Like many recent high school graduates, Gabe Templeton had to decide what happens next. Yes, he was going to college – but would his days as a student-athlete come to an end? Not many high school athletes continue playing their sport at the next level unless they have the talent and dedication to do so. After a fun and successful baseball career with the University Hawks, Gabe has signed on to play at Potomac State in Keyser. Thanks to Gabe for sharing his story with us!

How long have you played your sport? I’ve played baseball for 10 years. I began my freshman year of high school playing for my school and a prospect team in Mississippi, then joined the Hawks in tenth grade when my family moved to Morgantown.

What position do you play? Outfield

 

What other activities did you participate in when you were younger? I played basketball until I got to high school, and I also played flag football as a kid. In my junior year of high school, I also played on the UHS football team.

 

Who is your mentor? How have they motivated you?  Tyler Shorter and Ryan Leibreich –

they’re sport performance coaches and baseball trainers at Pro Performance. They taught me so much about how to train the right way, and they have modeled and encouraged a strong work ethic. They’ve taught me to continue to progress daily. The goal is to just get 1% better every day.

 

Any awards or honors – individual or team-wise, that you’d like to share? I committed to playing baseball at Potomac State College. My high school team won the WVSSAC Sectional and Regional Championships. We played in the West Virginia state semifinal game as well as the OVAC Championship game.

 

What have you learned as you’ve practiced and competed with your team? I’ve learned that you should have fun playing the game. You will find yourself in intense situations, but you have to stay loose and enjoy what you’re doing.

Think about all you’ve been through in sports: What is your favorite moment? One of my favorite memories was when we won against Morgantown High in the OVAC semifinal game. No one believed in us at that point, and we were viewed as the underdogs – but we went on their field and blew them out!

 

Would you like to share other successes you’ve experienced off the field? I was in the National Honor Society and I had a 4.1 GPA this year, therefore I earned the Promise and a WVU Go First scholarship.

 

Do you have any other interests? I enjoy weightlifting.

 

What do you plan on doing after high school? As of now, I would like to graduate with a business degree and perhaps one day become a college professor like my parents.

 

Do you have some tips for students who’d like to get into this sport? Don’t focus on results and outcomes. Believe it or not, the game of baseball is 90-95% mental. You must always have the most confidence in yourself and truly believe in your own ability. If you strike out seven out of the ten times you go up to bat, you could make it into the Hall of Fame. You will fail more times than you succeed. You just have to shake off every time you fail or don’t get the result you want and just look ahead to the next pitch.