University of Houston Athletics
Houston Baseball Spotlight: Grayson Padgett
9/15/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Grayson Padgett comes to Houston after an award-winning high school caree at Hardin-Jefferson, where he earned All-State and All-District honors. READ MORE ABOUT GRAYSON PADGETT
Q: At what age did you start playing baseball and why?
GP: When I was about two years old my dad gave me a baseball bat and started letting me swing. He put it in my left hand and made me a lefty. Before I can remember, I was playing baseball and then I started t-ball when I was three or four. I've been playing ever since.
Q: Do you recall a favorite baseball memory?
GP: One of my favorite ones was, like most people my first home run. I was ten years old, I believe. Just this last year my high school team made the playoffs for the first time in seven years so that was another one.
Q: Why did you decide to come to the University of Houston?
GP: Well I decided to come to Houston for a few different reasons. One, this program is amazing and I saw the potential it had. When I was getting recruited, just watching them play, Houston was the real deal. I wanted to be apart of something like that. I wanted to have the chance to go to Omaha and I believe this program can do that. Also the education at UH is amazing. I can't really ask for anything better. It doesn't hurt that it is an hour and half away from where I live so it is close to home.
Q: Have you decided on a major yet?
GP: Right now, I am majoring in biology and I kind of want to be an orthodontist.
Q: Do you have a favorite Major League Baseball player and why?
GP: My favorite Major League Baseball player is Lance Berkman. I grew up watching the Astros and I used to always watch them play every night when I was younger. He was a switch hitter and that kind of got me wanting to become a switch hitter. I would watch him swing and I would try to emulate him. I just always loved watching him play.
Q: Do you have any baseball-specific goals you want to accomplish this year?
GP: I want to play as a freshman. That's probably my main goal. I just want to do anything I can do get out on the field and help my team win.
Q: Do you have any hobbies outside of baseball?
GP: I like any pickup game for any other sport. Football, basketball, tennis, soccer, you name it. I just like playing whatever.
Q: Did you play any other sports growing up?
GP: Yeah in high school I played any sport I could. I played basketball for a year. I played football for two years before I got hurt. I ran track my senior year and of course baseball.
Q: What made you know that baseball was the sport you wanted to pursue in college?
GP: I was better at baseball than all the other sports, but baseball to me was the most rewarding sport there was. I honestly could not get enough of it. I just wanted to play everyday. It was just really rewarding to play a sport that difficult and succeed.
Q: Do you have any rituals or pre-game superstitions?
GP: I always wear my pants up, wear my high socks, I never step on the line, and I've got my cross on my chain everyday.
Q: What are you looking forward to most this season?
GP: Probably winning. I want to win and go deep into the postseason. I want to make it to Omaha. I believe this program can do that this year and the next few years.
