Putzig shows grit, determination to prove himself as Tech's 2018 Man of the Year

By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It was nearly 100 degrees in the sweltering Texas heat in June. Braving the astroturf field at the University of Texas' UFCU Disch-Falk Field, Tennessee Tech senior third baseman Trevor Putzig was fighting more than just the temperatures.

But among many other things during his career in Cookeville, Putzig was a fighter. He was also an academic, a pillar in the Tech community, and, of all things, a licensed pilot.

In what ended up being a whirlwind six-week span, Putzig graduated from Tennessee Tech, helped lead the Golden Eagles to its – and the Ohio Valley Conference's – first NCAA Super Regional berth, then was one of eight Tech players drafted in the 2018 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

Many student-athletes would be thrilled with just one of those things, but over the course of his career, Putzig was able to accomplish much, much more.

With that, Putzig was an overwhelming choice for Tech's 2018 Man of the Year Award, earning the honor against an impressive senior class that included Kajon Mack (men's basketball), Elliott Normand (football), Mason Ramsey (men's basketball) and A.J. Wilkerson (men's golf).

"Winning the Man of the Year Award was very special to me and my family," Putzig said. "I think the fact that it was my last year at Tennessee Tech and to go out with this award, it just really shows how hard work and dedication really pays off."

Putzig showed grit, determination and persistence many times over his career, but his senior campaign proved a bit more of a grind than most.

Late in the season, just days after earning his degree in finance, Putzig injured his hamstring during the Golden Eagles' win at Vanderbilt. He took one more at-bat during the final two series of the regular season, but returned for the OVC Tournament in Oxford, Ala.

With a trip to the College World Series in the Golden Eagles' sights, Putzig wasn't going to miss the opportunity.

During the conference tournament, he tried his hardest to get the Golden Eagles a second straight OVC postseason title, driving in four runs in the title games against Morehead State. And while Tech fell in those final two games in Oxford, Ala., it wasn't the end as the Golden Eagles earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Oxford Regional.

Tech took the first game against Missouri State 6-4, then fell in a close 9-8 battle to host Ole Miss. The Golden Eagles then eliminated the Bears 2-1, setting up the regional championship against the homestanding Rebels.

And no matter how much pain he felt, he wasn't going to miss this opportunity.

"The last day at Ole Miss sort of felt like destiny to me," Putzig said, "especially because when I woke up that day, I was barely able to walk because my hamstring was hurting so bad from the two games the day before. I talked to Coach (Matt) Bragga before the game and just sort of felt hopeless – I really didn't think I would be able to play.

"Coach Bragga was able to pick me up and get my mind right and pretty much told me I was still one of the best third basemen in the country even on one leg. So to have a coach with that much confidence in me and belief in me really helped me contribute that final day in Oxford."

Contribute is an understatement. In Tech's 15-5 victory over Ole Miss in the first game on June 3, Putzig went 2-for-4 with a walk and two RBI. Then, in the Golden Eagles' 3-2 win that punched Tech's ticket to the NCAA Super Regional in Austin, he went 1-for-3 – the game-tying home run in the sixth inning that kept Tech's hopes alive before Kevin Strohschein knocked in John Ham with the go-ahead and game-clinching sacrifice fly in the seventh.

"Winning that regional just showed that our team was relentless and we weren't scared of anybody," Putzig said. "We loved the pressure and we worked all year for that moment. Everyone on our team deserved that dog pile."

Since the NCAA Super Regional format was introduced in 1999, no OVC baseball team had ever reached that point, much less win five games in the NCAA's postseason event like Tech did. Even before the Golden Eagles stepped foot on the airplane and took off for Austin, what Tech had done was already special.

The Golden Eagles spent most of the season ranked in the Top 25 polls, but their efforts had validation. People were talking about Tech baseball, the community rallied behind them dressed in their purple and gold. Tennessee Tech was on the baseball map, which, for most around the Golden Eagle program, was overdue and a long time coming because the success certainly didn't happen overnight.

No matter what happened from that point, it was already a special year for the Golden Eagles, so one couldn't blame them for trying to make it a step further.

"The Super Regional was a stage we all dreamed of being on," Putzig said. "Being on TV every day and having your friends and family all over the country and cheering you on is something special. Being able to represent Tennessee Tech at that stage was awesome."

However, there was another special day just before the Golden Eagles made the trip to Texas. On June 7, eight Tech players saw their names picked in the MLB First-Year Player Draft. Putzig was selected in the 17^th round, the 505^th pick overall, by the Baltimore Orioles.

Once the Golden Eagles made the trip, Tech won the first game 5-4 and was one win away from the College World Series in Omaha, Neb.

However, as the Super Regional wore on, it became visible that Putzig was in pain. But the senior was determined to keep fighting it off and do what he could do to keep Tech's season alive.

The host Texas Longhorns went on to take the second two games 4-2 and 5-2.

"Obviously being just one win away from Omaha will sort of haunt me forever," Putzig said, "but I think it just shows that life is never easy. Nobody on our team ever expected to lose a game, so getting beat two times in a row was tough to take. Being able to overcome adversity is what I had to learn and understand while being at Tennessee Tech."

Both times the team made the return trip back to Cookeville – from Oxford, Miss., and Austin, Texas – was a moment the senior will never forget.

"We loved all of the attention we got at the end," Putzig said. "I really hope the fans will stick around for next year and future years to come, because Tennessee Tech baseball is something truly special and we hope to have started a dynasty there."

He finished the season with a .313 batting average, 17 home runs, 73 runs batted in and 60 runs scored. He was also selected to the All-OVC first-team roster.

Still, what Putzig and the 2018 Golden Eagle team accomplished is something that will stand out in Tech Athletics history for years to come.

"In my opinion, we were the best team to ever step foot on Tennessee Tech and all of us will remember the 2018 season for the rest of our lives. Obviously, we would have loved to just get one more win, but making a Super Regional and going 53-12 is something that will be tough to top.

"It meant the world to me to be on this team. You grow so tight with your teammates and coaches and, at the end of the day, all you want to do is help your team win. It was amazing to sort of put Tennessee Tech on the map and just to have the whole community on our side."

Interestingly enough, following Tech's run in the postseason, Putzig had a revelation that kind of put things into perspective when the extent of his injury was revealed.

"I really don't know how I was able to play through it," he said, "because it turned out my hamstring was completely torn. When I was getting my physical done by the Orioles, I had an MRI on my hamstring and then, the next day, I was being sent to Baltimore to get surgery on it.

"I think this sort of shows how we were a team full of fighters and I was going to do whatever I could to help our team win, despite being injured."

Putzig is currently rehabbing from the surgery and expects to be assigned to an instructional league team later in the season.

"My plans for right now are to just get fully healthy and learn the ropes to the Baltimore Orioles system," he said. "I think I might be able to play for about a month towards the end of the season if everything goes as planned."

But his career on the baseball field isn't just all of the story. Putzig also proved to be an excellent student, claiming back-to-back appearances on the College Sports Information Directors of America's Academic All-American second-team roster.

Among his academic work, he participated in the TVA Investments Challenge as the candidates learned more about handling portfolios and working with the stock market.

"That course had to be my favorite and the most difficult course I took at Tennessee Tech," Putzig said. "Only a select few were selected for the course, so our professor expected us to work extremely hard for our own benefit and for the overall school's performance. Managing a portfolio of real assets with about 10 other students gave me a more hands-on experience and really taught me how to handle difficult encounters with other students.

"I think my time as a student-athlete actually helped me prepare for this course, because I already knew what it takes for a team to be successful and be able to work together."

Of course, Putzig is no stranger to facing a challenge. That's one of the reasons he took up a hobby that many college students his age would probably never think of – becoming a licensed pilot.

"Being a pilot was kind of my dream growing up, besides playing professional baseball, of course," he said. "I'm sort of an adrenaline junkie, so flying was something that caught me interest at a young age. I started flying my junior year of high school and received my private pilot's license about a year later.

"It definitely is not an easy task, especially while playing baseball and being in school at the same time. Getting my pilot's license was kind of similar to getting drafted – both of the situations just kind of showed how hard work and dedication pay off."

Then again, it's not really easy to find that perfect balance of academics, athletics and community service – another challenge Putzig never strayed away from.

"I think the most difficult part of balancing sports, academics and community service is just being able to self-motivate yourself each and every day to just go out and win the day. Coach Bragga always talked about winning each day and I sort of took that to myself and applied that to school and community service, along with baseball. Learning how to stay positive, even if you have a lot on your plate, is something I learned to help me be successful throughout my college career."

With everything Putzig was able to accomplish in such a short span of years, it's humbling and inspiring as the Louisville, Ky., product kept fighting, kept grinding as he worked his way up and did exactly what he set out to do.

"My advice to youngsters would be to never hold yourself short of your goals," Putzig said. "I was a 5-9 kid coming out of high school with only one Division I offer. If you believe in yourself and do everything in your power to get better, you have a solid chance to accomplish your goals.

"Surrounding yourself with great people is also extremely important. Tennessee Tech gave me the opportunity to be surrounded with some amazing coaches and teammates, along with a strong community of people in the city of Cookeville. I have no regrets from my time at such an amazing university."

Photos by Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information