Tigers land one of the top baseball players in the state

Photos courtesy of Glenn Batson

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Mon Jul 11 15:17:49 GMT-04:00 2011

Greenville High School shortstop Glenn Batson Glenn Batson
Infield
6-2, 200
Greenville, SC
View Full Profile , one of the top players in the state of South Carolina for 2013, committed to Clemson head baseball coach Jack Leggett last Friday.

Batson said Clemson and Tiger orange have been a part of his life since the beginning, and he couldn’t imagine going anywhere else.

“I have loved Clemson since I can remember,” Batson told TigerNet Monday afternoon. “My mom and dad went to Clemson, my older sister is at Clemson, and I have had aunts and uncles who have gone to Clemson, so I have always been a Clemson fan.”

His grandfather is Louis P. (“Biggie”) Batson, a former Clemson football player and former Chairman of the Clemson Board of Trustees. His uncle is former Clemson baseball and football player Bill Spiers, who earned fame in 1986 when he answered an ad in the school newspaper by former football coach Danny Ford.

The ad read, "We are concerned about our punting situation. If there is a student reading this who can punt, please call me at the office. We aren't looking for any (Dale) Hatchers, just someone who can average about 40 yards with a four second hang time."

That led to Spiers trying out, making the squad, and becoming the starting punter in 1986, where he averaged 39.2 yards per punt. Ford called his punter “Shortstop” instead of by his name, and despite playing on the gridiron just one season, his 39.2 punting average ranks 12th all-time at Clemson.

During his Clemson baseball career, Spiers accumulated 17 home runs, 119 RBIs, 34 doubles, 17 triples, and 60 stolen bases in three seasons. Spiers was drafted in the first round (13th pick overall) of the '87 June draft by the Milwaukee Brewers.

Now Batson gets to follow in his uncle’s footsteps after being offered by Leggett last Friday.

“Coach Leggett took me around the campus on Friday, and he showed me the weight room and Vickery Hall and places like that,” Batson said. “He took me back to his office and offered me a little after that. He told me that I could tell him then, or I could think about it and call him later. I told him I would think about it a little bit. But I left there, and I made up my mind, because Clemson is the place I want to go. I went to eat, and after I ate I called him back and told him I wanted to be a Tiger.”

Batson (6-2, 200) hit .480 with 10 home runs as a sophomore while earning All-State honors and being named the Player of the Year in Region 2-AAA. He will probably play third base at Clemson.

Batson said he remembers something he heard from Leggett a few years ago that has stayed with him, and he has also taken the advice of members of his family and that has all helped him get to this point.

“Coach Leggett talked about how hard he wants his players to work, and I’ve always followed that advice,” he said. “Whether it is in football or baseball, I’ve worked hard. He always gets the most out of his players and I like that. My family has also told me to not let any of this go to my head and that I have to keep working hard.”

Batson also plays quarterback on the Red Raider football team, but said he will give up the gridiron when he enters Clemson.

“I’ve gotten letters from a lot of schools wanting me to go to their football camps and combines,” he said. “But I don’t want to play football in college, so I haven’t paid those any attention.”