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Tanner Moore pitches, catches and plays the outfield for the Washington High School baseball team. He also swam in two events to prepare for the season. He was a member of the Tar Heel League All-Stars who won the state championship in the summer of 2022 and pitched a complete game in his most recent start for WHS. Off the field, the Washington native is a member of Beta Club with a 4.0 GPA.

1. Seniors sometimes try a sport for the first time just for fun. Was that the case with swimming for you.

Tanner: Not really. Coach (Will) Tyson “strongly encouraged” the baseball players to do it to get in shape. I swam the 50 and 200 freestyle in the meets and it turned out better than I expected. There were four or five of us on the baseball team who swam and it was fun hanging out with my teammates. It helped my overall conditioning and I’ve noticed better mobility in the arm when I’m pitching.

2. Which position do you like best between pitching, catching and the outfield?

Tanner: Pitching, because it’s fun to strike batters out. I caught a lot when I was younger and I like that too. I started pitching when I was 10 or 11 and have had good success with it. I like being in the middle of everything on the mound and it’s a fun challenge to throw the ball where it’s tough for the batter to hit it. I’ve developed a splitter (split-fingered fastball) and a knuckleball just by experimenting with different grips during practice. I’m starting to have success with the splitter in games, which has helped my confidence.

3. How has being a catcher helped your pitching and vice versa?

Tanner: Catching has helped me be more patient and positive with the pitchers because I know it’s hard and I tend to give them more of a break. Catching has also helped me learn the strike zone better and that helps when I’m pitching.

4. What are your plans after graduation?

Tanner: To attend The Apprentice School in Newport News, Va. to study welding and play baseball. I took a welding class my sophomore year and really liked it, so I took the other two more advanced classes. It will be a good career path and I get to keep playing baseball.

5. What kind of music do you listen to?

Tanner: County. I like the newer songs, but classic country is my favorite. Anything by George Strait is great to listen to.