Tawa Overcomes Obstacles On Way To South Florida

DURHAM, Ct. - The Jolly Ranchers may have been stale, but the wait was worth it for Alex Tawa after making a commitment to play baseball at South Florida.

“I walked into a gas station with my dad when I was 11 and wanted a piece of candy,” the Loomis Chaffee junior reflected. “He said you can eat it when you’re a D-I commit. I kept it in a drawer for four years. It was the best Jolly Rancher ever.”

The 6-0 190-pounder had offers as a 2022, but reclassified and interest picked up in the eighth-rated 2023 left-handed pitcher in New England. 

“South Florida was the first school I actually talked to as a ’23,” Tawa noted. “They just liked my demeanor. But I told them they’d want me as a player. I told them that mentally northern kids are different than southern kids and they just pulled the plug on it.”

Tommy John Surgery on June 17 prevented South Florida from being able to see the 75th-rated incoming sophomore in New England pitch.

“I couldn't play in the spring season with a bone spur in my elbow,” Tawa related. “My velo was down and I wasn’t able to throw for them. Props to coach (Jason) Ferber, my AAU coach with Real Ballers National. He knew South Florida was looking for guys.”

Tawa did his best to impress the coaches at the American Athletic Conference school, even without pitching.

“If you go to Florida you have a lot of things to do,” Tawa explained. “The mall, the beach, Disney, fishing … you name it. I live in the middle of nowhere with 30 miles of woods. All I have to do is to work on getting better. I don’t have all the distractions they do in Florida.”

The decision to reclassify was important according to the 17-year-old, who previously went to high school at Xavier.

“I knew I’d get more exposure and more interest from schools I wanted if I had another year,” Tawa said. “Covid really hurt my exposure and with Tommy John I didn’t even get a full year of exposure.”

Interest came from participating in the 2020 Future Games, with St. John’s, Fordham and Rhode Island at the top of the list.

“It was northern ball, mostly low-to-mid D-I schools,” Tawa noted.

But when South Florida entered the picture after reclassifying it was too good to pass up.

“South Florida is in the Top 25 rankings,” Tawa explained. “I like the location and also the pitching coach. He said it’s a two-way street. I want you to say your opinion and I’ll say mine and we’ll work on it.”

There was more that stood out.

“Watching them go to Super Regionals, they play with a chip on their shoulder,” Tawa pointed out. “I’ve always had a chip on my shoulder, too. I see it as something good.”

Tawa admits to always having the confidence that playing at the next level would take place.

“It was never a dream for me, it was always a reality,” Tawa said. “I knew I’d play D-I baseball. Call it arrogant or whatever, I just had the mentality to get it done.”

Still, the recruiting process was “very stressful” according to Tawa, who expects to begin throwing again in one month.

“I’m not a 6-4 lefty throwing 90-93,” Tawa pointed out. “But I did have a good amount looking at me and just knew I’d come out on top somewhere. It worked out in the end and I grew as a person.”

A 3.3 student considering psychology as a major, Tawa now looks forward to showing what he can bring to South Florida.

“I’d rather let my actions speak for themselves,” Tawa said. “I’d rather get there and show out, do everything in my power to make everyone around me a better person and teammate and win a College World Series.”

Maybe a Jolly Rancher for everyone should that happen.