Auburn – The Beginning of a Dream
Auburn, NY was a very small town, known for having a Maximum security prison within the city, so moving from Orange County to Auburn, NY was quite the shock. I had tons of nervous energy, often thinking negative, and the reality if I really did belong here and realizing the different players I was around even though I had built up my mental toughness at Chapman. Even though I was nervous, I was so excited to be in professional baseball where I always thought I belonged — the only job I ever wanted.
We had to be at the field by 3 PM, games started at 7. Batting practice was at 4. Management didn’t give us curfews — we were professionals. If we didn’t perform, we’d be cut. Discipline had to come from within.
I spent a lot of time visualizing: thinking about hitters, visualizing my pitches, anticipating the outcome. I never wanted to fail because I didn’t prepare. Chapman had prepared me for the mental side of baseball and I often had to revisit how effective visualization could be.
Despite being a professional baseball player and thousands of miles away, my parents remained my rock. I called them every day. They always supported me, no matter what.
🧠 Mental Growth
I started to really understand the mental game. Thoughts, routines, consistency — those were the real tools. I talked with teammates, read books, and began building my own system.
🌆 Life in Auburn
While others rested, I walked, read, or trained. Still, by the end of the season I was burnt out. Playing 60+ games in college then rolling straight into 80+ more was brutal — but I kept pushing.
🔥 The Fire Within
This was my dream — my identity. Baseball was who I was. And now, it was real. I had to keep going, keep toughening my mind. There was no plan B.
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