After being named to the 2014 Collegiate Baseball Freshman All American Team, Alex Call continues to excel at Ball State where he’s quickly becoming the leader of a team with postseason aspirations.
In his first season at Ball State he hit .354 with 73 hits, 15 doubles, and he had a .437 OBP. He led the team in multi-hit games with 23 and scored 40 runs. He has currently reached base in some sort of fashion in 52 straight games (as of 3/03/15).
There’s no questioning the talent of the sophomore outfielder, but what’s even more impressive is the confident, cool demeanor of this young man who carries some big expectations of himself in the college ranks and beyond.
What drew you to wanting to play for Ball State? What’s your favorite part of being a Cardinal?
A large part was coach (Rich) Maloney and the chance to play as a freshman right away. Also, I didn’t receive any other offers besides Ball State. My favorite is being a part of this team and with this group of guys. I look forward to being with them every day of practice and at every game; we are a really close-knit group and I feel that’s what make us a good team.
If you weren’t playing baseball, what would you be hoping to do career-wise?
Well I would probably be at UW-Madison studying to be an engineer, but instead I chose to play baseball at Ball State and Ball State does not offer engineering, so I went into entrepreneurial management. I really like the program and if I were not playing ball I would be trying to start my business I am working on, or a different one.
Who are some of the biggest influences in your life? How have they helped you progress as a baseball player?
Well my parents first and foremost are my base; they have supported me in every decision that I have made and helped me along the way. However, they were not able to help that much in my skill development. For that I owe a lot to my high school coaches, Mark Hallberg and Ryan Bishop. When I made the transfer from being a pitcher to an outfielder in high school, they were helping me during and after practice to improve my swing and my defensive ability. Right now, coach Maloney has a huge influence on me and my game. I came to Ball State as a player with a strong arm, good foot speed, and hand-eye-coordination, but now coach has developed my swing into something where I feel it is very strong. Right now, I feel like I have all the tools in order to make it, and a lot of that has to do with what coach has taught me and the work I have put in.
Who are some current or former MLB players (if any) that you try and model you’re game after? Why?
Well, I have never traditionally been a power guy, although I believe that power numbers are coming soon, but I always think of guys like Dustin Pedroia and Denard Span with the potential to be like Ryan Braun. The first two guys are just grind it out players who are not huge in stature, like me, but they were able to make it – and in Dustin Pedroia’s case, be the MVP. Ryan Braun because I am a Brewers fan, and that is how I would like to think of my max potential someday – without juicing. He is that guy who can do it all.
What is your favorite baseball memory from your collegiate career so far?
Definitely my first home run against Kent State last year. It was on our home field in the first at-bat of the series. It was rather late in the season, but coach called me out in a friendly way in front of the whole team, telling me that I need to hit a home run and the whole team started teasing me, telling me I wouldn’t do it. So I lead off the game against Eric Lauer and I hit a homer on a 3-2 pitch, and when I crossed home with my whole team going crazy I yelled “who said I wont?!” After that we went on to hit four more home runs and beat them by 10 on our way to a sweep of our rival.
After a great freshman season, what has been your mindset in preparing for this season and through the early part of the season? Are you more relaxed this year?
Well many people don’t know that I played all last year with a torn meniscus in my right knee. So after I was fully recovered from my surgery I started training hard to prepare for this season and beyond. I have very high expectations for myself this year. Even though I had a good year last year, I could not do a lot of things because of my knee, and it was not anywhere near what I think I can accomplish. My goal is to be the Player of the Year in the MAC, an All-American, and I want our team to make it to a regional and eventually Omaha. All of these goals that I want to achieve are why I am working so hard. So far this year my mindset has been to try and hit as many doubles as possible. Also to make as many plays on defense as I can and catch every ball in my area. I wouldn’t say that I am relaxed, but I always play with confidence, swagger and a chip on my shoulder.
What are some areas you’re looking to improve on that will hopefully help your chances of being drafted one day?
Well, I am always trying to get faster and stronger. That is the focus of all my non-baseball related workouts. I have good speed, but I am trying to learn more about base stealing and not just running fast. I am trying to improve my bat speed and power so that I am always a threat to go deep or hit a double every at-bat, and I feel like I am getting there. I am working on throwing more runners out, I have a strong arm, but sometimes it can be inaccurate. However, I have made so much progress from where I was last year with accuracy. Lastly, I really want to catch every ball possible. Last year, there were tough plays that I didn’t make where I thought I should have. I don’t want to have that feeling again.
Is being selected in the MLB Draft something you’re hoping for, or is it something that if it happens, it happens?
YES! Right now I am working as hard as I can for my team and for Ball State, but in the back of my mind I am thinking about next year’s draft. It has always been my dream to play professionally, and I feel like I am in a great position to do that. This summer I will be playing in the Cape Cod League and I know that my draft stock will hinge on that significantly. I feel like I have all the tools to be a top pick, but I just need to prove it in my play and keep harnessing those tools so that I am ready when the time comes.
What kind of legacy do you hope to leave at Ball State? What do you want to be remembered for the most?
Well Ball State has had seven first-round draft picks in their history, and in our locker room all seven of them are glued on the wall life-size. I want to be on the wall someday. If that happens that would be a dream come true, but another main goal I have is making sure that my recruiting class is responsible for 3 MAC championships, and a trip to Omaha. I want our team to be the first team to make it in Ball State history. I also want people to think of me and know that I am an extremely hard worker who is always giving it his all every pitch. If I make it big someday, I want people to say that I did it the right way, and that I worked from the bottom. Because only my parents, coach Maloney and myself believed that I could do it.
