July 27, 2016
Joe Elerson, Athens Daily Review
Athens graduate Jeremy Bateman signed a baseball college letter of intent Wednesday making him the third player to sign from last year's class.
Bateman will be joining the East Texas Baptist University Tigers in Marshall. He leaves for the first day of class Aug. 17 to get ready for his studies as a physical therapist.
"Jeremy is not only a good player but a great kid. This school is losing a great kid," AHS coach Dallas Robertson said. "He is a tremendous leader, a great outfielder and a great leadoff hitter. Next year, we have to fill his shoes and we are going to work at it but it will be tough to do."
Bateman said he knew the junior college route would not be an option since he had taken over 60 hours through the Pinnacle program at Athens High School.
"I knew the JUCO route was out of the question because I have already taken 67 hours in high school," Bateman said. "I was striving for getting D-3, D-2 or D-1 offers. I am ready to play and to get to the season."
The Tigers are a member of the American Southwest Conference in Division III play.
ETBU finished last season at 31-14 overall and 18-6 in ASC play.
"I know they are very driven," Bateman said. "They were one game short of making it to the College World Series in the D3 division. They are ready to go to the College World Series and possibly win it this year. I am honored they would want me to be on their team and fill in the role of Tyler Bates. To ask me to try and fill his shoes is a one in a lifetime opportunity."
In his senior season, Bates was a first-team American Southwest Conference outfielder.
He started every game and set the East Texas Baptist University all-time hits record.
He led the team with a .407 batting average and had 72 hits on the season.
He was second on the team with 14 home runs. He had 55 RBI and led the conference with 58 runs scored.
Bateman said he knows to match those numbers, he will have to work hard during his time in Marshall.
"I will be playing centerfield. He has not told me what I need to work on but I have been told about the workout plans and stuff. I have been doing that basically everyday this summer and working my butt off. I think I am getting to where I need to be."
Bateman said he knows the workouts to get ready for the college level will be tough.
"I am a little nervous about how they say they have a 45-minute stretching before practices and games," Bateman said. "I am excited about it and would not want to be anywhere else."
Bateman is the third Athens Hornet to sign a college letter of intent.
In June, Paden Quade and Brandon Boyd signed a college letter of intent to play baseball in Texarkana as members of the Texas A&M-Texarkana Eagles in the fall.
Bateman said Quade and Boyd definitely tried to bring him to Texarkana with them.
"They definitely tried to get me down there and they were pulling the roommate card," Bateman said. "I did not see myself going to that school."
Bateman said the final decision on ETBU came after he played in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Heart of a Champion baseball game at the University of Texas at Tyler.
"I got to thinking that ETBU is a great school and has a great program," Bateman said. "I am happy to be at 'The Hill' as they call it and I am ready to get down there."
Robertson said it made him happy to have three of his players sign college scholarships from this year's team.
He said trying to figure out how to fill the openings in his lineup will be interesting during the offseason.
"We will miss him tremendously," Robertson said. "This is something special and we are proud that he gets the opportunity to play while he is going to school. At the end of the high school career, if a kid is willing to play then that is what we are willing to see."
Last season, Bateman was the District 13-4A Defensive Player of the Year. He had a perfect fielding percentage in 17 chances.