Beckley baseball standout Isaiah Patterson admitted he was excited for the opportunity to play the sport he loves in college.
However, that was not the most exciting part of his day Tuesday evening.
“This is a very big moment for me with my dad, my grandma, and my grandpa. The first thing they have always wanted for me is to be focused on my academics before what I do on the field,” Patterson said. “What I want more than anything is to get a degree. I want to make it out and get a really nice job so I can support my family in the long run.”
Inside the Woodrow Wilson High School auditorium in front of family, friends and teammates Tuesday night, Patterson cashed in both opportunities when he signed a National Letter of Intent to play baseball for WVU Tech.
“I knew I would make it to college because that has always been the goal,” Patterson said. “For me to get a scholarship to go to college for baseball is just amazing. It feels great.”
WVU Tech head baseball coach Lawrence Nesselrodt was excited to get another local product on the roster for the Golden Bears.
“We are excited to have him signing with us. I think he has made a good decision as far as attending WVU Tech. Tech has always had great academics,” Nesselrodt said. “This is a big day for WVU Tech. We want this to be an event we can duplicate time and time again. Our first responsibility is to educate people and if we can reach out to the largest school in Raleigh County, we are are doing our job.”
For now, Patterson will be riding the talent in his right arm to pitch for the Golden Bears, but the Beckley product is more than just a hurler.
“Isaiah was another one that we didn’t expect to be a multiple position player. We came into the season this year thinking he would be a pitcher only and then he plays either left-field or center-field almost every game he is not pitching,” first year Beckley head coach Michael McKinney said. “He struggled a little bit at the plate early on, but at the end of the season, he really turned it on. He hit a walk-off against Richlands in the Coppinger Tournament to put us in the championship game.”
If pitching doesn’t work out, Patterson has a secondary option and is more than willing to make the move to the outfield.
“Other than pitching, I can play outfield. I feel like I am really quick on my feet and I can get to the ball,” Patterson said. “I also have a pretty good arm. Outfield can be a second option for me if needed.”
McKinney believes Patterson is a diamond in the rough with loads of untapped potential waiting to explode at the next level.
“His potential hasn’t even been tapped yet. He is throwing better using his legs and putting everything together now,” McKinney said. “He is stronger and with the more experience that he will get, the better he is going to be.”
While the Beckley coach has been impressed with Patterson’s ability on the field, he also talked about his leadership skills this past season.
“Anytime someone was down, Isaiah was picking them up. He has been the ultimate teammate and a great human being,” McKinney said. “He has just barely tapped the potential of what he can do in the future. Isaiah is getting with the right people and the sky is the limit for him. This group of seniors really bought in and they have helped as we start to rebuild this program. He is a great kid and he did anything I asked him to do.”
The future Golden Bear talked about needing to get stronger mentally in college, but he is fully confident he can get the job done for Tech.
“I want to thank everybody that has been here for me my whole career. I can’t thank everyone and my family enough,” Patterson said. “My coaches and teammates have pushed me to be the best I can be and I feel like it is all up from here.”
