RHS’s Engelthaler signs with Central Alabama
RUSSELLVILLE — Russellville High School senior Ty Engelthaler recently signed to play baseball at Central Alabama Community College, joining the Trojans to continue both his academic and athletic paths.
He said the choice came down to fit and a familiar feeling.
“I transferred to Russellville my sophomore year and immediately felt like I was part of the family,” Engelthaler said.
That sense of belonging made an impression.
“When I made the decision to further my academic and athletic career at Central Alabama, I based it off the community down there. It felt like Russellville, so in a way, it felt like home.”
He said the campus visit in Juneto Alexander City helped confirm the decision. The atmosphere, the people he met, and what he heard about the program all stood out.
Engelthaler said playing for Central Alabama head coach Larry Thomas aligns with the goals he is setting for himself.
“Out of all the coaches I talked to from different colleges, he really said what I wanted to hear,” Engelthaler said.
“He makes his players and their development a priority. He wins ball games, but more importantly, he develops players. This is a great opportunity for me.”
He added that starting at a two-year school gives him space to develop physically and mentally while easing into college academics.
Engelthaler said he values strong coaching, and that includes the guidance he received at Russellville. He credited Russellville baseball coach Jess Smith with helping shape him both on and off the field.
“What he has done for me and what he means to me is indescribable,” Engelthaler said. “He has absolutely believed in me no matter what and has helped me develop not only as a player but as a person. He is someone I can always trust to help me.”
Former English teacher Susan DeArman also left a significant impression. She taught him both Advanced Placement Language and English 101 and came to his signing to support him.
“Ty is one of those students who was always eager to do his work and have everything done on time,” she said. “He is very mature for his age and always enthusiastic about everything. I know he is going to be successful because he is focused and determined to achieve whatever he sets his mind to.”
Engelthaler said he tries to carry that attitude onto the field. For him, pitching is a mental and strategic process.
“My style of pitching is being creative,” he said. “I really try to find creative ways to get outs. Pitching is a game of outsmarting the hitter. It is a chess match. If you are creative with it, and if your pitching coach, your head coach, and your catcher are all on the same page, there is always a way to get batters out.”
He said he has seen steady improvement in control and mechanics since arriving at Russellville.
“When I got here, they really broke down my mechanics and helped me find the style of pitching that I enjoy,” he said.
Leadership and teamwork, he added, are defining traits of Russellville baseball.
“Leadership is a main goal for us,” he said. “Everybody helps everybody. That is what makes us special and sets us apart.”
He said his teammates have taught him lessons he will take into college.
“I have learned to believe in myself,” he said. “My teammates make sure you do. They show you they have faith in you and knowing that makes you have faith in yourself.”
Academics remain a priority, and he said balancing both sides of student- athlete life takes discipline.
“If you come into class and focus and get your work done, then go to baseball and focus there, it works,” he said. “Academics come first. My family has always made me prioritize that.”
He plans to study engineering at Central Alabama. He said civil or electrical engineering interest him the most, though he is still deciding which direction he may eventually take.
Engelthaler said baseball has taught him lessons he will rely on long after high school.
“There are going to be ups and downs,” he said. “In baseball you cannot expect to go four for five every time. Life is the same way. If you ride it out and keep believing, good things will happen.”
He also hopes younger players see something in the way he approaches the game.
“Never give up,” he said. “Anything is possible if you set your mind to it.”
His favorite major league team is the Atlanta Braves. He has admired Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies since childhood, and he said pitcher Jack Leiter of the Texas Rangers is someone whose style and work ethic he hopes to emulate.
Engelthaler carries many on-field memories with him, but one stands out from last year’s playoffs.
“In round two against American Christian, I pitched the whole game,” he said. “They were number one or two in the state, and I did not know what to expect. But we ended up winning that game.”
He recalled the final play clearly.
“I threw a fastball inside, and the hitter lifted it to left. Brennan Thorpe caught it, and knowing we had a game three coming meant a lot to me.”
As for his first time taking the mound for the Trojans, Engelthaler admits “it will be unreal.”
“It is something I have dreamed about since I was a kid,” he said.
