Carston Williams makes it official and signs to continue his baseball career at Millsaps College. (Submitted photo)
Williams spent the bulk of his time playing short stop while at Shelbyville Central and will anchor a position in the infield, as well as pitch, at Millsaps. (Post File Photo by Chris Siers)
By CHRIS SIERS
csiers@bedfordcountypost.com
Former Shelbyville Central senior Carston Williams got on the radar of Millsaps College early on in the recruiting process during his senior year.
While there were a handful of schools in the mix when it came time to make a decision on where he would pursue a path playing baseball at the college level, in the end, it all came back to Millsaps.
Earlier this spring, Williams made it official and signed his letter of intent to continue playing with the Majors this school year.
“There’s been other schools in the mix, but Millsaps was the first to reach out to me back in October. They were always first on my list. I was getting impatient and not listening to God. Finally, I started listening and I saw the signs of where he wanted me to go. I feel like this is the best fit for me,” Williams said.
It’s been a life-long dream of Williams to continue playing baseball and continue in the family line, following his dad, Jason, and brother Colt.
“I’ve been playing since I was four. I’ve always dreamed of playing college baseball, with my brother and my dad both playing. Our whole family like, being big baseball people. I didn’t know if it was going to happen my freshman year, being a little undersized and not up to speed with everyone else. But, God gave me a good work ethic and I feel like that’s why I’ve been given this opportunity to play,” he said.
Williams was a staple of the Shelbyville Central infield, anchoring the team at short stop, but also being a key member of the Eagle pitching staff as well.
During his senior year, Williams batted .391 with 13 doubles and two home runs, to go with 26 RBIs.
On the mound, he sported a very respectable 1.70 ERA in 11 appearances.
He recorded 55 strikeouts and didn’t allow a single extra base hit, while issuing just 17 walks.
That prowess as two-way player for the Eagles helped secure him playing as a two-way guy at Millsaps.
“They see me as a two-way guy. I don’t know what specific part of the infield I’ll be playing, but I’ll definitely be playing two ways,” he said.
While winning is always fun, Williams has been a key component of the Eagle program that’s turned the corner over the past few seasons, highlighted by a state sectional run that ran through Bradley Central.
But even beyond the winning, the camaraderie in the dugout is what Williams will treasure most moving forward in his baseball career.
“It’s really not even winning. It’s more hanging out and getting to learn everyone. Winning is a great thing, especially our big run at Bradley Central, but I think it’s been able to grow up with these guys and get to know everybody,” he said.
Though many athletes see stresses associated with signing a letter of intent, Williams said it was just exciting and he’s ready to get to work for Millsaps.
“It was exciting. It was a struggle this year trying to figure out where I was going. I’m ready to get to work and see what my future holds for me,” he said.
Millsaps is a NCAA Division III school that competes in the Southern Athletic Association.
