ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Tyler Baum

Tyler Baum, a rising senior pitcher for the West Orange Warriors, has had an eventful summer playing for the Orlando Scorpions Prime team. Baum helped pitch the Scorpions to the 2015 17U Perfect Game World Series Championship and, in recognition of his efforts, was named a Perfect Game All-American. As a result, Baum — who earned a win and save while reaching 95 mph with his fastball during the tournament — will participate in the Perfect Game All-American Game Aug. 16 at PetCo Park in San Diego.

What have you been doing this summer?

I’ve traveled with the Scorpions Prime Team. We went to Atlanta for two weeks with the Perfect Game Elite Round Robin and the WWBA National Championship. We lost in the quarterfinals of that. The following week, we went to Arizona, we strived to win our rings and we finally won them. Then I went to Tampa for the East Coast Showcase where (more than) 400 scouts came and watched some of the top 150 kids on the East Coast.

What do you like about baseball?

Being able to come out here with my friends, not have any worries, work as one group, one unit like as a family and come together. And the goal is to win games.

Who is your favorite player?

My favorite player is Zack Greinke — he’s a local boy, (an) MLB All-Star. He’s from Apopka and has nice flow.

You’re going into your senior year of high school. How are you feeling about that?

It’s good. Coming in here as a freshman, I came from Foundation Academy, a little private school, (so) it’s a big change. But I grew into liking the big atmosphere of 4,000-plus kids (at West Orange) and getting to go to all the social events, football games and activities.

What is your favorite subject in school?

Science, because I like to explore and learn about new things and the new technology that they’re inventing.

What’s your least favorite subject?

English. I’m not a big  fan of writing.

Do you have any pets at home?

I have two pets. I have one Anatolian shepherd named Sheeba and a little Yorkie-Shih Tzu mixed named Sadie. Sheeba is 8 and Sadie is 2, and I also have a bearded dragon — I forgot about him.

What kind of music do you like?

I like everything — a little bit of hip hop/ rap, country. I like it all.

What’s your favorite TV show?

I just watched it on Netflix, it’s actually “Breaking Bad.” 

How have you seen your pitching improve with all of the experiences you’ve had recently?

Going into freshman and sophomore year, I was basically an outfielder, and that’s what I thought I would be playing here when I got to varsity team. Over my sophomore summer, going into my junior year, I hit 90 mph, which is kind of like, “You might go to college now,” so I was pretty happy about that. Working with coach Jesse Marlo and the Scorpions, I have increased my velocity, so it’s been great, but without my teammates, it wouldn’t have been possible.

Do you have a favorite pitch to throw?

My primary pitch would be my fastball; then I’d go with my curveball. It keeps people off balance and has pretty good downward movement. Then my changeup moves down and away and keeps them off-balance.

You’ve recently committed to the University of North Carolina. How are you feeling about that?

Before, I was just hoping to get some attention from college scouts, and, thankfully, I’ve done that. I’m proud to say that I’ve committed to the University of North Carolina. Now, the attention from the pro scouts — it’s a little overwhelming. It’s crazy to think that, just over a year ago, I was just another kid trying to go to college to play baseball.