Sam Taylor has overcome naysayers who thought he was too small.
Taylor also persevered through injuries that threatened to derail his senior season at New Hope High School and decrease his chances of earning a chance to play college baseball.
But Taylor considers obstacles just another reason to work even harder. That’s why the 5-foot-11, 175-pound infielder was able to excel on and off the field in his two seasons at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in Perkinston.
With two weeks to go before he moves on to the next step at Division I Northwestern State in Shreveport, Louisiana, Taylor is working to get back to 100 percent after he dislocated his right knee twice in his sophomore season at Mississippi Gulf Coast C.C. His goal is to be ready for the start of fall practice late next month.
“It has kind of been a long road back,” Taylor said. “I hurt my knee in mid to late March. … I am feeling good where I am. I can sprint and I am starting to get back to 100 percent. Just the amount of work I have put in to get back to 100 percent is hard enough. Like I said, I am going to make sure I prepare myself to the fullest and that I am ready to go so I can get on the field.”
Taylor hit .293 with three doubles and 13 RBIs as a freshman at Mississippi Gulf Coast C.C. This past season, he hit .286 in 23 games for the Bulldogs, who finished 21-23 and 12-16 in the Mississippi Association of Junior and Community Colleges. Taylor had 15 runs, 22 hits, nine doubles, and 14 RBIs. He had a .341 on-base percentage and a .442 slugging percentage.
Off the field, Taylor was named an Academic All-MACJC performer. He also received a third-team All-National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Academic Student-Athlete Award for having a grade-point average between 3.6 and 3.79.
Taylor excelled in the classroom even after suffering two knee injuries. He said he had knee problems throughout the year prior to the first injury he suffered when he felt his knee “pop” after he charged a ground ball. Taylor said he rehabilitated his knee for two-and-a-half weeks before he returned only to dislocate it again on the first swing back. He spent a few more weeks out of action and returned to play the final 10-12 games of the season.
Taylor estimates he played at about 70 percent following the second dislocation. He said doctors told he didn’t need surgery after he took a couple of months off. Since then, he has been working the road back to recovery.
“The last month and a half I have been going hard,” Taylor said. “They sent me a weight program and I am going and doing extra stuff, like flipping tires and running stadium steps.”
Taylor said he recently started back taking ground balls and hitting in batting cages. He said he feels “blessed” to have gotten an opportunity to play junior college baseball. Taylor also takes pride in the fact that a baseball career that started when he 4 years old with T-ball in Propst Park is going to continue.
At the time, Taylor didn’t know he would gravitate toward baseball. He said he was the type of kid who loved whatever sport was in season. Taylor said he didn’t realize baseball was the one for him until he was 10 and he was immersed in a packed summer league. Since then, Taylor said he has tried to stay focused on keeping his career alive for as long as possible.
“I have worked my tail off and gotten a lot bigger and stronger and developed a better understanding of the game,” Taylor said. “I am really thankful to get an opportunity at the highest level of college baseball. I take pride in not having an easy road. I take pride in the hard work that it has taken to mold me into who I am today.”
Taylor said those obstacles have taught him a lot of lessons he probably wouldn’t have learned along the way if his path had been easier. Disc problems in his lower back and a strained hip flexor conspired to sidetrack him during his senior year at New Hope. He overcame those hurdles to earn a chance at Mississippi Gulf Coast C.C. Taylor’s plan is to overcome the knee injuries to make an impression at Northwestern State.
Taylor said he has talked to several friends, including former New Hope High teammate Wells Davis, who had a standout sophomore season at South Alabama earlier this year, to understand what he will face in Division I. He feels the years of perseverance have helped prepare him for what could be the biggest challenge he will face in his athletic career. Taylor anticipates Division I baseball being just like everything he has heard and imagined.
“When you’re in high school, everyone wants to play D1 baseball,” Taylor said. “Everyone in junior college says they want to play D1 baseball. When I started to talk to some D1 coaches, I realized it might happen. You may be the only person who thinks you’re going to get a shot, but you find a way to get where you want to go. When I get there, I think it is really going to sink in. I hope these two years go by really slow because I have been waiting a long time to get to this level and I am ready to enjoy it.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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