Sam Abbott made his professional baseball career across five countries before returning to the United States to play college water polo as a 27-year-old freshman at Long Beach State, lanacion.com.ar reported.
Abbott enrolled at Long Beach State in the spring, arriving just ahead of a new NCAA Division I eligibility model that grants five seasons of competition over a five-year period starting with full-time enrollment or the academic year after a player turns 19, whichever occurs first. According to wral.com, waiting until the fall term would have made him ineligible.
The Chicago White Sox selected Abbott in the eighth round of the 2017 amateur draft after he batted .438 during his senior year at Curtis High School in University Place, Washington. He played four seasons in the minor leagues without reaching the majors, later continuing his professional baseball career in Canada, Nicaragua, Australia, the Dominican Republic, and the United Arab Emirates, wral.com reported.
The grind and everything that you hear, the stories, it’s true, but like I wouldn’t trade it for anything,
Abbott told wral.com. It was so much fun. I have a lot of good friends, now lifelong friends. I’ve been part of weddings because of the minor league experience. I’ve got to travel. … I really got good life experience because of baseball.
Back issues prompted surgery last year for the first baseman, prompting him to evaluate his athletic future. After checking his fitness at an open swim at his high school and posting a strong time at an alumni meet, he reconnected with Gavin Arroyo, who took over the Long Beach State water polo program in 2006, lanacion.com.ar reported.
Abbott is a center defender for Long Beach State, reuniting with Arroyo, his former coach in the U.S. development program. The 6-foot-4 finance major has recorded six goals, three assists, 10 steals, and five blocks this season for the 49ers, wral.com reported.
Long Beach State improved its record to 16–8 following a 12–10 victory over UC Irvine on Friday night. Arroyo noted that Abbott brings valuable maturity and professionalism to the roster.
There’s some long-term thinking just inherent in being older and not sweating the little stuff and not being so reactive to every little thing,
Arroyo told wral.com.
Abbott acknowledged the unusual dynamic of beginning his collegiate athletic career at age 27 alongside younger teammates. The word I always kind of say is different,
Abbott told wral.com.
I don’t think it’s good or bad. I don’t think that’s a fair assessment. I think different is the way I describe it. You know I’m older than pretty much everybody. I have more experience than everybody. I’ve done different stuff. And I think that’s valuable to these guys.
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