There have been two roads in entrance of Josh Adamczewski.
Once the 2023 Lake Central graduate gave it some thought, although, there was just one approach for him to go.
“With the pro route, you go and play baseball for a living, and you get paid to do it,” he mentioned. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. If I passed that up and it never came around again, I’d beat myself up for the rest of my life.”
That’s how Adamczewski, a 6-foot shortstop who was picked within the fifteenth spherical of the MLB draft by the Milwaukee Brewers on July 11, lastly landed on the choice to decide on knowledgeable baseball profession over a school profession at Ball State. He signed Tuesday — deadline day.
Adamczewski landed on draft radars throughout his remaining season at Lake Central. He hit .473 and led the regional champion Indians with 56 RBIs, 55 runs scored, 35 walks, 9 residence runs, six triples and a .632 on-base proportion.
Adamczewski’s life turned more and more hectic a couple of month after his highschool profession ended, and the euphoria he felt when he was drafted wore off about 24 hours later — as soon as his cellphone began ringing nonstop.
“It was very cool for the first day, and then it just got very stressful,” he mentioned. “I’ve had phone calls from all hours of the day. I’ve been on the phone in the last week for the most time that I’ve ever been on the phone.”
But Adamczewski wasn’t even positive he’d get that preliminary cellphone name. He described his dialog with members of the Brewers’ entrance workplace on the evening earlier than the draft as “a little shaky.”
“I didn’t know if I’d screwed up my chances or not, but then it ended up happening,” he mentioned.
Brewers space scout Ginger Poulson made the preliminary name to Adamczewski, who had been following the draft along with his household.
“I was just in shock,” he mentioned. “I couldn’t move. My family was super excited, and then I got a ton of calls and texts. It was surreal and very cool to experience.”
Adamczewski had spent final weekend in Milwaukee, the place he obtained his first style of life in skilled baseball. Soon after signing, he was invited to take a batting observe session at American Family Field, the Brewers’ stadium.
Several Brewers gamers have been hanging across the cages as Adamczewski hit, and he discovered time to talk with 2018 National League MVP Christian Yelich and former All-Star Jesse Winker, a pair of former first-round picks who turned professional after graduating from highschool.
“I had a great experience in Milwaukee,” Adamczewski mentioned. “They each gave me some good tips.”
On Sunday, he’ll journey to Arizona, the place he’ll play within the Arizona Complex League, step one on the ladder for gamers who have been simply drafted.
“It’s coming up quick,” he mentioned. “I only have a few days left here, and I’m kind of stressed out, trying to pack and seeing everybody else before I go.”
Lake Central coach Mike Swartzentruber doesn’t suppose Adamczewski could have any problem acclimating to skilled baseball.
“He’s pretty mature for his years,” Swartzentruber mentioned. “When you reflect back on his time in our program, he was at everything. Attendance was never an issue, whether it was early in the morning or late at night, and he always showed up on time. Those kinds of things are going to be important for his next steps.”
Once Adamczewski will get to Arizona, he is aware of he’ll be realizing the goals he has had since he began taking part in baseball.
“It’s always just came natural to me, and I always knew that I wanted to be a professional baseball player,” he mentioned. “It’s just a dream come true.”
Dave Melton is a contract reporter for the Post-Tribune.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com