Drew Williams made a verbal commitment to play baseball at UC Santa Barbara in May 2015. On Thursday, Williams made things official, signing a letter of intent in the office of San Benito High School District Superintendent John Perales. Even though the senior shortstop knew this moment was coming for a while, he felt a wave of overwhelming joy when he signed his letter of intent.
“It’s freaking awesome,” he said. “I’ve been waiting for this for so long. It’s a really big deal for me and my family, just knowing I’m going to start a new chapter in my life soon.”
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Williams realized a dream with the signing, having grown up with the goal of playing baseball for a Division I program. UC Santa Barbara finished 43-20-1 last year and advanced to the College World Series. So it’s no reason why Williams had a laser-eye focus on playing for the Gauchos once they expressed interest.
“Knowing how good the baseball program is at Santa Barbara makes it that much more exciting for me that I’ll be playing there,” he said.
Once Williams aged out of playing Hollister Little League, he started playing travel ball. For the last three or four years, Williams has been with California Club Baseball, one of the best club programs in the state. The UC Santa Barbara coaches first noticed Williams at a showcase tournament two years ago.
Williams said he had a number of people to thank, including his parents, grandfather and several friends, many of whom were in attendance to watch the signing. Williams held everything in but almost broke when he saw his mom wiping away tears.
“It was a cool moment,” Williams said. “This was something I’ve worked hard for, and something I couldn’t have done without the support of so many people. For everyone to say kind words about me really meant a lot.”
Williams said his grandfather, Don, drove to Carson City a couple of times to watch him in tournaments. No doubt Williams has been appreciative of his grandfather’s effort.
“He never misses any of my games,” Williams said. “He’s always been there for me.”
Travel ball has been over for a couple of months, but that hasn’t stopped Williams from working on his game. If Williams is not taking batting practice at his home, he’s at the Blackjacks facility in downtown.
“You take breaks here and there, but you never want to go too long in between taking swings,” he said. “You’ve always got to be prepared for when the season comes along.”
