Perfect Game All-American Andrew Painter talks decision to sign with Gators
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Florida baseball's top commit in the class of 2021 is now officially a Gator after putting pen to paper on Wednesday.
Perfect Game All-American right-handed pitcher, Andrew Painter, signed his letter of intent alongside several teammates, including another Perfect Game All-American and Florida signee, Rene Lastres.
Lastres was originally committed to Florida International before flipping his commitment to he Gators. However, Painter’s recruitment went a whole lot differently than his high school teammate, as he committed to Kevin O'Sullivan's program in the middle of his freshman season.
“The recruiting process was very short and quick to me,” Painter told GatorsTerritory. “I was offered by the University of Miami in January of 2018, but then I went to a camp at the University of Florida."
During the camp, the Florida coaching staff noticed him and decided to offer him shortly thereafter. It didn’t talk long for Painter to make his decision either.
“I went to the camp at Florida and I was offered and just committed right then,” Painter told GT. “I had also just started talking to Alabama and FSU, but once Florida offered me, it was a no-brainer.”
Painter committed to Florida at a very early age, which isn’t usual, but he liked what Florida had to offer from a number of angles.
“As a right-handed pitcher, Florida has had a lot of success with coach O’Sullivan,” said Painter. “On top of all that, Florida was coming off their 2017 National Championship and I had grown up as a Gator and most of my family had gone there.”
Being committed to Florida as a freshman, Painter had to wait several years before he could sign his letter of intent. However, that day finally came for the Perfect Game and Under Armour All-American, who made things official at Calvary Christian Academy.
“It doesn’t feel like a reality,” Painter said about signing with Florida. “It seems as if I just committed as a freshman and it felt like this day was so far away.”
With his recruitment now finalized, Painter has shifted his focus onto his senior season in hopes for a state title. Calvary Christian Academy is one of the top high school baseball programs in the state of Florida and one of the favorites to win the state title.
On Perfect Game, Painter is the nation's third-ranked prospect and No. 1 right-handed pitcher. He is also the top-ranked prospect in the state of Florida.
Stay tuned to GatorsTerritory.