Enterprise’s Donovan garners All-America honor

Enterprise baseball standout Brendan Donovan’s phone recently buzzed with some big news.

The 2015 EHS graduate got a text message from his college coach at the University of South Alabama, Mark Calvi, and learned he’d garnered first-team 2015 Louisville Slugger High School All America honors.

“I actually didn’t find out about (the selection) until my college coach, Coach Calvi, texted me and said, ‘Congratulations on making the first-team Louisville Slugger All America,” Donovan said. “I looked it up online and saw my name. I (said), ‘I’m glad you texted me, because I didn’t know it until now. I thought that was pretty cool.”

Donovan, who played mostly at shortstop during his senior season for the Wildcats, was selected a first-team infielder and listed as a third baseman.

“Honestly, I didn’t expect (the selection) at all,” he said. “It was a real surprise to me. I’m thankful to be given that award.”

The honor gives the future Jaguar confidence and also motivates him.

“It reassures (me) my hard work, the routine I do, is working so far,” Donovan said. “It makes me want to get even better.”

Improvements led to big numbers for Donovan in his last high school season.

“I’ve really made great strides on my defense,” he said. “At third base you’ve got to judge the ball off (of) the bat, and my reads have gotten a lot better.”

Donovan had a .917 fielding percentage last year with 62 putouts, 13 errors and nine double plays turned.

Though most of his defensive work was done at shortstop, the former Wildcat has also settled in at third base where he could play in college.

“I feel comfortable over there now,” Donovan said. “It just takes more reps. The more reps you take, the game slows down. I just continued to take a ton of reps over there, and I’m starting to feel a lot more comfortable.”

Offseason work was also Donovan’s catalyst for another strong season in the batter’s box.

“Offensively, it’s made me more aggressive and patient,” he said. “I know it sounds weird you’ve got to be more aggressive and patient at the same time, but it (made) me redefine my approach. That’s one thing I worked on in the offseason, my approach at the plate.”

The work paid off.

Donovan hit .467 with an on-base percentage of .580 and a .803 slugging percentage.

He had 57 hits, with 17 doubles, six triples and four home runs. He scored 51 runs, drove in 44 and struck out just 10 times in 122 at bats.

The work it took to produce those numbers is nothing new to the All-America honoree.

“At a young age, my father taught me a work ethic will take you a lot farther in life than talent will,” Donovan said. “I’ve really bought into that.”

Donovan joined 29 other infielders on the first team. A baseballnews.com article said 22 of the total All-America selections were drafted “in the first two rounds and the competitive balance rounds of the Major League First-Year Baseball Draft.”

“It’s a tremendous honor,” Donovan said. “When I looked at the list and I saw a bunch of those guys have already signed professional contracts, it’s a tremendous honor. I’m thankful for being selected.”