From a little kid giggling on a baseball diamond to staring down a batter at the plate, junior Blake Mayfield’s passion for his sport has not altered. When he began pitching at age nine, his dream started to form—his dream to go to college for baseball and maybe one day play professionally. Many little kids dream about making it far in the sport they love, but Mayfield’s determination has brought him one step closer.
After watching many of his teammates from his select team receive offers to play college baseball, junior Blake Mayfield felt as if his chances to live out his childhood dream were slipping away. He feared he was too small or didn’t throw hard enough. But as he played in bigger tournaments with his select team , his crowd of college recruits grew.
“They weren’t there to see me at first. But when recruiters came to see my teammates, they saw me too, and that got my name out there,” Mayfield said.
During the summer after his freshman year, Texas A&M invited Mayfield to their baseball camp. He thought it would be just another chance to grow as an athlete, but he had no idea what the A&M coaches had in store.
“It seemed just like any other college camp I had been to,” Mayfield said.
When the camp was over, Mayfield assumed he would continue to wait for a scholarship to play division one college baseball. From the beginning, he knew this was his dream but wasn’t sure if it would come true. However, Mayfield’s hard work and head coach Jeffrey Sherman were on his side.
Sherman knows the assistant coach at Texas A&M and had been sharing Mayfield’s accomplishments with him. His recommendations helped the coaches to remain interested in Mayfield, and so much so, that the Aggies decided to send him an offer—a full ride. When he got the notice, Mayfield felt like his life was starting to fall into place, and his dream became possible.
“He hadn’t even played a varsity game, and they thought he was good for them,” Sherman said.
Sherman has known Mayfield since he was in seventh grade and has watched him develop as an athlete and teammate. After winning nine games and losing two as a pitcher, in his sophomore season, Sherman has high hopes for Mayfield. He expects the young pitcher to play just as well, maybe even better, this season.
“I don’t think Blake is even close to where he’s going to be,” Sherman said.
Though other schools have recruited Mayfield, he is choosing to stay committed to Texas A&M. When he first received his offer, Mayfield wasn’t sure if he would commit. But because of the coaching staff and the amount of opportunities for academics and athletics, he decided accept the Aggies’ offer.
“I wasn’t too sure about going at first, but once I met the coaches and team, I was sure I wanted to go,” Mayfield said.
Mayfield has gone down to College Station to see some football and baseball games. Along with watching games, he’s even been able to work out with the team and participate in intrasquad scrimmages. Though Mayfield finds comfort in his secure path after graduation, he also acknowledges he must put hard work into every pitch he throws.
“It’s not a given, I still need to work hard and prove myself,” Mayfield said.
As Mayfield’s junior season is ramping up, he’ll be playing his second year at the varsity level. He looks forward to a great season with his friends and coaches. After making it to the fourth round of playoffs last season, he has high hopes for his team this year.
“I love playing here. Being on the team is one big brotherhood,” Mayfield said.
