The majority of high school athletes do not make it to college-level athletics. After four years of high school, the dream of becoming a professional athlete tends to remain a dream. Wyatt Sanford, a sophomore at Independence High School (IHS) who just received a full scholarship to play baseball for Texas A&M University (TAMU), says otherwise. 

“When I found out about my scholarship, I was absolutely ecstatic,” Sanford said. “I couldn’t believe that all my hard work had paid off and that my dream school took notice of me.”

For Sanford, baseball was always the path in life he knew he was going to take. 

“I have been watching baseball since I was 3-years-old,” he said. “I have always loved the game and had a different love for baseball than other sports.”

When asked about playing for TAMU, Sanford talked about how it was a decision he and his family knew he was going to make. 

“It has been my dream school ever since I was little,” said Sanford. “My mom went to TAMU and she has always talked to me about how they do things differently than everyone else does.”

Sanford is extremely excited to play baseball for them, and describes them to be one of the big competitors in the league. 

“The new coaching staff that the baseball organization just hired is definitely one of the better ones in the country,” said Sanford. “TAMU has always been a national powerhouse when it comes to baseball and I am elated to be a part of that.”

According to Sanford, baseball scouts from TAMU reached out to him the summer of 2021 to talk about him playing baseball for them.

Although he is already committed, the hard work from Sanford doesn’t end here. In order to maintain his scholarship and spot on the TAMU team, he has to continue working hard both athletically and academically. 

“When it comes to my scholarship, I have to keep being a good student and a good baseball player due to TAMU’s high level curriculum,” said Sanford. “Me working hard now will just prepare me for college.”

But the dream doesn’t end here. Chase Sanford, Wyatt’s father, played professional baseball for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Wyatt hopes to follow in his footsteps.

“Yes, the goal is to make it professionally because I would love to be better than my dad who made the MLB back in the 1990s,” said Sanford. “I remember watching MLB games with my family and just thinking how cool it would be to play baseball for a living when I’m older.”

You can see Sanford along with the IHS baseball team at a scrimmage on Jan. 28, 2022, and a tournament game on Feb. 5, 2022.