Braden Tucker '22 Recruiting Profile

My name is Braden Tucker and I am a baseball player.  I have been a baseball player for longer than I can remember.  My mom tells stories about me begging her to come out into the back yard and pitch one more inning as I would dress up and do my best to imitate my favorite Kansas City Royal.  Since I was first eligible to play tee ball, I have never missed a season, tournament, game, or inning.   I want to play college baseball because I am a baseball player.

            One of the things that I love most about baseball is the competition.  Baseball gives me the ability to compete as a pitcher, an outfielder, and a hitter. 

As a pitcher, I enjoy the challenge of working with my catcher to outsmart the batter.  My strengths as a pitcher include my demeanor, my tempo, and my control. I am able to get outs and prevent runs by moving the ball, changing speeds, and avoiding walks.  I know how to pitch.  I am working hard to build the velocity that will allow me to take that knowledge to the next level.

I also enjoy the competition between pitcher and hitter from the hitter’s side.  I like to watch a pitcher to try to figure out what he is going to throw and trying my hardest to not let him get one by me.  The sound and the feeling of “nothing” that tells me I have squared the ball up is one of my favorite parts of the game.  Then when I get on base, that is when the real fun starts.  I love the cat and mouse games with the pitcher, trying to decide how big of a lead to take and when to steal the next base.

Besides the competition, the thing I love most about baseball is being a part of the team.  Some of my favorite memories from my life as a baseball player are the tournaments and trips hanging out in the hotel or at the field with my teammates.  Baseball is not a sport that you can play as an individual.   As a pitcher, I rely on my teammates to get through the inning.  When I am in the outfield, I want the ball hit to me so that I can do my part to help my pitcher. 

 I love the game of baseball.  I am fortunate and have worked hard to position myself to continue to play baseball in college and to use baseball to help further my education.  My goal is to play the sport as long as I can so I would be open to any opportunity that came my way.