Oregon baseball kicked off a new era with the hiring of head coach Mark Wasikowski on June 11th and he wasted no time in signing his first recruit. On Thursday the school announced they had received the letter of intent from San Diego first baseman Anthony Hall who dazzled during his senior season at Point Loma high school with a .366 batting average over 32 games.

What makes those numbers more remarkable is that he achieved them the year after sitting out his junior season due to shoulder surgery. The path back from injury to becoming a high-average guy with power was not an easy one.

“It was very hard for me mentally and physically,” admitted Hall. “Baseball is a big part of my life and something I truly love so when it was stripped away from me so quickly it was pretty hard to deal with. There was always those were days where you kind of just wanted to quit and give up cause it seemed like you would never play again but not quitting has made me play with a chip on my shoulder and has made me want to prove a lot of people wrong. Overall, I truly look at my Tommy John surgery as a blessing in disguise.”

Part of that blessing was a focus in the weight room. The dividends on the field were obvious. As a senior he drove in 23 more runs, had ten more doubles and four more home runs than as a sophomore. In less at bats. Asked to assess himself as a ball player he cited those gains.

“After my surgery I started to lift a lot and became a lot bigger. So I see myself as an athletic physical guy that is versatile on the field.”

The time and efforts he spent rehabilitating paid dividends in recruiting as well, putting himself in position to choose Oregon over offers from New Mexico, San Diego State, Loyola Marymount, Arizona State, UC Irvine and others.

“During my recruitment process I was mainly looking for a good opportunity to play hopefully as a freshman and a place where I can develop mentally and physically as a player,” said Hall. “Oregon offers everything I need and more to do so. Also, I wanted to have a good relationship with the coaching staff and after talking to Coach Waz a couple time we instantly clicked.”

Being the new head coaches’ first signee is something Hall takes pride in.

“It really is an honor because I know Coach Waz is extremely busy since he literally became head coach a week or so ago and him making me a priority before a lot of things means a lot. I’m very excited to play for him and his staff this upcoming season.”

With his letter of intent signed, the next step will be the move to Eugene, something he looks forward to in mid-August.

“When I visited it was beautiful and I’ve heard nothing but good about the area. People also say the fan base is awesome too.”