Preston Patterson signed his letter of intent to play baseball for the University of Tennessee Southern on Thursday.

“It was relieving. It’s been a long time a lot of work. A lot of hard work went into it, and it’s just good to finally have that feeling of satisfaction after all of it’s said and done,” he said.

He’s been playing since he was about 4 years old.

“I’ve been in and out of other sports, but baseball, there is no question this is what I want to do with my life,” he said. “I love the game, and whatever I can do to keep playing and stay around it even after college, I’m going to do my best to do that.”

He said UT Southern was a good pick for him because he grew up a Tennessee fan.

“Anything that is in the Tennessee school system excites me, wearing the orange. It was really close to home, and I knew the coach so that was plus. I know a lot of friends and a few players that are going there. So it just felt like a good fit for me, felt like I’d be comfortable going up there this fall,” he said.

Jake Chaney, an assistant coach for UT Southern’s baseball program, was at Ardmore for Patterson’s signing. He said being in Pulaski, Tennessee, they often take players from the North Alabama area.

“A lot of kids coming out of high school don’t want to go super far away, so for us, it’s a pretty easy fit for some of those guys,” he said.

Chaney said Patterson has what they wanted to see to be able to develop him at the collegiate level.

“For us, looking at a pitcher coming out of high school, the velocity is there, obviously there’s some room for improvement for him to gain some more velocity. I think he’s got more in the tank. He has a good off speed, looking to develop that a little bit more,” he said.

Patterson said he tries to stay confident and keep working no matter the game results. He feels like in the last four years of high school he’s grown a lot.

“I’ve had a lot of work gone into me. Not even just the physical stuff but the mental aspect of the game. [My coaches] have helped me grow so much, and I wouldn’t be here today if I didn’t have them in my corner supporting me all the way,” he said.

Chaney said the pitcher has a lot of talent and that they can continue to work with him.

“Mainly just as he comes in as a freshman we’re looking at to develop him to get him better so that he can help us down the line,” Chaney said.

“We’re looking for kids that have good character, kids that are really focused on their academics and want to get a degree, because ultimately if they don’t excel in the classroom they’re not going to be able to be on the field,” he said.

Patterson said he wants to get his degree in sports management. He said he would like to coach but whether he’s “in a front office, in a dugout, in a clubhouse” he wants to always be around it, no matter what. Chaney said Patterson’s work ethic is something they look for in the kids they bring onto the team.

“We like to fill our locker room with a bunch of good guys to really create that team chemistry. When the guys have team chemistry, they play better on the field,” he said Patterson will fit right into that. “He works hard, just like the rest of our locker room.”