EMERSON,
Ga. – While most high school baseball players are recovering from
the wear and tear that the end of spring season brings, Alec Creel is
feeling as good as new, training for a very important summer of
baseball. Creel, a native of Wake Forest, N.C., is home-schooled, and
did not play high school baseball this spring, but that has not
impeded his ability to follow his dreams and play Division I
baseball.
“A
lot of what went into my decision to not play in my high school
league has to do with how much more time I get to really hone my
skills,” said Creel on Saturday at the 2015 National Academic
Showcase at the Perfect Game Park South fields at LakePoint Sports.
“Being home-schooled, I have a lot more flexibility in my schedule
to train and focus on bettering myself.”
Despite
hailing from a town that is the home to an ACC university, Creel has decided to take his talents to the Lone Star State; just weeks ago, he announced his commitment to Big 12 power, Texas Christian
University. TCU is serving as a Regional host this weekend and a top eight national seed, but for now Creel is just looking to build his brand on the fields at LakePoint.
Some
would be a bit wary about going from being home-schooled to attending
a big university like TCU, but Creel is not sweating it. He is
already taking a couple of college courses to get ahead and give him
an idea of what to expect when he arrives on campus; just another
example of how preparation is something that Creel values on and off
the field.
TCU
was not the only one looking to put Creel on their roster; he also
received a great deal of attention from some of the top academic
schools in the country. With an ACT score of 33 and a high-80s
fastball, the possibilities are almost endless.
“I gave Tulane a lot of consideration. I
was also looking at Stanford, Duke and a lot of different Ivy League
schools, but I chose TCU because I feel like they play the highest
level of baseball”, said Creel. “Their coaching staff is amazing,
and there are a good amount of former TCU players that are in the
bigs now. Having the opportunity to wear the same uniform that those
guys wore is an honor.”
Creel
has had past involvement in Perfect Game events, having played with
the EvoShield Canes 16u team and competing in a few tournaments, but
this summer he is playing with the Virginia Cardinals. The EvoShield
Canes are a well known club throughout the nation, but the Virginia
Cardinals are no slackers. The Cardinals won the WWBA Underclass
World Championship in 2014, and Creel hopes to help add on to the
success with his pitching prowess.
Even
though he is looking forward to the summer, Creel is completely
focused on performing his best at this weekend’s National Academic
showcase.
“This
morning’s workouts went really well, but I’m pretty pumped to get
on the mound and pitch in a game situation this afternoon,” said
Creel in between the event's workouts and his scheduled pitching
appearance later in the day. “Even though I have already made my
decision regarding where I’m going to play college ball at and I’m
not fighting for a scholarship offer like some of the guys out here,
the critique and evaluation that these showcases provide are top
notch. I feel like reading over what I specifically did or didn’t
do well is very important to me in terms of improving as a player.”
Alec has not been alone in the recruiting process; his father has been
there with him every step of the way. Creel’s father, Craig, knows a
thing or two about the game of baseball, having played at Arizona
State, and he tries to impart as much wisdom as he can to his
talented his son.
“It’s
been very interesting to watch Alec progress,” Craig Creel said.
“Things are a lot different compared to when I played. The
recruiting process is starting younger and younger, and the exposure
that these kids receive when they come to showcases like this is
pretty special.
“A
lot of parents these days are really tough on their kid and put a lot
of pressure on them to do well, and that causes them to eventually
burn out. Its suppose to be fun, so I’ve always told Alec to just
go out there, play hard, and have a good time. You only get to play
this game for so long, and I am really proud to see that he will be
continuing his playing days.”
Alec Creel is a part of over 350 ballplayers that have attended the
National Academic Showcase and attained a college commitment. This
showcase is the perfect opportunity for the sharpest and brightest
players to impress recruiters and scouts in hopes of receiving that
coveted scholarship offer and further their baseball careers. Not to
mention, 37 players that have attended this event in the past had
their names called by an MLB club at the draft.
Only
time will tell if Creel will join that exclusive group of ball
players, but there is a lot of work to be done, and he knows that.
Attending this event is just a part of the process of taking his game
to the next level, so for now Creel just plans to take it one step at
a time.
“Everybody
who is still playing at this age has the dream to play in the big
leagues,” said Creel. “I try not to get ahead of myself and just
focus on working as hard as I can each day.”