Commitment Spotlight: Tyler Fay from Grand Island on his commitment to Alabama
October 20, 2021
After an unofficial visit to Alabama when he was in Georgia for a fall tournament, senior pitcher Tyler Fay knew he’d be playing at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
He first got noticed by the Crimson Tide in Indianapolis during a tournament with the Nebraska Prospects. Against Team Indiana, a top team in the country, he sat 88-90 with four strikeouts through two innings proving he could hang with the best in the country.
“I think that was the first time I ever touched 90, and my slider was really working that day,” Fay said. “Coach Reida liked what he saw and soon after that I just wanted to make it official.”
Fay held offers from UNO and a few junior colleges, but ultimately the coaching staff and dream of playing in the SEC is what drew him to Alabama. Schools like Florida and Vanderbilt are teams he is looking forward to playing against in the spring following his senior year.
After a difficult summer season on the mound with the Grand Island as a junior, Fay settled into his role primarily as a hitter for the Islanders. However, once he began to work with Grand Island head coach Kirby Wells, he saw massive improvements in his command and velocity.
“My high school coach was actually the one to help tell me to slow down a bit and work on my tempo,” Fay said. “My arm was having a hard time catching up and I didn’t really have an off-speed pitch which hurt me pitching.”
Also finding his routine off the field in the weight room helped boost his fastball velocity from 85 mph to 90 mph. He added a slider to his pitch repertoire instead of a curveball, giving him a wipeout pitch that he never had over the summer.
His mentality has also shifted to remaining calm and composed as he now begins to take on stiffer competition during legion and travel ball. Although it can be scary at times, Fay knows he belongs and that his stuff is good enough to beat anyone at the plate.
Being from Grand Island, over two hours outside of Omaha, was difficult but his dad never let him miss out on any events or camps just because of his location. He pushed Fay to play for the Prospects and has helped push him to be the player he is today.
“My dad has taken a bunch of time off work and has basically flown me out to everything, including Florida where we just got back from,” Fay said. “My parents have really been doing a ton for me and I’m super grateful for that.”
Come springtime, Fay hopes to keep getting stronger while maintaining his velocities in the upper 80s and lower 90s. Being a top arm for his team for his senior season, he wants to leave it all on the line before heading to Alabama for his college career.
“I think we have some pretty good talent this year at Grand Island, so I think we have a good shot at going further than we usually do,” Fay said. “I want to be First Team All-State and help Grand Island bring home a championship.”
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(2/21/21)
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