College baseball coaches looking to complete their rosters for next school year might be overlooking a diamond in the rough. Greenville High School first baseman Donovan Shead possesses all the physical tools and intangibles to play at the next level. And he remains unsigned by a college program.
Because of his defensive play at first base and his hitting ability at the plate, Shead has been named the Planters Bank Player of the Week.
Shead has catlike quickness and handles the leather well at first base that kept the Hornets. Against Peal High School on Saturday, Shead routinely scooped low throws out of the dirt from his fellow infielders to limit the Pirates damage.
“He is a solid hitter and an excellent defensive first baseman,” said Hornets head coach Jeffrey Jones. “He would be a good addition to a team at the next level.”
Shead concurred. “If was trying to make a sales pitch to a college coach about my skills, I would say that I’m a line drive hitter and a gap finder at the plate,” Shead said. “I’m light on my feet on defense and study every batter that comes to the plate.”
Shead has also shown himself to be very patient at the plate. In eight games this season, Shead is batting .300 and has nine RBI.
He has a unique ability to make solid contact off pitchers in two strike counts and when inserted into the middle of the lineup provides protection for third and fourth place hitters.
“I watched how David Ortiz used to work the count a lot before he retired,” Shead said. “He learned a little bit more about the pitcher each time he faces him.”
As his senior teammates continue to get grabbed up to play baseball at the college level, Shead has many other dimensions to his value to a college program. He’s an experienced player, starting the last three seasons for the Hornets and Shead is a good student athlete, accumulating at solid 3.3 GPA since arriving at Greenville High. “Wherever I end up next year, I know I’ll be studying sports medicine,” he said. “That’s been my dream since I was a little kid.”
Shead went on to say that when he’s not playing baseball, he’s usually hanging out with his teammates.
“We have a talented team and all of us are good players,” he said. “Hopefully, I’ll be getting some attention from a program real soon.”
