Intense dedication and a rigorous offseason schedule have gotten junior Colin Lyman to the next level.
On Thursday, Dec. 8, Lyman verbally committed to the University of Louisville.
“I told my mom and dad that I wanted to talk to them,” said Lyman, who turned 17 in September. “After school, when they both got home, we sat down and I told them that I wanted to commit to the University of Louisville.”
According to Lyman, scouts watched him play for the Illinois Sparks 17u team this summer. The Sparks feature some of Illinois’s best players each year.
Lyman made his mark, leading the team in batting average with .533 (the next-closest player on the team hit .439) and runs with 25 (nine more than his second-highest teammate). He also walked 12 times, stole 13 bases, and hit a pair of dingers.
In September, after being emailed by a few coaches, Lyman went to visit Louisville. He waited for a few months and looked at some other schools before making his final decision.
“I wanted to make sure it was the right school,” said Lyman.
Quite recently, the Louisville Cardinals have been successful in athletics. The baseball team picked up Big East titles in 2009 and 2010 with records of 47-18 and 50-14, respectively.
“I like their focus on sports,” said Lyman. “They have good academics, their coaching staff is just great, it’s close to the city, and they focus a lot on developing the players.”
Lyman, who has been playing baseball his whole life, is also interested in the field of medicine.
“I aspire to be a pro baseball player,” said Lyman, “but I wanted to make sure I could go to college, get a degree, and have a back-up plan in case MLB doesn’t work out.”
Lyman’s dedication has translated into annually increasing statistics. After hitting around .350 his freshman year on varsity, the left-handed hitting center fielder upped the ante by leading the team in batting average with .448 this spring. On top of that, Lyman led Huntley with 52 hits and 34 runs.
A major component that factors into Lyman’s successes is his offseason routine. He hits nearly every other day, and on days that he is not hitting, he lifts weights and works on speed training. Lyman plans to continue his routine for his last two seasons of high school, where he has high aspirations for the team to go to state and then to move on to Louisville.
“I’m relieved that it’s over,” said Lyman. “I’m going to make sure I continue getting stronger and faster so I can make a smooth transition to college.”
Graphic by: Michael Geheren, Digital Editor
