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For the second time in less than a year, Williams Baptist Coach Frank Lee has delved into the talent pool at Newport High School and inked a promising baseball prospect.
Left-handed pitcher and outfielder Michael Reynolds joined the Eagle baseball program Wednesday, Feb. 1 by signing a Letter-of-Intent in a ceremony in the Newport High School Auditorium under the watchful eyes of his mother and father, Tina and Bryan Reynolds.
The three-sport star admits that "I've always to keep playing and after high school that (college) is the next progression."
"It is great to get to play college baseball. At the end of the season last year I was thinking to myself that if I've only got one more season to play its going to be sad. But now I've got another five counting this high school season."
Four of those next five will be under the charge of Lee, who took over the Eagles program this season, and he could not be happier.
"We are tickled to death to get him," Lee explained. "We are trying to build a conference championship team and I think that with our recruiting class last year and then this one that we are definitely heading in the right direction."
Michael's athleticism was an obvious draw for Lee and WBC following a trip down Highway 67 during football season.
"We knew that Michael was definitely a talented athlete. We had the opportunity to come down and watch him play football and that just confirmed what type of athlete he was watching him play that night against Stuttgart," Lee noted.
"He has tremendous arm strength and speed that we really didn't realize."
As an assistant coach during Michael's freshman year and the head coach the past two, Mark Hindsley has seen a lot of the southpaw and offers high praise for his hurler.
"Michael Reynolds has been the most under-used number two pitcher in the history of Newport."
Hindsley continued, "On any other staff he would be the number one pitcher, but we just have the opportunity to have a kid like Grant Black and he has been our number two. But every other school in the state - maybe - would like to have him as a number one."
According to Hindsley, Michael has great movement on "everything he throws while working in the middle to high 80's with his fastball."
The versatile senior has also played all three outfield spots defensively as well as first base while hitting most everywhere in the lineup.
"His hitting gets progressively better every year and he has worked his way up the lineup. He has been our number one, our number two, I've hit him ninth as a second leadoff hitter. We have used him in every possible way we can in the order. He is an on-base guy, a bunt guy - he has worn many hats for us."
Lee and Michael both agree on his role for Williams Baptist in the future, although the player admits it has not been discussed much.
"I know that pitching and outfield is what I'll be doing until we get up there and start working on stuff and get a better evaluation of my skills."
He added, "Mostly I think my pitching is what I will bring to Williams the most and working hard to get really good at that and then helping out in the outfield with my speed and hitting pretty well."
Hindsley has seen first-hand over the past three seasons the things Michael can accomplish when he works hard to improve.
"Michael's biggest thing is his athleticism but the thing that I noticed about him last year was just how head-strong the kid really is. He doesn't say a lot, he doesn't smile a lot, but the kid has focus."
"When he gets out there, if he gets rattled I don't know it. He just holds it in, keeps pressing on and gets through it. He is the type of kid that will tell me if he's out of gas or has lost it, he knows his limits."
It was over the course of the last two years, Hindsley notes that Michael became a more complete pitcher. While not sure what caused the polishing of his skills, Hindsley was happy to see it.
"I don't know if it was an increase in confidence in himself, or an increase in maturity, or what, but he just had a better aura about himself when he was on the mound and his abilities. His control was better, his stuff was better and it showed in results."
By signing now, Michael fulfills a dream for himself while also allowing himself to actually take a step back and relax before his high school season begins March 2.
"I was also glad to get to sign before the baseball season, get that out of the way and just go out, relax and play my senior year," he said.
"Each year you get a different group of seniors that are the leaders and you get to know them better. Playing with Jarrod (Eddington) and learning a lot and then he went and signed (with Lyon). Then with Ryan (McGaughey) and (Aaron) Newman, that was fun and then Duvey (Matthew Duvall) and Devante (Neal) were always doing something."
"I'm ready to be that guy now. I'm ready to go, its going to be great."
Bryan, has coached him since t-ball and overseen his progression while watching him work on his game.
"I told him he was going to have to find someone else to help him because I had taken him as far as I could on pitching and all that. I told him, 'I've taught you everything I can teach you. I can tell you a few other things but I can't necessarily show you.'"
"It makes you proud to see it all pay off, for sure, especially seeing how much time he put into it," Bryan said.
Michael knew that Williams was the place for him after a recent tour of the campus and facilities with Coach Lee.
"I really liked the field and the facilities they had, the school was nice and I just liked it from the start. All of the classes you had to go to were close and looked like they would be easier to get to than on a large campus. I just felt more comfortable in that smaller setting."
Michael's comfort is something that Bryan can certainly respect.
"We've been thinking about it and talking about it. He has thought about it and thought about it and thought about it. It wasn't a decision he just jumped into, this is something that he gave a lot of thought to," Bryan explained.
"He was real impressed that everything seemed to be so close and easy to get to and I think that played a lot into his decision."
While the NAIA school at Walnut Ridge got a great left-handed hurler, Hindsley is quick to point out that is not all that will arrive in the fall.
"I was telling Coach Lee earlier, not only is Michael a great ballplayer but he is a great person. He is a great student, he is never in trouble, I've never had to talk to him about a grade or a discipline problem. He is just a great kid. He is a great asset for Williams Baptist to get," Hindsley said.
For the second time in less than a year, Williams Baptist Coach Frank Lee has delved into the talent pool at Newport High School and inked a promising baseball prospect.
Left-handed pitcher and outfielder Michael Reynolds joined the Eagle baseball program Wednesday, Feb. 1 by signing a Letter-of-Intent in a ceremony in the Newport High School Auditorium under the watchful eyes of his mother and father, Tina and Bryan Reynolds.
The three-sport star admits that "I've always to keep playing and after high school that (college) is the next progression."
"It is great to get to play college baseball. At the end of the season last year I was thinking to myself that if I've only got one more season to play its going to be sad. But now I've got another five counting this high school season."
Four of those next five will be under the charge of Lee, who took over the Eagles program this season, and he could not be happier.
"We are tickled to death to get him," Lee explained. "We are trying to build a conference championship team and I think that with our recruiting class last year and then this one that we are definitely heading in the right direction."
Michael's athleticism was an obvious draw for Lee and WBC following a trip down Highway 67 during football season.
"We knew that Michael was definitely a talented athlete. We had the opportunity to come down and watch him play football and that just confirmed what type of athlete he was watching him play that night against Stuttgart," Lee noted.
"He has tremendous arm strength and speed that we really didn't realize."
As an assistant coach during Michael's freshman year and the head coach the past two, Mark Hindsley has seen a lot of the southpaw and offers high praise for his hurler.
"Michael Reynolds has been the most under-used number two pitcher in the history of Newport."
Hindsley continued, "On any other staff he would be the number one pitcher, but we just have the opportunity to have a kid like Grant Black and he has been our number two. But every other school in the state - maybe - would like to have him as a number one."
According to Hindsley, Michael has great movement on "everything he throws while working in the middle to high 80's with his fastball."
The versatile senior has also played all three outfield spots defensively as well as first base while hitting most everywhere in the lineup.
"His hitting gets progressively better every year and he has worked his way up the lineup. He has been our number one, our number two, I've hit him ninth as a second leadoff hitter. We have used him in every possible way we can in the order. He is an on-base guy, a bunt guy - he has worn many hats for us."
Lee and Michael both agree on his role for Williams Baptist in the future, although the player admits it has not been discussed much.
"I know that pitching and outfield is what I'll be doing until we get up there and start working on stuff and get a better evaluation of my skills."
He added, "Mostly I think my pitching is what I will bring to Williams the most and working hard to get really good at that and then helping out in the outfield with my speed and hitting pretty well."
Hindsley has seen first-hand over the past three seasons the things Michael can accomplish when he works hard to improve.
"Michael's biggest thing is his athleticism but the thing that I noticed about him last year was just how head-strong the kid really is. He doesn't say a lot, he doesn't smile a lot, but the kid has focus."
"When he gets out there, if he gets rattled I don't know it. He just holds it in, keeps pressing on and gets through it. He is the type of kid that will tell me if he's out of gas or has lost it, he knows his limits."
It was over the course of the last two years, Hindsley notes that Michael became a more complete pitcher. While not sure what caused the polishing of his skills, Hindsley was happy to see it.
"I don't know if it was an increase in confidence in himself, or an increase in maturity, or what, but he just had a better aura about himself when he was on the mound and his abilities. His control was better, his stuff was better and it showed in results."
By signing now, Michael fulfills a dream for himself while also allowing himself to actually take a step back and relax before his high school season begins March 2.
"I was also glad to get to sign before the baseball season, get that out of the way and just go out, relax and play my senior year," he said.
"Each year you get a different group of seniors that are the leaders and you get to know them better. Playing with Jarrod (Eddington) and learning a lot and then he went and signed (with Lyon). Then with Ryan (McGaughey) and (Aaron) Newman, that was fun and then Duvey (Matthew Duvall) and Devante (Neal) were always doing something."
"I'm ready to be that guy now. I'm ready to go, its going to be great."
Bryan, has coached him since t-ball and overseen his progression while watching him work on his game.
"I told him he was going to have to find someone else to help him because I had taken him as far as I could on pitching and all that. I told him, 'I've taught you everything I can teach you. I can tell you a few other things but I can't necessarily show you.'"
"It makes you proud to see it all pay off, for sure, especially seeing how much time he put into it," Bryan said.
Michael knew that Williams was the place for him after a recent tour of the campus and facilities with Coach Lee.
"I really liked the field and the facilities they had, the school was nice and I just liked it from the start. All of the classes you had to go to were close and looked like they would be easier to get to than on a large campus. I just felt more comfortable in that smaller setting."
Michael's comfort is something that Bryan can certainly respect.
"We've been thinking about it and talking about it. He has thought about it and thought about it and thought about it. It wasn't a decision he just jumped into, this is something that he gave a lot of thought to," Bryan explained.
"He was real impressed that everything seemed to be so close and easy to get to and I think that played a lot into his decision."
While the NAIA school at Walnut Ridge got a great left-handed hurler, Hindsley is quick to point out that is not all that will arrive in the fall.
"I was telling Coach Lee earlier, not only is Michael a great ballplayer but he is a great person. He is a great student, he is never in trouble, I've never had to talk to him about a grade or a discipline problem. He is just a great kid. He is a great asset for Williams Baptist to get," Hindsley said.
