PINETOWN — At the plate he’s known for his patience, but when Northside senior Caleb Sherman was offered a chance to play baseball for Brevard College he jumped at it.
This season the disciplined Panthers’ senior leadoff hitter batted .304, while his acute ability to eye pitches allowed him to tally an on-base percentage of .690.
Thanks to his supreme vision, Sherman can now picture himself playing baseball at Brevard for the next four years.
“I’m excited. It’s always been a dream of mine (to play college baseball),” Sherman said.
Sherman, a slick-fielding four-year starter for the Panthers, said that when it came down to make his decision on where to play ball that Brevard fit like a glove.
“You look at a lot of colleges and one thing you look at is do you think you fit in,” Sherman said. “When I went to Brevard and worked out with the coaches I really liked the atmosphere. I felt like I fit in.”
Sherman received interest from several colleges and debated the pros and cons of going to a two-year school before committing to play ball for the Div. II Tornadoes.
“It was a little bit of a tough choice choosing between a four-year college and a two-year college because of the fact that you’re committing to four years of baseball (at one place),” Sherman said. “With a two-year college you can maybe go to a bigger school after those two years. Plus, a four-year college has seniors, which means you might not start your freshman year. But, when I went to Brevard I just felt like I fit in really well.”
The choice was a home run according to Sherman’s parents, Paula and Phil Sherman, who supported Caleb’s decision.
“He’s worked hard and we’re really proud of him,” Paula said. “I think it’s a beautiful place and will be a good fit for him. As a mom it’s a little bit hard because its so far away but we think it’s best for him and I’m really happy.”
“I’m proud of him,” Phil said. “He’s worked hard ever since he was in the midget league. He’s had a goal to move on to a higher level of play and I’m proud he was able to do that.”
Boyd, who has coached Sherman since he was a freshman, said he was thrilled to have his star player get a chance to play the game he loves for four more years.
“It couldn’t have happen to a better guy,” Boyd said. “He’s a great person and a good baseball player and I think he will go on and do well. It’s always been a goal of his and it’s nice to see him get a chance to achieve it.”
Sherman’s signing with the Div. II school is believed to be the highest level scholarship handing out to a Panthers’ baseball player in school history, which is something that would have been hard to imagine when the 5-7, 150-pounder began taking cuts as a freshman.
“When he started for me as a freshman I knew he had skills but a lot of times there are kids that are 6-2, 200-pounds with the same skills and those are the ones who get the scholarships,” Boyd said. “But through hard work in the weight room and working on his skills he’s maximized his potential.
“When you go on to someplace like that you never know who’s going to see you. There are Dustin Pedroias out there.”
And Brevard hopes it just signed one.