Athlete of the Week: Correlle Prime, Manatee High Baseball

Growing up, what other sports did you play besides baseball?: I was a basketball guy, too, growing up. I played a couple of years of football, but I never really got into football that much.

When did you decide to focus solely on baseball?: Probably my seventh-grade year. I had battled knee problems from growing up so fast. My mom (Debra Brooks) and I made a big decision to keep my focus on baseball because I knew I was pretty good at it growing up. I knew that if I worked at it, I knew I could continue to be good at it.

What has this season been like for you and your teammates?: Oh, it has been unreal. It has been a great season. We were talking about it (on Monday) at practice. No matter what happens, this season has been awesome in all aspects. Kids have been coming to the yard every day and working hard. We’ve done what we had to do to get better and not get down on ourselves. I mean, we were on a three-game losing streak earlier in the season and we picked it up going into districts. We battled a lot of adversity to win districts and regionals. It shows just how great all these guys are.

Personally, what have you learned about yourself this season?: Adjusting to the maturity level really gives you a test. You have to show how mature you are by staying levelheaded and staying on the right path. It’s easy to get off the path. There are plenty of things that I could have done besides baseball. I could have hung out with my friends instead of staying longer and getting my extra work in. Just getting better at hitting and pitching and doing everything I could do to make me and my teammates better.

What do you do in your free time?: Not much. I’m pretty much a baseball guy 24-7. I hang out with friends on the team. We try to stay together on the weekends to build that camaraderie. I learn something new every day about my teammates. I love them to death. We just play a lot of video games. Just little kid stuff because we’re all just big kids.

What sports do you follow besides baseball?: I’m a big sports fan. I follow all sports from baseball to hockey to soccer to basketball. All kinds of stuff. I just like watching sports.

What are you looking for in a college/university in terms of academics and baseball?: I’m still undecided. I have been looking around. There are some schools that pop out. I haven’t had a chance to visit too many schools because I have been busy this spring with our season, but hopefully this summer I will take a look at a few schools. Maybe, I’ll be able to make a decision in the next year.

Favorite baseball team: I’m a Red Sox fan.

Favorite baseball player: I never really had a favorite player. When I was younger, Alfonso Soriano used to be my favorite player. I grew out of that. I just like watching the games and all the great players out there.

Favorite subject: I’m in health science. It’s a really interesting class. My mom is a registered nurse, but I never thought about going into the medical field. Once I got to Manatee and started in the medical academy, I learned a lot.

In 10-15 years, where do you see yourself?: Hopefully, I will be making a living in the big leagues and playing in a few All-Star games. Everybody has dreams of the big leagues, and I want to be there for a long time. I feel like I can be. The sky’s the limit.