Q & A With Top Prospect Preston Tucker

I recently talked with Preston Tucker, a sophmore at the University of Florida. Preston is the first college player to complete a Q & A with me and had a great season last year. The 6'0 215 first basemen out of PlantHigh School in Florida, batted .364 with 15 home runs and 85 RBI's on his way to becoming a First Team Freshman All-American. I project Preston to go in the first round, with his name being called sooner then later.

1. First off, a little belated, but congrats on being selected to the 2009 Freshman All-American Team. Did the year go as you expected or was it even better? What did making this team mean to you?

1. Thanks. I set very goals for myself in the beginning of the season so when I struggled in the beginning, it did not go how i would have liked. But at the end, my stats were where i hoped they would be.

2. The Gators seem to have a good core of players from last years team and the coaches brought in one of the better recruiting classes in the country for this year. What are the expectations of the team this year and what are you guys doing to accomplish them?

2. This year's team looked great during the fall. We are not nearly experienced as we were last year but there is a ton more talent on this team. We have a bunch of freshmen who are step in and become impact players from the start of the season.

3. Was commiting to Florida out of high school an easy decision for you?

3. It was a very easy decision. I wanted to be close to home so it was convenient and coach O'Sullivan was very enthusiastic about having me become a part of the program so i felt very comfortable from the beginning. Some other schools I considered were FSU, Miami, Clemson and Duke

4. What is your favorite personal baseball memory?

4. My best memory is the 3-run HR at georgia to tie the game in the 9th. We had won the first two games in dramatic fashion and were on a big win streak. It allowed us to sweep the series and was a huge swing in the SEC east standings.

5. What are you plans for playing ball this summer?

5. I am playing for the Orleans Firebirds in the Cape Cod League.

6. Being one of the top players nationally for your class, how does that make you feel and what effect does it have on your dailly life?

6. Obviously there's a bit of a sense of pride but football kinda overshadows everything else here at UF so not much in my everyday life has changed haha

7. Last question. Who is your favorite player and your favorite team to follow?

7. I've lived in Tampa my whole life so my favorite team is the Tampa Bay Rays. A couple of my favorite players are Ken Griffey, Jr. and Justin Morneau.