As a sophomore on Mead’s Varsity baseball team, Austin Miller (‘24) is a key player on the roster. He is ranked number 19 in Colorado and number four shortstop.

“These last few games, [I was 2nd batter in the lineup] and being able to be in the top half is really important,“ said Miller.

He continued, “And then starting shortstop — that’s also a pretty big role in itself.”

He said while he loves the sport, naturally, there are some challenges that come along with it. He said “being able to play with failure” has been difficult, and that it’s important to “wip[e] the slate clean.”

Miller said that being able to play in the midst of hardships and never give up is a crucial skill. He said his coaches over the years have taught him to move on and play through the struggles, which is some of the best advice he has received.

As a young athlete, he mentioned that colleges have been talking to him about opportunities to play after high school. “I’m [talking] with a couple schools, so I plan on going on four years, any level, and just continue my baseball career,” he said.

While he’d be excited to play in college in any division, a big goal of his is to play Division 1, the top level where recruiting is most important. Most future players come out of D1 to the MLB (Major League Baseball). College opportunities would provide a great career path.

The personal growth and development that baseball has given Miller throughout his life has been incredibly impactful.

“One of the biggest things is that it’s helped me learn how to deal with failure and learn how to deal with negative impacts of those hardships,” he said. “[Baseball opens] up a lot of relationships for me and helped me develop myself as a person.”

Along with playing for the school’s team, Miller also competes for Nomadic baseball, a travel team he plays for during the summer. He played for their Perfect Game Fall Series (15u) team out of Arizona, which was a huge success.

Miller said it was an honor to play in such a big tournament.