As the players walked onto the diamond, each were given a Diamondbacks jersey with their name and number on the back. From the moment third-round pick Carson Beck put on the jersey, it was as if he was taken back to his glory days as a do-it-all ball player.
When he was a high school freshman, Beck began receiving offers to play baseball at the SEC level. Originally, Beck committed to Nick Saban and Alabama with the intention of playing both baseball and football. While football is his passion, there remains a love for America’s Pastime.
“I played baseball growing up and really is what I thought I was going to play and try to go pro,” Beck said. “The path changed a little bit. I’ve always enjoyed football a little bit more, but my heart is always with baseball, so this is cool being here.”
But the part that meant the most to Beck was being at the game with his teammates. Before the rest of the rookie class goes on break before training camp, the D-Backs game is another chance to form those bonds.
“It’s good for the for the camaraderie of the team,” Beck said. “We spend a lot of time with each other in the building, and that’s super focused on football and you’re still building chemistry that way, but this is an even better way to build chemistry outside of football where everybody can be themselves.”