JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (EYT) – For many years, DuBois native Garrett Prosper has seen his alma mater, community, and his own career prosper through baseball. But it was not without some hurdles and changes along the way.
(Photo above courtesy of University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Athletics.)
One of the biggest challenges Prosper faced in his earliest days of baseball was he was kind of awkward as an athlete. He didn’t quite understand his body and hadn’t grown into it yet. It’s a very normal thing for young athletes, but it was often frustrating as the group of friends he grew up with in DuBois excelled on the diamond from an early age.
Several of his Little League All-Star teammates went on to play sports in college, including several who continued playing baseball. It was around this time that Prosper fell in love with the game. He played with a very competitive group and showed flashes of what kind of ball player he could grow to be.
But it wasn’t just about potential. It was about fulfilling that promise he was showing. In order to do that, he had to begin putting in the extra time to take strides as a player. Which is exactly what he did by working with great coaches in the area who knew how to help him play baseball for years to come and past high school.
One of his first baseball mentors was one of his closest friends’ fathers, Dan Miknis. Dan was there not just to throw him batting practice and help him work on his defensive abilities, but as an additional father figure who believed in him and had his genuine future interests in mind.“He’s always believed in me and pushed me to get better. Having him there as positive reinforcement mentally as well as as I worked to get better has been super important. He still even regularly checks in on me to see how I’m doing.”
Not long after he started working with Miknis did former professional ball player Adam Fox come into his life. Fox has served as the Head Baseball Coach for DuBois Central Catholic for several years and began working with baseball players in the area a few years prior to becoming head coach. “I can remember meeting him at 12 years old and he shaped my mentality as a player and my swing. He helped to teach the high level ideas of the game at a young age. But most importantly, he showed me the importance of staying grounded and neutral through a game.”
Along the way, he also met another critical figure in former Florida Gator infielder Jerico Weitzel. Weitzel was his travel ball for the Northeast Twins and was another key figure in his baseball journey. Especially when it came time to think about recruiting and seeking competition beyond District 9 and the immediate area. Though these coaches were fundamental in his progression over the years, Prosper put in the extra time to help reach one of his goals in baseball, which was to play at the college level.
It showed on the diamond for the DuBois Central Catholic Cardinals as he became a four-time letter winner, a two-time District 9 champion, a two-time first-team All Tri-County All-Star, and a two-time Allegheny Mountain League All-Star. “It was a blessing to play alongside that group of guys and a winning culture,” noted Prosper. “I felt every team I was a part of had a chance to win a state championship. Even if we fell short, we knew it wouldn’t be long before they got one and made even bigger strides. I will always remember those times as exciting and fun and the opportunities that set me up for the next stage.”
Photo courtesy of Ali Single.
The extra swings, fielding reps, and lifting sessions before school paid off and Prosper received offers to play at the next level. A mix of mid-major Division I and high-level Division II programs were interested in him as a first-baseman and outfielder, including Slippery Rock University, where he spent the first two seasons of his college career. But in those two seasons, Prosper did not receive playing time in his first season because the COVID-19 pandemic forced the year to be postponed and the canceled partway through the season. His second season was also difficult as he did not receive a role on the team like he had hoped. With an unsure future, Prosper felt he needed to start fresh and find another opportunity to continue playing college baseball. Truly, he had a hard time with it and even questioned his future as a college player.
After entering his name in the transfer portal, he was contacted by the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown (UPJ) with a scholarship offer to continue playing ball in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). After speaking with the coaching staff and his family and those he trusts in baseball, he decided to become a UPJ Mountain Cat and held on to four-years of eligibility that started in the 2022 season. The change has made all the difference to him. In two seasons, he’s appeared in 61 games and has recorded 34 hits, 30 runs batted in, scored 23 runs, and belted seven home runs.
Even more than a change in programs, the reps he had from playing for the Auburn Doubledays of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League. His three summers playing for the organization helped show him he had it in him to compete with some of the best college players in the country, regardless of division. He helped the organization make three straight postseason appearances, and this was a true test of not just his ability, but his love for the game. The season is short, but there are games virtually every day for two straight months before the playoffs begin. Living at the baseball field is just a little short of an exaggeration for players in these summer collegiate leagues.
After playing for the Doubledays, he gained some of his confidence back heading into the 2021 season. It helped to make one of his biggest moments in his college career possible, which was his first collegiate home run against Concord. When he was rounding the bases, he held back tears because of the previous two seasons not going to plan. Later in the game, he hit his second big fly of the game and recalls it as a moment in which he felt like he was floating. “I just remember getting back to the dugout and feeling that sense of relief like ‘finally’. All that time and energy for almost three years in college baseball finally paid off, and those moments proved it.”
Looking back at one of his greatest moments in college made him think back to the City Classic baseball game when the DCC Cardinals took on the DuBois Beavers. In his senior season, he knocked in the only run in a 1-0 pitcher’s duel. He also made a diving stop to help seal the game in the late innings. These sorts of moments make baseball such a romantic game; despite whether people deny it being that way.
As Garrett Prosper gets ready for season number five of college baseball and to finish his degree in business management and marketing in May, he can’t help but to feel blessed for the opportunities he has in front of him. Though he’s made a difference for UPJ in each of the last two seasons, he has not been fully healthy as he had a lengthy illness and a broken thumb that forced him to miss time and not complete an entire season. He and those closest to him hope 2024 can be a year in which he unlocks even more potential that he has shown over the years. “No matter what happens from now on, I’ll always be thankful for the time my family has invested in my love for baseball. It’s refreshing to look out and see my family, friends, and girlfriend there sacrificing their time to support me,” he said.
Photo courtesy of Ali Single.
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