Samuel Newland '24 Recruiting Profile

When I was in fourth grade I joined my first baseball team. At the time I played football, golf, soccer, and basketball. I was just trying out baseball.  I had never known the feeling of going one on one with a pitcher.  When facing the pitcher it’s like fighting in a war. Each pitch is a battle and each battle needs to be approached in a different way. Both sides are trying to win the war for there team. Once I experienced that, I started craving it. So it started to get really fun. I have loved it ever since. Somethings I work very hard on is having good body language. I try to treat the other teams with respect. If they don't treat me with that same respect then I try to use it to fuel my competitive attitude. Walter Payton once said that "If your good at something you will tell everyone. But if your great at something you don't have to tell anyone." That's something I live by. Walter Payton is somewhat of a hero to me. His favorite athlete was Pete Rose. He would often talk about how Pete Rose was not remembered for his skill but rather his hustle and work ethic. Walter Payton embodies what Pete Rose was. I want to embody what Payton was. In school AND in baseball. In baseball, I challenge myself to work harder every day so I can beat even the best of pitchers. School is also something that brings competitiveness out of me. I don't want to make any excuses and I'm learning to manage my time so I can be successful in both those areas. I like to think that have good tools in baseball. My fielding skills have improved  thanks  to good coaching. I make a lot of diving catches in the outfield. Through my speed and range, I get to a lot of balls that would otherwise fall for hits. My arm has been developed over the years and is now my best defensive trait. it is only getting stronger through weight lifting and flexibility training.  I was not always a natural hitter but I have worked my butt off to develop a swing that allows me to be successful at the plate by hitting the ball hard to all fields. Since I started working hard on it, hitting has become my best trait. I recently joined The Tier 1 17 U travel team as a sophomore and together I think we will be very successful.