Riley Hood '21 Recruiting Profile

Going to the Junior League World Series in Taylor, Michigan is the highlight of my baseball career before my freshman year during All-Stars. It was a great experience meeting and competing against the best baseball athletes from around the world. However, I feel I grew as a young athlete when we lost our first games of the year and to realize that I needed to re-focus my efforts on becoming a better baseball player to compete at the college level.

My parents played at a high level in basketball when they were younger, but my passion has always been baseball. My Dad is a supervisor for UPS and my Mom is a high school Biology teacher, and I know by watching them that you must work hard to succeed in anything you do in life. They are very supportive of my goals and teach me the value of work-ethic to accomplish them even when things get tough. Family is very important to me, and I tried to make every game that my younger sister is playing to show my support for her.

Not only do I play baseball for Abilene-Wylie High School, I also play tight-end and linebacker in football. I feel you must prepare yourself for competition mentally and physically. Working hard doesn’t stop on the field, so I strive to be the best academically as well by maintaining a 3.8 GPA. Although I’m considered the funny guy on the team, I believe in respect for your parents, coaches, and teammates. As a student-athlete, I believe I have the character, work-ethic, leadership, and dedication to make an immediate impact for your program!