Growing up, there weren’t a lot of moments Gregory Lambert didn’t have a baseball in his hand.

At age 4, he began playing T-ball at the Athens Sportsplex. His dad, Greg, coached him throughout his early years and mom Felicia kept score during the games.

“That’s just how it was growing up,” Gregory Lambert said Thursday. “Me and my friends were always outside playing sports.”

Felicia remembers her son making a poster when he was in the third or fourth grade that featured a number of topics, including what he wanted to be when he grew up.

“It said he wanted to be a major-leaguer, though he misspelled ‘major,’” she said with a laugh.

Gregory Lambert’s dream took a giant step forward Wednesday when he was selected by the San Diego Padres in the 21st round of the player draft. He was the 618th player overall to be drafted.

He’s still in disbelief.

“I was at the gym when it happened,” he said when asked where he was when he first heard. “I saw my name on (MLB) TV; I can’t explain my reaction. … It’s been a heck of a ride.”

Lambert is home for now but he’ll soon depart for Peoria, Arizona, where he’ll participate in a training camp with the Padres’ other draft picks. From there, he’ll likely go to to the Tri-City Dust Devils, a short-season Class-A team in Kennewick, Washington.

College standout

It wasn’t sheer luck that made Lambert stand out to the Padres. Other teams were interested, too, including the Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals and Boston Red Sox.

When asked why he was excited about being drafted by the Padres, which were 27-40 as of Thursday afternoon, Lambert said the team was the first to show legitimate interest in him.

“(The scout) liked the way I played and he thought I played hard,” he said.

He then added, “San Diego’s a pretty nice place to live, from what I hear.”

For the past three years, Lambert has been a standout left-fielder for the Southern Illinois Salukis in Carbondale, Illinois. The Division I team is in the Missouri Valley Conference.

This past season, Lambert led the team in batting average (.329), hits (74), home runs (7), RBIs (52), and slugging percentage (.551). His 25 doubles also set a school record.

Prior to receiving a scholarship to play with Southern Illinois, Lambert played for the Nashville-based Tennessee Knights travel baseball team. One of his buddies on the team, Kyle Wright, was selected as the fifth overall pick by the Atlanta Braves. Wright, a Huntsville native, attended Buckhorn High School, while Lambert graduated from Madison Academy.

“That was a really, really talented team,” Lambert said of his experience with the Knights. “It wasn’t just me and Kyle that got drafted, but three or four others did, too.”

Lambert’s numbers at Southern Illinois may have gotten attention from scouts, but Felicia is also proud of what her son accomplished off the field.

“It’s been a lot of hours on the road, working out and training,” she said. “He’s been a very good scholar-athlete. … He always tried to make good grades.”

Looking forward

Gregory Lambert doesn’t know what the future holds, but he’s grateful for the chance to play baseball at the professional level. He acknowledged there are plenty of talented players who don’t make it past the high school level.

When asked if there was a pitcher he’s dreamed of facing, Lambert came up with Craig Kimbrel. The hard-throwing Red Sox reliever is also a Huntsville native.

“I have faith in my ability to hit a fastball,” he said.

Lambert said he wouldn’t be in the position he’s in without the support of his family and his own sheer determination to make it to “the show.” He said his family has supported him in everything he’s done.

More than anything, though, he’s held onto his dream.

“I don’t want to just say, ‘I played pro ball.’ I believe in myself and I believe I can get to the ‘big show,’” he said. “It’s hard to take it all in right now, but I’m going to keep working hard. … Never give up on your dreams because they really do come true.”