Major League Baseball made a lot of headlines with its first two games on Thursday night, but it wasn't the day's only baseball news. Nearly six hours before the New York Yankees and Washington Nationals kicked off the 2020 season, Marble Falls baseball player Luke Nail announced his 2021 commitment to Blinn College.
"Blinn was the right choice for me cause I really liked the campus and the coaches there," said Nail. "It's exciting to me to get to play in one of the best teams in JUCO."
"I think it's gonna be a great opportunity for me and my development as a baseball player," he said of representing the "Baseball Capital of Texas", Brenham. "I see it as an opportunity to get early playing time and fine tune all aspects of my game to help me in my long-term career."
Earning the college opportunity coincided with an important decision in Nail's athletic career. Prior to the 2019-2020 school year, he was both a high school baseball and high school football player. He ultimately decided to focus on baseball.
"Deciding not to play football was one of my best choices," said Nail. "It allowed me to really focus on my craft and also in the weight room. I worked hard over this offseason to put on muscle and better my swing. Some of my accomplishments this offseason took my exit velocity from 87 to 94 with wood. Also, my arm velocity has improved drastically."
People familiar with Nail know that he's a Milwaukee Brewers and Christian Yelich fan and is "excited for their season". So, they might assume that he picked Thursday's Opening Day to share his college baseball commitment on Twitter. But, with a lot up in the air in 2020, he settled on a different reason.
"I just felt like it was the right time with all the uncertainty in the world," Nail said of his commitment day. "Just wanted to be locked in with a school going into my senior year."
That type of decision allows Nail to prepare for his final high school baseball season, as well as the next level.
"I am confident that we will play in 2021," he said. "I am everyday trying to get better and help my team my senior year."
In addition, Nail will have more time to enjoy activities outside of baseball.
"I've just been hanging out with friends," he said of his free time in 2020. "Trying to enjoy any bit of normalcy. I picked up wakesurfing over this time and have really enjoyed going on the lake in Marble Falls."
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