Q&A with Bloomington baseball player Adison Worthman
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Baseball has taken Bloomington High School senior Adison Worthman all over the country, including playing in Major League Baseball stadiums. The two-time reigning Big 12 Conference Player of the Year is hoping for a three-peat performance while leading the Purple Raiders to a second straight conference title.
What is your favorite thing about being on the baseball field?
Adison Worthman: Making big-time clutch hits during games.
What do you like to do outside of your sport?
Worthman: I like to play video games and work out.
Ask someone in your family to pick one word to describe you. Who did you pick and what word did they use?
Worthman: I picked my dad, and the word he picked was hard worker because of my work ethic in the classroom and on the baseball diamond.
As an athlete, what is a rule you live by?
Worthman: Being disciplined in everything I do.
What jersey number do you wear?
Worthman: Bo Jackson is one of my favorite athletes. I wear No. 16 because of him.
What is the biggest lesson you鈥檝e learned from baseball?
Worthman: Maintaining emotional control by not getting too low or too high off my performance
What is your favorite baseball facility to play?
Worthman: Grand Park in Westfield, Ind. It鈥檚 a really nice complex with over 40 turf fields, and I鈥檝e played there every year since I was 11.
What has been your favorite memory on the baseball field?
Worthman: I have a lot of great memories on the field. My favorites include playing and getting hits in MLB baseball parks, including Truist Park (Atlanta Braves) and Guaranteed Rate Field (Chicago White Sox).
What has been your favorite memory away from the baseball field?
Worthman: Hanging out and bonding with some of the best baseball players from around the country with the MLB Breakthrough Series in Vero Beach, Fla., and the MLB Dream Series in Tempe, Ariz.
Describe what the recruiting process was like for you.
Worthman: The recruiting process really picked up for me in June 2020 when I ran a 6.5 60-yard dash and had an exit velocity at 103 mph off the bat at a Prep Baseball Report Underclass Showcase. I started receiving phone calls from Power 5 schools that same day. At the time, I couldn鈥檛 go on campus visits because of COVID restrictions, so I would talk to coaches on the phone and Zoom calls frequently. I visited multiple campuses and after my visit to Mizzou in October 2021, I decided to verbally commit.
Why did you choose to commit to the University of Missouri?
Worthman: It is in the Southeastern Conference, which is the best baseball conferences, and it is close to home. I also liked the coaching staff and the diversity of the roster.
What is your favorite meal and who makes it?
Worthman: I love when my mom makes tacos or burrito bowls.
What has been your favorite class in high school?
Worthman: Biology because it deals with genetics.
What is your favorite memory of playing youth sports?
Worthman: Hitting eight home runs at Cooperstown Dreams Park in Cooperstown, N.Y., when I was 12 years old.
If you could be good at any other sport (besides baseball), which sport would it be?
Worthman: Golf, because I think it would help to improve my focus and concentration.
How did you prepare in the offseason for your senior year?
Worthman: I prepared by hitting six days a week, taking tons of fly balls, 100 yards of long toss throwing and watching my diet. I鈥檓 also playing basketball, which helps with speed, agility and quickness.
What movie have you watched the most?
Worthman: Everyone鈥檚 Hero.
What is your go-to restaurant?
Worthman: Moe鈥檚 Southwest Grill.
What food could you eat every day?
Worthman: Chicken and rice.
What household chore do you find satisfying?
Worthman: Cutting the grass. I like to see the line patterns in the grass while cutting.
What is your pregame routine?
Worthman: I do tee work, front toss and take batting practice on the field. I also have a playlist of 13 songs that I listen to before every game.
What will make the Purple Raiders鈥� season a special one?
Worthman: Winning the Big 12 Conference again.
What is the best piece of advice you received from a coach or mentor?
Worthman: When I was at the Dream Series, Harold Reynolds from the MLB Network told us that 鈥減rivate work equals public success.鈥�
This is an unedited user writing submission. The views, information, or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Best Version Media or its employees.