make the all-star team again. Up until the all-star break, I was kind of throwing well when it dawned on me that I was in the top two or three. Coming down to the wire, I got calls from the ladies running the league saying, “Yeah, you are in the hunt for pitcher of the year.” That’s when I really kicked it in, when I really wanted it. Not so much for me, but for Weatherford and Coach Lightfoot. He’d been really good to me over the last three years. And for the town and TCU. We had an awesome season, but I don’t feel we really got the recognition that I thought we should have had.
What is it like playing for your school and representing TCU?
It’s unreal, completely different than anything else. In Little League, you are pretty much playing for yourself and your parents. Last year was weird coming here. I had so much invested in Weatherford, I just kind of felt like a new fish in the pond. Coming back this year and losing to Oklahoma last year in the regional, we have so much we want to get done, and are relentless to get done this year. We are going to have most of our starters back pretty much. We want to get it done bad.
Why did you choose TCU when you transferred from Weatherford College?
Pretty much, I didn’t want to choose it by baseball-wise, I wanted to go for education, and I sat down and was like, “If my baseball career ended right now, what school would I like to go to?” Out of all the schools in Texas, TCU was pretty much right at the top of the list. I love Fort Worth, I love Weatherford and it’s 20 minutes from Weatherford. I wasn’t a real big fan of huge schools, and it just fit in perfectly.
When and why did you start playing baseball?
I started playing when I was about three. In Australia, there’s nothing else to do. Very little electricity, no TV. You can’t really do anything, so I just played sports. Out of all the sports, I just took a liking to baseball. I started playing that and never stopped.
Who is your baseball role model?
My role model has always been Bo Jackson. Growing up, I didn’t know what the NFL was. I didn’t know what Major League Baseball was until we came over here, but you always heard about the Oakland Raiders. From hearing about Raiders and how Bo Jackson was the superman of two sports, I always took a liking to him. I’ve read his autobiography probably close to 50 times. He has always fascinated me.
What has been your favorite playing moment?
Probably the conference championship. All of us last year expected to go a lot further than what we did. Coming here, I knew everyone on the team before I even played here. It just made it a real easy fit. All the guys, I really love every single one of them. It is good to accomplish this together.
How does it feel to strike out a batter?
It’s just a different feeling. Up until this year, I never really considered myself a pitcher. I came to college to play outfield and ended up being a pitcher. I had always just gotten up there and just let people get themselves out. Once I figured out how to command at least two pitches, you can pick a batter apart. You study his weaknesses while he is in the on-deck circle and, up in the box, you just pick him apart. You can throw anything you want and you know you are going to get him out. It is a whole new kind of confidence.
Where do you hope baseball takes you?
My plan is to pitch until my arm falls off. When that happens, I am ambidextrous so I can throw right-handed, too, and do softball after that, throwing right-handed. If I had to have Tommy John (surgery) on my right arm, I would give it up and get a real job. But I am going to try to play baseball and softball until I can’t throw or can’t walk anymore.
