One On One with Brandon Stahl
01/01/2010, 1:23am (EDT)
By Jen Jaeger
A 5'11", 160 lb. left-handed hitting senior shortstop from St. Dominic High School in Oyster Bay, New York. He hit .348 with 21 stolen bases and an on-base percentage of .454 last season. Stahl was selected as an All-County League player as a sophomore and a junior and ranks in the Top 25 players on Long Island. He was selected to play on the Under Armour National Team in the Arizona Fall Classic and was selected as a 2010 Under Armour Pre-season All-American.
“We are extremely excited that Brandon will be joining us here at Old Dominion in the fall of 2010. He is a great fit for our program and university in many ways. He is one of the finest shortstops on the East Coast and is a very good student in the classroom. He is a very focused young man and comes from a fantastic family.”
“He has the type of character and talent that will allow him to be very successful on the field and beyond. We are confident Brandon will make a strong impact as a part of the tradition of Old Dominion University Baseball.” - Jerry Meyers - Head Coach, Old Dominion University
BPM: First off, congratulations on signing early with Old Dominion University. Can you tell us about how you made your decision to attend ODU?
BPM: First off, congratulations on signing early with Old Dominion University. Can you tell us about how you made your decision to attend ODU?
Stahl: My decision to attend Old Dominion University was very hard. It came down to ODU and UConn and I was so happy with both schools. I really took the time to look at certain little things that would give one the advantage over the other. For me personally, the biggest question that I had was what school would the best choice for reaching the next level. In the end ODU came out on top and from that point I have not regretted it.
BPM: You've been lucky enough to be a part of a winning baseball program at St. Dominic High School. How has playing for St. Dominic helped you prepare for the next level of baseball?
Stahl: Playing for St. Dominic has been an experience in itself. I learned to play with wood bats at a high level and I was put into top competition here. From my sophomore year on up my coach told me that starting on varsity was my job to lose. I learned from that to always have the mentality of working hard and making sure I keep the spot I earned which is something I will definitely value at the next level.
BPM: You've been selected the captain of your varsity baseball team for the 2010 season. Being a captain means being a good leader. Are there any professional baseball players that have the qualities you'd like to have in being a captain?
Stahl: Definitely the way that Jeter goes about his game everyday is someone I look up to as a captain. He plays the game the right way and that’s what I set out to do everyday on the field.
BPM: What kind of work-out regimen do you have throughout the year?
Stahl: Throughout the year especial during the offseason, I mainly focus on running and getting my 60 yard dash time down, lifting, hitting and fielding. I spread these out over 6 out of the 7 days of the week leaving a day to do my academics. One thing I have been told is to do something everyday to make myself a better ballplayer and I take that to heart by doing what I can when I can.
BPM: Brandon, we'd like to wish you the best of luck in the upcoming season. Before you go back to working out, please answer this last question. What advice would you give the younger ballplayers out there who want to start on their high school baseball team?
Stahl: I would definitely say that the sky is the limit with this game. If you want to start on a high school team and even play at higher levels, the tools to do that are there its just what you as a player make of them. I learned quick at a young age from playing older kids that this is something you have to want. If you want it, go get it because there is definitely always going to be someone watching.
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