Throughout his high school career, Mark Sevier excelled in every sport he played.
He was the starting kicker on the Oak Hill football team, where he scored 99 of his 112 point after attempts and three of his three field goals, scoring 108 points in four years, according to MaxPreps.
Sevier was a dynamic soccer player as well, collecting 12 goals and 11 assists in his career and playing a key role on Oak Hill’s sectional championship team this past fall.
But Sevier’s first love is baseball, and after committing back on Jan. 22, the Oak Hill senior made it official on Tuesday afternoon, signing his letter of intent to play collegiate baseball at Indiana Tech up in Fort Wayne.
“It’s totally a dream come true,” Sevier said. “It’s going to be so fun playing college baseball. Most people don’t get to play for another four years, and I get a great opportunity to do so. I plan to make the most of it.”
Sevier joins a program rich in tradition and success. Over the last 16 years, the Warriors have averaged 31 wins per season, and in the last five, not including the COVID-19 shortened 2020 campaign, the Warriors have won at least 40 games.
“I think this is a really good fit for him,” Oak Hill Head Coach Shane Edwards said. “Mark is a super athletic kid. He’s got a quick twitch, reads the ball well in the outfield, and he’s strong offensively. [Indiana Tech] is a tremendous program. Sometimes, kids go from a high school program to a college program and it’s an adjustment that depresses them a little bit. That’s not going to be the case with Indiana Tech. They hold them accountable just like we do, and there is a family atmosphere. It’s a winning culture.”
Despite not being able to play his junior year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sevier made tremendous strides this past summer playing for Edwards on the Indiana Prospects travel team, showcasing his speed, athleticism, and his ever-improving offensive production.
“This summer was vital in his development,” Edwards said. “I really saw him progress as a player, and I’m really, really excited for him to get his senior year going.”
Indiana Tech assistant head coach Brent Alwine liked what he saw out of Sevier as well, and wasted little time trying to get him into the fold.
“One, he’s a local kid. We want to own our state with local recruiting,” Alwine said. “Two is his athleticism. Athletes play at the next level. He’s young for his age too, so he is going to mature. His speed will play in our outfield. Having been from this area, and knowing Coach Edwards, he has learned the right way to play baseball. He’s learned the right way to practice and prepare.”
Alwine and Sevier started communications over the summer, and interest ramped up again as the school year got underway. After visiting the campus and talking with the coaches, Sevier was hooked.
Sevier had two other offers, one to kick at the University of Saint Francis and another to play baseball at Ancilla College, but he quickly realized, with guidance from Edwards, that Indiana Tech was the right place to continue his athletic career.
“Everything that their coaches believe in, I believe in too,” Sevier said. “It’s not about me. It’s about a team effort. That’s what Coach Edwards teaches too. I’m just ready to be part of the team and something great.”
As a young player, Sevier will most likely have to earn playing time, especially early on.
However, having watched him grow as a player, and as a man, over the last four years, Edwards is confident that Sevier is ready to step up to the challenge.
“I like his maturity and where he is going,” Edwards said. “I loved him this summer. He really wasn’t just content with being productive on the field – he wanted to do some things a little bit better. I’m excited [for] him.”
While he acknowledged his family and his friend for helping him get to this point, Sevier praised his head coach for believing in him, developing him, and preparing him for the next level.
“He’s prepared me big-time for this moment,” Sevier said. “He’s my coach for football and two baseball teams. He’s been the biggest part of my baseball life than anybody, and also, he developed me into a better man. I can’t thank him enough.”
Sevier still has one more high school season to play, and he is ready to go to war with his teammates this coming spring.
But while he is wearing the blue and gold, he will be thinking about the orange, black, and grey.
“I just wish I could hop in that uniform today and get started,” Sevier said. “I don’t want to say goodbye to baseball, so I’m not going to take it for granted. I’m just going to keep playing and do my thing.”
