Love stories like this.
www.philly.com/philly/sports/P...-Arizona-walkon.html
"For as long as Scott Kingery can remember, he always dreamed of being a professional baseball player. But those dreams looked pretty dim, the Phillies prospect said, when he graduated high school in June of 2012 without a single offer to play Division I baseball.
Kingery had plans to play baseball at a nearby junior college, yet his 5-foot-7 frame was filled with the confidence that he belonged in Division I. He fired emails to college coaches, pleading with them to take another look at the undersized player they had already overlooked.
Kingery, who now seems to be a key piece of the next contending Phillies team, was then just a kid fighting for a chance.
One of his messages reached the University of Arizona, who obliged Kingery’s request and dispatched an assistant coach to the final tournament of the summer. The fall semester was just three weeks away and Kingery’s future was still very much uncertain. Kingery assumed he had already spoiled his chances with the Wildcats after they watched him struggle in a game during the school year. However, that second look swayed them. Arizona was out of scholarships, but the assistant told Kingery he could try and make the team as a recruited walk-on. It was all Kingery needed.
“I just tried to find a way, any way that I could to get someone to give me a shot,” Kingery said. “I played with guys that already had scholarships and thought I had an equal talent level and equal skillset. People always underestimated me because of my size. But I honestly thought that I could get a spot on the team no matter what.”