Baseball Puts A Smile On Waterman's Face

Kole Waterman LHP / 1B / Edison, MI / 2025

DETROIT - The ups and downs of baseball bring a lot of enjoyment to Kole Waterman. More of that is in his future after a college commitment to Memphis.

“I’ve loved baseball since I was little, but found a new love for it a few years ago,” the Edison High School sophomore reflected. “I went to Florida with Little League and we were playing the number one team in the country. I was batting fifth or sixth and my first at-bat I struck out. I swung at a high pitch. The next time up I doubled to tie the game and had a single after that, but we lost the game. There’s just something about baseball. You can get really down but when something good happens you can get sky high.”

The fourth-rated 2025 left-handed pitcher in Michigan is expecting plenty of good times at Memphis, a school he visited back in October.

“I really liked how connected the players were with each other,” Waterman explained. “It’s a real family. They interact with each other and have a lot of fun with each other. It looks like they’re having a good time there.”

There was more that made the American Athletic Conference university right.

“In looking at the academic piece, they have both majors I’m considering and they’re pretty profound in that,” noted Waterman, who is contemplating math and business as potential studies of choice.

That played a key role in helping the 22nd-ranked sophomore in the state decide where he wanted to go to college.

“My dad and my mom and I prayed a lot over the decision,” Waterman said. “It just felt like it was a good decision to make. I love the coaching staff and it just felt like a home.

“The head coach, Kerrick Jackson, has MLB connections and the other coaches saw my talent. They all want me to get better. When I’m struggling, I know they’ll help me.”

Improvement in his game has been vital in becoming a Division I commit.

“My throwing from the outfield has gotten better and my pitching mechanics and location have gotten better,” Waterman related. “With my hitting, I’m seeing the ball better.”

But more improvement is necessary in the eyes of the 6-3 190-pounder.

“I need to get better at everything,” Waterman pointed out. “You can always get stronger mentally. Strength-wise, you have to get stronger as you get older. For me, I have to get my velo up more. It needs to get higher over the summer for my junior year.”

The opportunity to be a two-way player at Memphis weighed big in his decision.

“I worked on my outfield over the offseason and did a lot of drills to get better footwork and better at tracking the ball,” Waterman noted. “My arm has always been strong, but my accuracy throwing to cutoffs and the bag is better.”

Pitching and playing in the outfield at Memphis will, understandably, be a challenge.

“There will be a lot more stress on my body and it will be hard mentally,” Waterman explained. “Homework, classes, seminars, taking care of my body will be a challenge, but my love of the game just pushes me to get better every single day.”

It has the 17-year-old confident about what he can provide at the next level.

“My hitting and pitching are two very big things I can bring to them,” Waterman proclaimed. “If I make a mistake, I can fix it almost immediately. I like to learn from coaches, especially from sources that know more than me. It’s good to know I have two more years to develop before I get to Memphis.”

The decision to attend college 11 hours from home was a great feeling according to Waterman.

“What a rush of adrenaline,” Waterman said. “I was smiling for three or four days straight. My older brother (Klark, who played at Division II Ohio Valley University in West Virginia) always said I’d be a D-I guy when we were playing wiffle ball in the front yard. When I committed he had the biggest smile. That was the best part for me. Everything I learned about baseball was from him.”

Continuing his baseball journey once his days of high school have ended is something that Waterman has high anticipation about.

“I’m really looking forward to the ability to be able to play college baseball,” Waterman concluded. “The joy I see on player’s faces and how much fun they’re having when I’m watching college baseball, I want that for myself. I can’t wait to do it myself.”