Tyler Parks

   People are always looking for opportunities to get to where they want to go and reach what they want to achieve.  Many times, the windows and doors are right under their noses and they fail to recognize them.  

That is not true for Tyler Parks, the 2023 uncommitted middle infielder out of Southwestern Randolph High School in Asheboro, NC.  He has a destination of the level he wants to play the game and he has recognized his work ethic combined with being a member of the Dirtbags as a solid route to make it all happen.  

In fact, one aspect of the organization that has stood out to him prominently since joining in 2018 is that the same is expected from everyone – work hard and be your very best. Then the opportunities will correspond.

The right-handed hitting Parks, at 5’9” and 160 pounds, said his decision to be a Dirtbag was driven by the reputation that players earn those opportunities.  And he has also noticed the opportunities come in ways that match the level most befitting the player.

In 2019 as a member of the 14u Chin Music, Tyler played for Dirtbags Middle School Director, Logan Koch, who immediately puts the 9th grader into an esteemed category when he says, “Parks is the definition of a ‘Dirtbag’ and has huge upside.”

And Parks also sees himself in very much a mold for the quintessential Dirtbag.  His game according to him is one where he attacks the baseball and plays gritty. Tyler goes on to say he’s not an emotional player – trying to not get too high or too low. And he hopes his style shows his love the game and he’s having fun on the diamond.

Koch seems to agree when he states, “You know what you are going to get from him everyday. We never questioned his effort  and I could always tell he was thinking while the game was going on. Very rare for a younger player.”

By being a Dirtbag, Parks has seen the experience help him grow in the game. Stating, “I’ve learned how the game should be played.”

This has mostly influenced how Parks prepares and takes his mental approach on the field.  Particularly, the defensive opportunities are seen as a way to stand out. In a game of making plays, the slick-fielding gloveman knows it can make him a valued member of any program at the next level.

Again, Logan Koch can see how all of this is working not just to benefit Parks’ quest to find a college fit, but also be a benefit for the Bags over the next few years. “He is going to be a hot commodity very soon and I am very happy he part of the program,” says Koch.

The opportunities aren’t all that Parks recognizes.  He also sees the hard work in front of him to continue his development. Outside the ground balls and the countless swings sure to fill his next four years, he is well aware that a commitment to his efforts in the weight room will be a difference maker in his ceiling.

Ultimately, Parks sees the Dirtbags playing its part in providing those opportunities.  By putting him on the field to play on college campuses and even in venues like the Future Stars Series in Texas, he has recognized the scouts and college coaches at games.  This has encouraged Parks to elevate his game to match the skills of his teammates and the competition.

While it may be early in the recruiting game for Parks, he is already setting those next level sights. And he agrees being a Dirtbag gives him leverage in the process. He sees a number of prominent programs within his home state as landing spots he’d consider due factors ranging from their success to their prestige at the national level.

No matter where he ultimately commits, Koch really sums it up with this, “The university that is fortunate enough to get Parks is going to be getting a dude.”

And assuredly, that “dude” won’t miss those opportunities the game places in front of him.