Sports
Sullivan leaves Gulf Coast for Trojan baseball
By Griffin Pritchard
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After two seasons with Gulf Coast Community College, Jake Sullivan is trading in the blue and gold for the cardinal and black.
Sullivan is set to become a Troy University Trojan this fall and will more than likely look to replace Bo Brooks, the Trojan catcher who was signed by Los Angeles Angels in the 20th round of the MLB draft.
“I’m pumped,” said Sullivan. “I’m just ready to get down there in the fall and start playing.”
The scholarship offer almost came a moment too late as Sullivan was preparing to mail a letter of intent to play baseball at Radford University. Sullivan would have been one of five catchers on the Highlander roster.
“Troy called after the draft, some money had been freed up and they made me a better offer,” said Sullivan. “Troy has always been on my radar. They recruited me right out of high school. It just didn’t seem like the right fit for me at the time. It seemed that there were too many ‘what if’s’ to deal with.”
Instead, Sullivan, a 2007 graduate of Wetumpka High, signed a letter of intent to play baseball at Gulf Coast Community College in the fall of that same year.
“What Jake has mainly separates him from other ball players,” said Mike Kandler, coach of the Commodores. “He has tenacity and a willingness to work hard and that is going to make him a very successful player at the next level. Most of the kids that come through this league move on to play at Division I schools.”
As a freshman Commodore, Sullivan posted a .370 batting average with 50 singles, six double and a triple through 135 at bats. He also drove in 23 runs and scored 27 runs en route to earning both First Team Panhandle All-Conference honors and was selected as a second team All-State member.
“My first year was better than my second year down here,” said Sullivan.
In year two, Sullivan batted .298 with an on base percentage of .402 through 168 appearances with 50 singles, 10 doubles two triples and three home runs. He accounted for 35 RBIs and scored 34 runs as the Commodores posted a 35-win season.
Sullivan will report to Troy when classes begin in August.
“My parents are excited for me,” said Sullivan. “They can come down to watch more of my games now than they could when I was at Gulf Coast.”
Changing schools doesn’t come without its problems though.
Sullivan had originally planned to earn a physical therapy degree.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do about that,” said Sullivan, whose parents are also both Troy graduates. “Troy doesn’t have a physical therapy program and to be an athletic training major you have to dedicate 150 hours to it. I don’t know if I can do that and play baseball.”
Last season, the Troy University baseball team posted a mark of 32-26 and finished third over all in the Sun Belt Conference standings, behind the University of Louisiana-Monroe and the University of New Orleans.
“I’ve always wanted to go to Troy,” said Sullivan. “Now it just feels like the right time, right situation.”
According to Kandler, Sullivan joins eight or nine other teammates in signing Division I scholarships.
“This is a high powered junior college conference,” said Kandler. “For a lot of the players, like Jake, all they needed was a place to mature and improve their game. I think that if a player can succeed in this conference, then they will usually do pretty well at that next level.”
