The document displayed to witnesses on June 8 appeared to have "conjured" a whole new Wolverine.
Timothy Heydinger? Sounds like someone well-known around Bayfield's playing fields.
But that fellow's got a different first name, doesn't he?
"Not many people know," the graduated Taed Heydinger said with a laugh at his given name. He's been called by that unusual sobriquet since, well ... long before his arrival at BHS, for sure.
"Timothy,' on the other hand... in the case of Heydinger's receiving a National Letter-of-Intent, until that moment he didn't exist, except on paper.
But now that everyone knows Timothy and Taed are one and the same, not only on paper - including about every program or roster sheet in three different sports for the past four years - it's time to talk game. As in for which sport (and which college) he'd received that NLI, ready to sign at an early-summer event in the BHS cafetorium.
The answer wasn't surprising, given his junior- and senior-year emergence and diamond dependability.
"Baseball," he revealed, wearing a green cap with the white 'S' of Scottsdale Community College in Arizona.
"You know, I've been playing baseball my whole life - started when I was four years old - and I'm just not ready to give it up! I'm not sure I ever will be."
"They have a football team down there, and a basketball team, but I haven't really looked into that," he said, asked of potential multi-sport prospects given his ability on both the gridiron and the hardwood. Other colleges looked for football, but I wasn't really into it the whole time.. Mainly focusing on baseball!"
"We had a really good class this year - in all sports, obviously," said departing Wolverine baseball head coach Jon Qualls. "It's just been really special. And ... another guy moving on says a lot about the whole school. So it's good to see another Bayfield athlete going to the next level."
The Fighting Artichokes eagerly welcomed the Bayfield brotherhood shared between Heydinger and earlier signee Zane Phelps, whose father Dion was one of those attending the ceremony with Heydinger's parents Tim and Chris, sister Tessa and younger brother Brendan. Joining them were BHS basketball head coach Jeff Lehnus, BHS football head coach Gary Heide and assistant coach Mike Wnorowski, and Rob Dean, the BHS athletic and activities director.
"Zane actually gave the coach my number!" Heydinger said. "Told the coach about me, and then the coach talked to me and we set everything up. That's kind of how it all panned out ... worked out great! It's a great place down there, a great community and that kind of stuff. And they have a great team, great coaches, so I'm just excited to go down there and play."
"I think at the next level, pitching is going to be what they look for him to do," Qualls said. "You never know .... I went to college as a shortstop and ended up being a pitcher! Things can always change, but I think pitching is his strong suit - and every team needs pitchers. Most teams only need one centerfielder, one leftfielder, but every college team carries 12 to 15 pitchers. Everybody wants pitchers."
"When I worked out down there I mainly pitched," confirmed Heydinger. "But I did both and they said I'd be able to go down there and ... work on all my game."
"I don't know the school all that well, but I've seen Zane, Taed, Kelton (McCoy, committed to University of New Mexico) ... these kids play against some of the best in the country and compete with them all," Qualls stated. "We played in the (AABC Connie Mack South Plains) Regional in Oklahoma, taken them to tournaments in San Diego and Phoenix, and there's no one they've been just completely outmatched by. They can play with anyone."
"I think they have a good shot at making an impression down there, and they'll get a couple years to prove themselves!"
This season, Heydinger hit a reported .397 (25-for-63) with 34 runs and 25 RBI, drew 17 walks and reached base another six times via beanballs, as well as posting a 2-2 record in eight pitching appearances (with a 1.33 ERA and 36:10 K-to-BB ratio in 26-1/3 innings). The 6'1", 190-pounder indicated an academic interest in sports management.
"I'm going to go down there, get my prerequisites and all that kind of stuff," he said, "then maybe transfer to D-I on a baseball scholarship. Or just go D-I after - I'm not really sure what's going to happen!"
But he's excited to find out.
