DIVISION 1 BASEBALL COMMITMENT — Northern Iowa Area Community College batter Eli Anderson has a hit during a college baseball game. The former Fairmont High School three-time standout in his sport has committed to play baseball at Purdue, an NCAA Division I program, next season. (Photo provided by Eli Anderson family)
FAIRMONT — Eli Anderson will leave the Fairmont Cardinals baseball program as a state champion in 2022 to pursue his dreams and begin his path to college baseball, with his first stop being North Iowa Area Community College ( NIACC).
He was a Fairmont Sentinel All-Area performer as a senior participating in state hardware.
Since then, Anderson has changed positions and adapted to the difference between the two levels of play.
“After coming to NIACC, the game became a lot faster and I had to focus more on hitting bases and getting to the ball quickly, instead of the mindset I had in high school of trying to hit the ball as far as possible. .” Anderson said. “In high school, I played third base, catcher and pitcher. I had never played in the outfield. It's a slower position mentally, but the ball comes at you much faster.”
Anderson has just committed to play baseball at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, and is preparing for a new change of scenery.
When asked about the added pressure as he moves up the rankings, Anderson kept his answer simple.
“My dream was always to get drafted or go D-1. As you get older, a lot of your goals and dreams change.” Anderson said. “Right now I’m just grateful for the situation I’m in because it’s almost a dream come true.”
So far, Anderson has performed well at the collegiate level. As a freshman in the NIACC, he hit .378 with a .424 on-base percentage and a .513 slugging percentage.
As a sophomore in the NIACC, he has improved in several areas and maintained steady numbers while converting from corner outfield to center field.
Anderson has a batting average of .389, an on-base percentage of .414, and a slugging percentage of .556.
Anderson is trying to stay calm and not put too much pressure on himself.
“I think in high school I was more focused on doing my best and putting more pressure on myself. Now I try to have more fun.” Anderson said. “Even after we won state, I went home and cried at the end of the season. I wish I had more fun. That's true of all sports.”
Anderson also talked about some of the factors that influenced his decision to play at Purdue next year.
He alluded to the improvements in baseball's Big Ten Conference in recent years.
“I had a few other schools interested, so my goal was to go somewhere with a chance to win and have fun.” Anderson said. “Improving the conference has been on my mind lately, with the California schools and Purdue joining in and doing well. But the first goal is to get on the field and help win. ”
Anderson doesn't seem fazed by the idea of climbing the competitive ladder once again.
“At the end of the day, even though the name has changed, we still have the same baseball stadium in our hearts.” Anderson said. “The competition will be even better, but it will also experience new challenges.
“In baseball, you can fail 70 percent of the time and still do well.”
Anderson has big league dreams and is well on his way to getting there. His numbers speak for themselves and his mindset seems to be in a great place.
When asked about the possibility of achieving that lifelong goal, Anderson didn't mince words about how much it meant to him.
“My ultimate goal is to get drafted. That's been my dream since I was 4 or 5 years old.” Anderson said. “I want to play until I physically can't play anymore. I think that will lead to being drafted. If I can stay consistent in my mindset, I think it's still a possibility.”
