Ashton Abnet '21 Recruiting Profile

    My baseball journey started when I was 5 years old at Mattawan Little League. My little league days are where I started the skills to learn how to pitch, play shortstop, and hit. I started travel baseball at age 8 and have been playing since for eight years. During those eight years I played for several travel teams including the HBF( hard ball fans) maroons, Peak Performance, and onto B45 Academy. I focused more on shortstop initially but gained interest in pitching over the past 4 years.  During these valuable years I became more of a team player, faster, stronger and overall  better comprehensive  athlete. 

     Pre season, I went through a 10 week velocity program with former Washington Nationals player and pitching coach Tim Redding to increase speed and work on pitching mechanics. I also participated in an additional 10 week arm care program for injury prevention to establish a proper strength, stretching and conditioning program. These programs ensured that my arm and overall health as an athlete were ideal going into highschool season. The final camp I participated in was PBR to establish my stats and prepare to start my college profile.

    Going into my freshman year, preseason baseball season I started receiving professional training to pitch at B45 Academy this prepared me for highschool tryouts at Mattawan Highschool.   Starting my freshman I played junior varsity and started as a shortstop and pitcher. My sophomore year I played Varsity baseball and was mostly relief pitcher and shortstop. During highschool season is where I received one of my greatest accomplishments and pitched my first no hitter. Throughout highschool I learned that putting in hard work and dedication will benefit you.   Waking up for 5:00am workouts before school every morning to get better, faster and stronger will make me the best player I could during the season.  

     Post Highschool season I started fielding and hitting lessons with former MLB player, Pete Laforest. We would do many drills to make sure my swing was clean and my fielding mechanics and footwork were refined. Most of what we worked on were double play footwork skills, agility drills for quickness, and hand/eye coordination. 

    Outside of baseball, I do volunteer and charity work. I participated in a charity dodgeball fundraiser for breast cancer. I also personally raised money for clean water wells through active water foundation that helps provide clean water throughout villages in Africa. For several years I was part of an organization called Operation Christmas child where my church and I packed boxes of toys and sent them children in Zimbabwe for Christmas.  

     The seasons of baseball and charity work I have performed have not only improved me as an athlete, they have prepared me physically, mentally, and spiritually for the next level as a student college athlete.