2019 All-ACC Second Team
MLB Draft: Drafted in the 40th round by the Atlanta Braves (1190th overall) in 2017 but chose to attend Tech.
2019 (Sophomore): Played in 58 total games, starting the final 48 games of the season … Made first start at Miami (March 9) at designated hitter before starting in right field at Miami (March 10), where he would remain the rest of the year … Struggles early at the plate caused him to finish the season with a .257 batting average, while also racking up 47 hits, nine doubles, 12 home runs and 44 RBI … Finished with a .403 on-base percentage and was a perfect 6-for-6 on stolen bases … Ranked third on the team in RBI (44), slugging percentage (.503) and home runs (12), but most impressively finished second on the team in walks (46) behind ACC home run leader Kyle McCann (62) … Caught fire during ACC play, hitting a blistering .317 during 29 conference games … Just in league play, he racked up 32 hits, seven doubles, nine home runs (good for tied-fourth in the ACC) and 42 RBI (good for fourth in the ACC) for a slugging percentage of .653 (ranked fourth in ACC) and on-base percentage of .458 (ranked fifth in ACC) … Also finished as the only Jacket (and one of only 20 ACC players) with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage, recording 41 putouts and two assists … Recorded nine multi-hit games on the season and 10 multi-RBI games … In his best stretch of the season, finished with nine hits over three games (May 4 vs. Western Carolina-May 10 at Duke) … Went 4-for-4 against WCU (May 4) for a double, three RBI and four runs … Then hit a mammoth three-run homer against WCU (May 5) … Continued rolling when he went 4-for-5 at Duke (May 10) for a career-high six RBI, including two home runs and a double … Also blasted two home runs in a 2-for-4 day against Pitt (May 16), recording five RBI … Came alive in the eighth inning of the ACC Tournament semifinal against NC State (May 25), knocking a back-breaking two-RBI double down the right-field line to break a standstill and lead Tech to a 9-2 win and first ACC Championship Game berth since 2014 … Cemented his place in the lineup when he went 2-for-4 in the opening game at then-No. 4 and eventual College World Series team Louisville (March 22), including a mammoth two-out insurance home run in the top of the ninth to secure the 3-1 victory … Helped Tech clinch its first series at Louisville the next day (March 23) when he went 2-for-2, a home run and two RBI … Hit a home run in three-straight games (Clemson – April 27; Clemson – April 28; Western Carolina – May 3) … Hit .340 for the month of May.
2018 (Freshman): Played in 38 games for the Jackets on the year, making 16 starts … Saw time in right field and as the designated hitter … Hit .180 with four home runs, three doubles, 12 RBIs and eight runs scored … Made his collegiate debut in the season-opening win versus Minnesota (Feb. 16) … Had his first career base hit versus the Gophers (Feb. 16) … Posted his first career home run in a home win over UIC (March 4) … Also had a home run versus Miami (March 31), against Kennesaw State (April 18) and a walk-off 10th-inning home run versus Radford (May 5) … Recorded three multi-RBI games on the year with three RBIs in the 13-4 win over Miami (March 31), in a 17-7 home win versus Kennesaw State (April 18) and in the extra-inning walk-off win over Radford (May 5) … Had a season-high three base hits in the win over the Highlanders (May 5) … Also posted two base knocks versus the KSU Owls (April 18) … Had a season-high four-game hitting streak … Totaled 37 putouts and recorded an outfield assist versus Georgia State (April 11).
Before Tech: Drafted in the 2017 MLB First-Year Player Draft in the 40th round by the Atlanta Braves … A two-sport athlete at Norcross High School … Lettered for four years on the baseball team for head coach Reggie Stancil … Was a three-year letterwinner and quarterback on the football team … Ranked as high as the No. 6 outfielder and the No. 12 overall prospect in the state of Georgia for the class of 2017 by Perfect Game … Was also ranked as high as No. 31 nationally at the outfield position and as high as No. 140 overall for the class of 2017 by PG … Rated the No. 67 high school draft prospect by Baseball America … A 2017 Rawlings-Perfect Game third-team all-American … Also a 2017 PG southeast all-region first team selection … Named to the 2017 Georgia Dugout Class AAAAAAA all-state second team as a senior … Also a 2017 Gwinnett Daily Post all-county first team honoree … Was a 2016 all-state honorable mention selection and a 2016 Gwinnett Daily Post all-county second team selection as a junior … Two-time Under Armour preseason all-American nomination … Two-time team captain … Holds the Norcross High School record for most RBIs and most home runs in a single season … Also holds the career records for most RBIs and most home runs at Norcross … Was a key member of the Norcross team that won the regional title in 2016 … Also a member of the Ninth Inning Royals club team … Earned all-tournament team accolades at the 2016 17U PG Evoshield Classic, the 2016 17U BCS Finals, the 2016 17U WWBA Qualifier, the 2016 17U PG/EC Invitational and the 2016 18U Memorial Day at LakePoint event … Also named to the all-state football team in 2016 and 2017 … Holds the Norcross High School record for the most passing yards, most rushing yards by a quarterback and the most touchdowns thrown in a single season .. A member of the honor roll every year in school from K-12.
Personal: Has a younger sister … Has also lived in Columbus, Ohio and North Augusta, S.C. … Father, Vic, was drafted out of high school by the Kansas City Royals in the fourth round of the 1995 MLB Draft and played professionally for seven seasons … Mother, Nikki, was an all-Big Ten performer and three-year starter on the women’s basketball team at Ohio State University … Enjoys video games and hanging out with friends … Chose Tech to get the best education he can, to play for a top notch baseball program and to stay close to home … Intends to major in business administration.
