Mendenhall’s Ke’Shun Collier was selected in the 20th round of the Major League Baseball draft by the Chicago Cubs as an outfielder. He was the only outfielder selected by the Cubs this year.
Collier was elated to receive the opportunity and said this is a moment that he has literally prepared for his entire life. He said that he has played baseball since he could walk and has excelled at the sport on every level.
He said, “I played all through city league, high school, and two years of college.”
Collier was an outstanding baseball player for the Mendenhall Tigers and was on his way to a monster year as a high school senior before the start of the pandemic. In a shortened senior season with only 11 games played, Collier had already notched 5 homeruns with a .553 batting average. He was equally impressive in the field with a perfect fielding percentage. Collier had an opportunity to be drafted out of high school but circumstances due to the pandemic saw him take another path.
He signed a scholarship and joined the Meridian Community College Eagles and played two seasons. He finished his Eagles career with a batting average of .368 with an outstanding OBP of .462, and a fielding percentage of .982. Collier explained that he was eligible for a third year, but he had already made plans to perform at a higher level and leave in two years.
Leading up to the draft Collier worked out in Tennessee, where he was in contact with several MLB scouts. He connected with the representative for the Cubs and they fell in love with what he brings to the diamond.
Collier said, “I worked out for them and he told me if they could draft me today they would. They liked my speed and hitting ability. I had a lot of offers but the Cubs were the team to make the call.”
Speed and Ke’Shun Collier go together like peanut butter and jelly. Collier has undoubtedly been the fastest athlete on 99 percent of the teams he has played for. This natural ability coupled with his strong work ethic has opened many doors for him as an athlete.
Collier was thrilled at the news that he would be drafted, and immediately set his next goal of making it to the majors. He signed his contract Tuesday to join Arizona Complex League Cubs which are the rookie level affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. When asked what preparations he is making to join the team he laughed and said, “I am definitely drinking lots of water and staying hydrated it’s 117 degrees here, but without the humidity like back home. I am coming in to work hard and they expect me to still play my game hit the ball well and use my speed.”
To achieve his goal Collier has identified areas he wants to improve. He will seek to add power to his bat.
He said, “While I’m here training I’m working on power as I make the transition to being a professional. I’m going to need more power. I’ll be in Arizona for a while but my plan is to be in the majors within the next three years.”
Collier has a proven track record of overcoming adversity and chasing his goals relentlessly. He believes that this trait in conjunction with his faith in God will help him achieve his dream.
He offered advice to younger players saying, “Stay humble, stay positive, and stay ready cause you never know when your time is going to be called. And always keep God first.”
Ke’Shun Collier is ready to take the next step in his career with the ACL Cubs. “The work ain’t ever done. I’ve got to keep going.”
