Movin’ On Up
Fri, 2016-05-13 05:00
News Staff
‘Boys of Summer’ sign to play college baseball
By TJ MAXWELL
Cove Leader-Press
Playing baseball together since before middle school, is was only fitting that the Copperas Cove baseball foursome of Tim Bechtold, Josh Carbajal, Jeremi Hawkins and Nicholas “Neeko” Kirk would share the stage once again when they participated in a signing ceremony together Wednesday at the high school.
Head coach Dusty Brittain knows the four seniors played a key role in turning around a program that won just five games in 2013 into a perennial playoff team.
“When I got here three years ago, I knew I had some special guys,” he said. “I knew this program was going to be heading in the right direction because of these kids and the dedication they put into the game.”
They did just that, improving every year with 13 wins in 2014, 14 in 2015 and 17 wins, including the first playoff win in recent history if ever, this year.
“It feels really good,” Kirk said of his class’ contribution to the program. “Coming in as a freshman, I knew my class of 2016 was going to be really good at baseball because we all grew up playing together. Once we got to the varsity level, it all fell into place. I feel like the team chemistry was great with us and that helped us out a lot in turning the program around and making history by winning a playoff game.”
Captain and statistical leader Bechtold has been flashing his skills for years as a four-year varsity letterman. He carried a season batting average of .430 to lead the team and also had a team-best OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage). Bechtold averaged over .350 for his four-year varsity career.
Although being recruited by Division I teams like Rice, Bechtold will spend his first year of collegiate baseball at Navarro Junior College where he’ll continue to be a Dawg.
“Originally, Rice University was recruiting me, but right now they have limited spots – maybe one or two,” said Bechtold. “So, right now, they’re trying to find who they’re going to pick. If I can’t get in there, this is somewhere I can play for a year and maybe go there next year.”
Bechtold picked Navarro as his ‘placeholder’ because of the competitive atmosphere.
“I want to fit into a competitive atmosphere,” he said. “I’m a very competitive person and I want to be on a team that wins. I didn’t want to just go somewhere to play. I wanted to win, even if it is a placeholder, I want to win. I also have a lot of friends that are going there from the Dallas and Houston areas.”
Bechtold also garnered interests from several schools and even was offered by one but decided to do the junior college route for now.
“(University of Texas at Arlington) offered me this summer but I really have my heart set on Rice,” he said. “That’s my number one goal.”
Hawkins will play for Division III Texas College in Tyler. Hawkins decided on Texas College after persistent recruiting led to an official visit.
“They did a lot of recruiting for me during the season and that really got my attention,” he said. “What finally made the decision is when I went there for my official visit.
“They have a new coach. When I looked him up, he had a great winning record. They said they recruit great players so that made it seem like I was a great player and good enough to play for them.”
Hawkins carried a .280 batting average and had a .872 fielding percentage as a senior for the Dawgs.
Kirk and Carbajal get to continue their baseball careers together with both signing to play for Division III McMurry University in Abilene.
“It feels really good,” he said. “I grew up with all the guys playing baseball since I was 4 years old. I was kind of nervous about going to college alone and playing ball without somebody. When I found out Josh was going there, I was really excited. I’m excited to go with a familiar face.”
Carbajal feels the same.
“It means a lot,” he said. “I’m really excited to go to McMurry to play for the next four years. To be able to go with Neeko means a lot too. I’m just excited to go and have a friend there that I know. “I went to a camp with Neeko back in January. I really liked it there and thought I could play there for the next four years.”
The dream of playing collegiately almost died for Kirk but a baseball camp attended with Carbajal changed everything.
“I was initially about to give up on playing college baseball and I was just looking for a place to continue my education (North Texas, Texas Sate and Texas Christian) then one of my buddies asked if I want to go to a camp at McMurry,” he said. “I went up there and everything fell into place. That’s when I decided to continue playing baseball.”
Carbajal almost didn’t get a chance to share this moment with his lifelong friends either after transferring to Salado, but was ecstatic when he returned to Cove as a junior.
“I played with these guys for a long time then I transferred over to Salado,” he said. “I was really excited to come back and play with them again and I’m glad they took me back. It was a great feeling to be a part of the whole playoff atmosphere with these guys.”
A serious, and competitive atmosphere helped Carbajal decide on McMurry.
“I like that they really take things seriously in practice because I’m real serious when I play,” he said. “I like their approach and I think I can really fit in well there and help the program with my positive attitude.”
Kirk had a .301 batting average and was 3-1 on the mound with a 1.652 earned run average as a senior. Carbajal batted .267 and was 3-5 on the mound with a 2.979 ERA in his senior year.
This group of seniors helped bolster the Cove baseball program and Bechtold hopes he and his teammates have inspired others to continue that tradition.
“It means a lot,” he said. “We haven’t had a lot of people sign in the past so it will give kids confidence that they can do it also.”
For Hawkins, it created memories to last forever.
“It was a lot of fun playing with this class of seniors,” he said. “It was a great experience I could never forget.”