Dillon Walters '24 Recruiting Profile

    Since I was adopted into this family at birth, they have been supportive and loved me the whole way and I am beyond blessed to call them my family. Throughout my life, I have found that often people, and even myself, take opportunities or even their families for granted. From the cost of travel ball or the last-minute notice of a band concert, my parents have been nothing but encouraging. But above all else, the biggest life lesson that my family has taught me is to not back down when things get tough but to push forward to make the best out of every situation. 

    Some of my greatest memories growing up surround baseball. One of my oldest memories is sitting on the edge of the couch with my dad watching the Padres. After playing organized baseball since I was 8 years old and just playing catch with my dad before that, you could only imagine how disheartening it was to be cut from the freshman team in March of 2021. At that moment I was given two options, quit or better myself and keep pushing forward. I truly believe that this experience formed me into the leader that I am today but more importantly to understand that at such a young age, I still have so much to learn. So I would work on self-improvement both mentally and physically and eventually earn myself a varsity tryout in December of 2022. Unfortunately at this tryout, I would tear my labrum but with the hope of a longshot comeback, I would make the winter team. This comeback would not occur however as I would be sent down to JV for the season where I would make a comeback just 4 months after injury. Though the playing time was limited, my clubhouse presence was not yielding me the team Character Award. Tribulations will always occur in your life but it is not how you are impacted it is how you recover and learn from these challenges. 

    From volunteering with my church every weekend to playing 2 types of saxophones, and even coaching baseball camps for the youth, I pride myself on being balanced in most aspects of life. What I enjoy about many of the things that I do is that there is no easy way out. This has helped to shape me into the person that I am and also the man that I hope to become someday. My goal in life is to give back to those who have given their all to me. For me, college is just one more challenge waiting to be conquered so that I can continue to help others with my talents. Getting a quality education and playing baseball would not only help me fulfill my dreams but one day help me fulfill the dreams of others.