Alcorn State Met All The Requirements For Hall

CHARDON - HBCU school … check.

Down south … check.

Division I … check.

Alcorn State was just what Christian Hall was hoping to find.

“They met all the requirements,” the Chardon senior said about Alcorn State, where Hall recently made a commitment. “I plan to visit in January now that the football season is over.”

After helping Chardon to the Division III state championship, Hall, an outside linebacker who earned third-team All-State recognition on the gridiron, is now looking to bring success on the baseball field to the Southwestern Athletic Conference program.

“Since I’ve been playing baseball when I was three-years-old this has always been my sport and I’ve wanted to be the best at it,” Hall explained. “Once I found out about college baseball, my dream has been to play Division I.”

It has become a reality for the 11th-ranked 2022 third baseman in Ohio.

“When I started playing with Jeff Segal at NEO two years ago we were going to good tournaments and getting exposure and coaches were reaching out,,” Hall reflected. “It was almost unbelievable that I was so close to reaching my dream.”

PBR also helped the cause, according to Hall.

“It was a good experience to be around a bunch of guys trying to do the same thing as me,” Hall said about attending PBR events. “I found out I have a lot of room to grow and a lot of work to do to get where I want to be.”

As a freshman, Hall was 5-9 and checked in at 225 pounds, but through a strong work ethic he currently stands 6-0 and weighs in at 190.

“I look a lot better and I have a lot more strength,” Hall related. “I have more velo, better exit velocity, quicker feet and I’m more athletic.

“It was just a lot of hard work by myself in the basement and going to the weight room a lot,” Hall continued. “It’s helped me get better at the game I love. I hit a growth spurt which helped and the motivation to be good at it drove me to where I am now.”

A video sent to different colleges proved beneficial in connecting Hall with Alcorn State.

“They got back to me almost immediately,” Hall pointed out. “They’ve got a new coach and I really liked talking to him. A few weeks ago they offered and I committed. It all happened very fast.”

Smaller schools around Ohio along with North Carolina A&T were others Hall was considering, but the connection with Alcorn State stood above the rest.

“They said I passed the eye test,” Hall noted about what the coaches at the university in Lorman, Mississippi were impressed with about him. “They like my hand and footwork on the field and they like my bat. They think I can be a really good fit for them.”

Hall credited his father, Frank, with playing an important role in helping make it all happen.

“My dad sent out video and was reaching out to coaches doing as much as he could to get me into a program and get coaches to reach out,” Hall related.

It did bring some concerns, however, being a senior and not committed until now.

“I was worried a lot about not being sure with everything,” Hall admitted. “I was starting to think it wasn’t going to happen and was starting to get down. I just had to keep my composure and keep calm, stay patient, wait ... and pray to God he’d make things happen for me and he sure did.”

Computer science or business are possible majors for Hall, who lives 15 hours away from Alcorn State.

“I’ll get home sick and miss the family, they’ve been a big part of my life, but they’re very proud and happy for me,” Hall said. “They’re just a little scared it’s so far away.”

The 232nd-ranked senior in Ohio is confident he can be a key component of the Alcorn State program.

“I feel I’m a great teammate on and off the field,” Hall noted. “I push my teammates to be the best they can be on the field and off, living the right way to not jeopardize anything.”

As for what Hall is looking forward to the most, the 18-year-old did not hesitate.

“I can’t wait to be in an environment of playing at that level, being somewhere other than Ohio and knowing I’ve accomplished a dream of mine,” Hall said. “Now it’s time to move on to my next goals.”