By Caley Breese
"Focused” is a very fitting word to describe 17-year-old Garrett Nepert as he continues his final season of varsity baseball at Colonel Richardson High School in Federalsburg. With a lot of determination and motivation, he isn't letting anything get in his way of a successful senior season.
Nepert, who hails from Preston, Maryland, has been playing baseball since he was just four years old. He was inspired to play by his father, who also loves the sport and played as well. It was always a bonding opportunity for the two, according to Nepert. Additionally, he has played club baseball for the past nine years, competing with the Midshore Bucks and the Mizuno Aces.
When it comes to high school baseball, Nepert has a pretty rigorous schedule. Out of season, he has workouts on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays; then practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays without their coaches. When he's in season, he explains that they workout and practice every day including Saturdays, as well as play games three times per week.
The hard work that Nepert, a catcher, has put into baseball has continued to pay off. He has been awarded with several honors, including 2017 first-team All-Bayside, 2017 Prep Baseball Report (PBR) first-team Maryland All-State, Colonel Richardson baseball's 2017 MVP, as well as team captain.
“It feels great to be honored for all of the hard work I put in. I couldn't have done it without my teammates,” Nepert says humbly. “They definitely helped me a lot and pushed me to get better each day. I want to thank them and my parents.”
Baseball isn't the only activity that Nepert stays busy with. He's very involved with his school, as a member of the National Honor Society and the Spanish National Honor Society. Nepert is also a member of the Leo Club Program, a youth organization that is part of Lions Club International, for which representatives volunteer in their communities. On top of baseball and other extracurricular activities, Nepert is on his high school's honor roll and maintains a 3.92 GPA. He's also received multiple Minds in Motion awards, an honor for student-athletes who earn at least a 3.25 GPA while participating in a school-sponsored sport.
“With academics, I just try to get as much work done as possible in school,” he explains. “I stay
really focused, and I try to get it done before baseball.”
Nepert's determination and focus will help him continue to be successful as he plans to continue his athletics career in college. Although he was looking at many schools, such as the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Bridgewater College, and Randolph-Macon College, come fall, Nepert will be attending North Carolina Central University to play NCAA Division I baseball. He intends to study exercise and sports medicine with hopes of pursuing a graduate degree in physical therapy. Nepert says he is excited to continue to play baseball and push himself harder at the collegiate level.
We wish Nepert the best in his college baseball career, and hope that it leads him to the major leagues.
