Where did you grow up / born?
Raised in Powder Springs, GA. Born in Lafayette, LA
At what age did you start playing baseball?
I believe it was 4 years old for tee ball.
What positions did you play growing up?
I played all over. I never got caught up in what position as I just cared about being on the field. I played mostly C, SS, 3B, CF, and P before I was in high school.
What lead you to your primary position?
I was a short stop mainly in high school. It was my most natural position and I really enjoyed that position. I also pitched a lot toward the end of my high school career. In college I moved to 3B mainly but was still a utility player. I spent the last two years at UGA as a pitcher only in the bullpen. It was eventually what got me drafted and the opportunity to play professional baseball.
Where did you play summer baseball in high school?
I always played for my high school team as I believed in keeping a strong team unification. We won 3 region championships and made it to the Final 8 and I attributed those winning years to spring and summer ball. I would supplement extra summer games at East Cobb as well. I played football so my summer’s were usually very busy.
What was your favorite amateur memory?
Two fathers started our travel ball team from scratch when I was 11 years old. Travel ball was fairly new, especially in Powder Springs, so we had to build it over the years. Our final record was 326-17 from the time we were 11 to age 14. We won 10 state titles, 1 World Series, and countless tournaments. We had 9 college baseball players and 4 players drafted off of that youth team. Needless to say, the Powder Springs Diamondbacks was a fantastic program and truly set me up for insurmountable success in the future.
Who were the top schools recruiting you to play in college?
My final 5 college programs that I was choosing from included: Vanderbilt, Dartmouth, Davidson, Mississippi State, and UGA
What made you pick your school?
I went to Athens for my visit and committed that Sunday. I had already visited everywhere else and UGA was a late addition to the recruitment. There was no question, and still isn’t, that I was to be a Dawg for the rest of my life.
Where did you play summer ball in college?
I played in the Valley League my freshman season and played in the esteemed Cape Cod League my Junior year. I was an All Star and a Top 30 Prospect in the Cape that year which was some of the best baseball I ever played personally. I closed for the Brewster Whitecaps and pitched my first 14 innings without giving up a hit or run all while racking up 8 saves.
What was your favorite collegiate memory?
College World Series visits for sure. I was not only fortunate enough to go my freshman year (2004) but I got to go back my Junior season (2006). Omaha is one of the best cities in the US and when they host this tournament the service is 5 Star across the board. It’s indescribable the type of treatment you receive. Winning the 2004 SEC Championship is a close second to the Omaha visits in my opinion.
Who drafted you?
I was drafted in the 19th Round by the San Diego Padres. Danny Payne and Wynn Pelzer (both GBA Instructors) were in my draft class and we all played together. This is where we dreamed up the idea for Georgia Baseball Academy.
What was your favorite professional memory?
I got to close my first game in pro ball at Spokane, WA. They had about 6,000 people there and I was pretty nervous. I ended up getting the save and we won. It was a good game and a good start to my career.
Why did you choose to pursue baseball instruction as a career?
This business is all about offering services to the youth of today that we were not afforded to us when we were growing up. Our staff here is second to none in the country. We have a good view and understanding of what it takes to not only make it to college but also make it to the professional ranks as every single one of us made it that far. Our main focus is to advise families on making the correct decisions throughout a young person’s career all the while providing professional instruction to not only up their success but also instill the right work ethic standards they will need in order to succeed. The game is ever changing from a market standpoint but the rules do not change year to year. We have a great deal of experience (thousands of games each) to pull from in order to get the correct information to our customers. Our goal is to be a complete one stop shop for your son’s baseball career. Starting 6 months ago and growing from zero people through the door to over 250 last month alone in that short of a time period shows that our product is top notch. The bigger we get the better we will become. We scour the competition all the time to figure out what is working and what is not. There is not one formula that works in business and we approach our business the same way. What is best for your child may not be what is best for someone else’s child. At the end of the day we want to help every single child out there reach their utmost potential. If we can accomplish this then we have not only succeeded but quite possibly have changed/saved some lives. We take every day seriously and every relationship means the world to us. We are always striving to the best instructional facility in all of Georgia.
Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamMcDaniel22