Faisal Al Ajeel Commits to Missouri’s NCAA Truman State University Bulldogs
17U Titans Pitcher Faisal Al Ajeel committed to the Truman State University Bulldogs on Tuesday. The Markham resident became the tenth Titan from the Class of 2021 to sign a letter of intent with a US College. Nine other graduating players have committed to schools in New York, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, and Kansas since the beginning of November.
Al Ajeel felt that Truman State University was the best match for him to further his baseball and academic career: “It was really important to me to find a baseball program that aligned with my academic pursuits. Truman State has a reputable baseball program and an excellent academic program which exceeded my expectations.” When asked about what he was looking forward to most about living in Kirksville, Missouri, Al Ajeel noted that “I am most looking forward to meeting new people, making new friends, and being able to experience baseball at a new level. I am also looking forward to living on campus and being able to experience the college life.” A big part of college life for the Honor Roll student from Bur Oak Secondary School will be majoring in International Relations and earning his BA degree in the “Show Me State”.
The 17U Pitcher credited his Titans coaches and administrators for helping him secure his post-secondary goal to play baseball and earn a degree in the USA: “The Titans helped achieve my goal of committing to an NCAA school in many ways. The Titans first and foremost made me the baseball player I am today, developing me into a better, stronger, more confident pitcher. The Titans aided me in getting exposure, connecting me to many colleges and universities across the US and Canada, including Truman State.” Head Coach Lawrence Vera shared this positive assessment of his veteran pitcher in a recent goal-setting Zoom Call where he praised Faisal “for getting stronger and more confident over the season as both an effective member of the bullpen and as a starter. I was happy to see Faisal selected as the closer of the Players’ Team versus the Coaches’ Team in our Charity Game in October. This was an excellent role for Faisal. I just wanted to offer my congratulations to Faisal and his family and wish him all the best as a NCAA Division 2 student-athlete at Truman State University.”
When reflecting on his career with the Titans, the veteran pitcher offered a light-hearted memory involving Coach Vera’s team that put a more comedic spin on a tough year amid a pandemic: “My best memory as a Titan from this past season is when we were playing a scrimmage game against the 18U team and we were hit by heavy rainstorms in the middle of the game. We had to run off the field and ended up getting soaked along with our gear. Some of my teammates even jumped in puddles and belly flopped into first base. It is my favorite memory as a Titan because-- although the game got postponed-- it ended being a funny and joyful experience. All of this was during COVID so it was a great moment to laugh after a rough and heavy couple of months.” Keeping things in perspective was also evident in Al Ajeel’s advice to younger Titans as he reminded them to have fun playing baseball: “At times I struggled as a younger player. It’s easy to doubt yourself and your skills. Stay confident, never give up, and keep putting in the work. Always remember to enjoy the game.”
Congratulations to Faisal Al Ajeel, the newest Baseball Bulldog at Truman State University.