Earlier this week, Kentucky Baseball received a commitment from Houston King.
King, a talented 5-11 outfielder for Cabot High School, announced his commitment via his Twitter account on Wednesday night. He was an all-conference performer as a freshman in the 7A Central and helped lead his Cabot High School team to a 7A state championship.
King may only be a sophomore this fall, but coach Kevin Bohannon already sees the talent that will translate to success in the SEC and the college level.
“He is a very good athlete that works to better his game,” said Bohannon. “He’s the kind of kid that will thrive in the culture being built by Coach Mingione and Coach Fanning.”
King is improving every day and according to Bohannon, he is hitting .423 through 14 games this summer.
“We are really excited for him and look forward to watching him grow the next few years,” said Bohannon.
Bohannon isn’t the only one excited about the next few years and what waits in Lexington. King has no doubt that Lexington is the place for him as a student, person, and player, which is Mingione’s model that he wants his players to follow.
“I felt Kentucky was the best fit for me because of how great the coaches were and how they not only want me to develop as a baseball player, but they also want to develop me as a person,” said King. “Which will help me after I get out of college.”
King took his visit to Lexington in February and walked away feeling wanted by everyone around the program.
“On the visit I was treated better than any other visit I’ve been on,” said King. I got to talk to all of the coaches, the players were great people, and the tour was very thorough.”
King is an all around player, but when asked about his biggest strength, King said,
“My ability to hit the baseball to all parts of the field with gap to gap power.”
He is a very talented player and with three years remaining in high school, King knows he still has time to improve all aspects of his game and he knows what those areas are.
“I need to improve my arm strength and just need to polish up my defensive skills in the outfield.”
Players have praised Coach Mingione and Coach Fanning ever since they arrived in Lexington and King walked away impressed by both.
“They are both very energetic and very nice coaches that will always do what’s best for the team.”
King still has a while before he arrives in Lexington and he feels that being committed early is a positive.
“Making my decision so early in my high school career helps me focus more on my game”, said King. “I love that I don’t have to worry about going to different camps and everything, but I still need to work hard so that I will get to play when I get to Kentucky.”
King is a new name to Kentucky fans, but it will not be that way for long. King was asked what fans should expect to see when he arrives on campus in a few years and his response will make fans eager for his arrival.
“A good teammate that will do anything to win, but also a high energy player that will always work hard to improve his game.”
The Kentucky program is on the rise in the nation and high character players like King are the future. Kentucky will get a winner when King steps onto the field, but for now, King will look to add more hardware to the trophy case at Cabot High School before landing in Lexington.
Houston, we have no problem.
Check out King’s smooth swing below
Image from @houston_king25
