The Oregon baseball team has shot out to an 11-6 record on the back of a deep roster. However, after 17 games, freshman outfielder Anthony Hall is still searching for a starting role, despite contributing as a pinch-hitter.
In 2020, Hall started 12 of the Ducks’ 14 games before the season was canceled, but this year he’s only appeared in the starting lineup seven times.
Hall is no stranger to overcoming obstacles. During his junior year at Point Loma High School, he watched from the sideline as his teammates competed on the field. Missing the entire year after hurting his arm during the USA baseball tournament the summer before. The injury required Tommy John surgery and a full year of recovery.
“Anthony would show up in a brace and act as a coach,” Point Loma High School baseball coach Jeff Solis said. “If he couldn’t demonstrate a drill he would be talking to younger players.”
For high school baseball players, a successful junior year is crucial to attracting interest from college scouts, and Hall missed out on that opportunity. Although Hall couldn’t leave his mark on the field that year, his presence as a coach and a mentor for the younger players was invaluable.
The younger players at Point Loma gained a lot from Hall’s coaching, but the time away from the field helped Hall prepare for his return the following season. When he returned for his senior season, the center-fielder did not miss a beat as he led his school to a record 24 wins.
The accolades kept coming for Hall during his senior year. Even before schools regained interest in the centerfielder, he heard his name called at the major league level during the 2018 MLB draft.
“There wasn’t a ton of hope going into the draft,” Hall’s father, Tony, said. “On the third day my phone lit up and my friend said, ‘Your kid just got drafted.’”
The Atlanta Braves drafted Hall in the 35th round. He attended multiple prospect camps in Atlanta with their fellow draft picks before deciding that he would attend college rather than go straight to the MLB. Although Anthony chose to go an alternative route, being drafted was a culmination of all his perseverance.
“He’s been through a lot and came all the way back,” Tony said. “Just the fact that he got drafted was rewarding to us all.”
Once Hall decided to attend college the offers started to pile up. He determined that college was the right path late in his senior year. Therefore, by the time high school graduation came around, Hall had not committed to a school.
“Everything changed when Coach [Wasikowski] got hired at Oregon,” said Tony. “The phone rang and he said, ‘You need to get up here.’”
Hall and his father made the trip up to Eugene the following week and on their flight back home Hall said, “Oregon checked all the boxes, and I feel like I belong here.”
Hall made an immediate impact on Oregon baseball as he hit the first home run of his college career during the team’s tournament in Hawaii just a week before the 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns.
Hall has also become a role model for his former high school teammates who hope to play college baseball in the coming years.
“When the Ducks played UC Irvine, some of the seniors went up to watch the game to watch Anthony and congratulate him,” Coach Solis said.
His on-field achievements have inspired his teammates and helped Oregon win baseball games. But it is his growth off the field that has made his dad proud.
“I really want him to understand what he’s capable of and where he fits in,” Tony said. “I want him to figure out who he is on the baseball field and off.”
As the Oregon baseball season progresses, Hall will continue to prove why he deserves that starting spot. Even without a consistent role, his time at Oregon has helped him grow, both on the field and off of it.
