In December of 2019, senior Drew Kral announced that he would be committing and playing baseball at Fitchburg State University in college.

“I just always wanted to play,” Kral said. “Since tee-ball at the Walpole Recreation Center when I was four years old, I have had a passion for the game.”

After the T-ball season, Kral decided that he wanted baseball to occupy his adolescent years. He watched the older boys play for Walpole High School’s team, dreaming about himself in the future on the same baseball diamonds.

Throughout the years building up to high school, Kral grew up with a baseball oriented life. It did not take him long to realize that playing for Walpole baseball teams was not enough playing time to fulfill his passion.

“I played ball for the MWS Devils for years,” Kral said. “They helped me build my recruiting portfolio, where college coaches could check out my stats as a player.”

Kral pushed himself in both local and club teams. Before he knew it, he was playing as often as possible, even in summers and off seasons. By the beginning of high school, he was playing more baseball than ever, improving his stats and playing games 

“I played in both regular league games and also a lot of summer tournaments, which usually were in front of recruiting college coaches,” Kral said. “It definitely got intimidating at times.”

Kral’s motivation came from his family, who pushed him throughout his childhood and high school years to improve enough to play college baseball.

Kral’s Walpole High School baseball career also played a large factor in his decision to continue playing in college. He recalled some of his favorite moments, such as winning his first Super 8 game against St. John’s Prep in his junior year.

The Super 8, or the MIAA Division A1 baseball championship, is the annual high school baseball tournament that takes place in June every year. A selection committee is in charge of picking the top eight public and private schools in Massachusetts to compete in the tournament. In the 2019 Super 8 tournament, Walpole advanced to the semi finals after beating St. John’s Prep 7-2. In the semi finals, Walpole faced North Andover and lost 6-0. 

As a senior, Kral turned his focus to committing to a college where he could continue to play baseball. In December, the head coach of Fitchburg State University, Kevin Barnaby, reached out to Kral.

“I was not sold on FSU at first,” Kral said. “I knew it was not in the best part of Massachusetts, and I did not know much about the campus.”

However, after touring the school, Kral knew that he was meant to spend the next four years there. Previously knowing little about FSU, Kral was impressed by the campus and it did not take long before he made the official decision to attend the school. 

“I have goals set to progress mentally as a player, and I think FSU is where I will have the chance to become a smarter overall athlete,” Kral said. “I am looking forward to continuing to play for the next four years.”