“Buddy” at the 2012 Team One South Showcase

Michael “Buddy” Reed finds himself in a familiar position. The junior OF from Finksburg, Maryland, a small town in Carroll County situated 30 miles north of Baltimore, is one of the veterans, key contributor to the University of Florida Gator baseball team, becoming an important piece to their success almost immediately from the time he stepped foot on the field at Alfred A. McKethan Stadium in Gainesville, FL.

During his three seasons at Florida, the Gators have been to two consecutive College World Series appearances and the familiarity of the situation drives Buddy and his teammates to something greater; the 2016 Men’s NCAA Division I Baseball Championship.

Florida, who defeated inter-state rival Florida State in a three-game series, punching their ticket to Omaha, will face Cinderella hopeful, the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers in a best-of-three series as Coastal Carolina appears in their first ever College World Series. For Buddy, the success of college baseball is something he never expected to happen.

“It’s a neat feeling, I never expected or thought I’d be a college baseball player since I played hockey and soccer when I was younger. I am here playing with a great group of guys who are unselfish and want to win. Being here last year and playing a very tough Virginia team, we as a group all want to accomplish this together. For the juniors that are leaving, this is our last go around so its pretty imperative to get this business done. Our eye is on the prize and we’re looking forward to this challenge.”

Buddy, a nickname coined at a young age from his Mom, Yvette, majors in Telecommunications – Media & Society at Florida and made his impact from the jump, hitting .284 and scoring 13 runs in 28 SEC games as a freshman. Later in the season, Reed collected two hits and helped the Gators clinched the SEC Championship with a victory at Tennessee.

He started 69 games as a sophomore in 2015, hitting .305 with 14 doubles, five triples, four homers, 47 RBI, 18 stolen bases and 51 runs scored. When it mattered most, he came through in the clutch again, hitting .409 during the SEC tournament, earning All-SEC Tournament honors. His defensive prowess was recognized when he became just the second Gator outfielder ever to be named to the SEC All-Defensive team. He was a main cog in helping the Gators get back to the CWS for the first time since 2012, collecting three RBI’s to help knock off Miami in the CWS before being eliminated by the eventual champion Virginia Cavaliers.

This season, with his stock higher than ever, Reed batted .261 with 10 doubles, six triples, four homers and 32 RBI, stealing 24 bases and scoring 56 runs.

Born in the Bronx, Buddy later called Finksburg home by the time he was eight years old. Buddy attended Loyola Blakefield (formerly Loyola High School), transferring during his sophomore year to St. George’s School, a preparatory school in Middletown, Rhode Island. St. George’s recruited Buddy for his baseball skills, but partially due to his Hockey attributes as well. Buddy was recruited in high school by Providence University for hockey as the team won an NCAA Championship during the 2014-15 season. Despite no longer playing the sport, Buddy cites the sport as a big part of his baseball development.

“From the time I was about two years old, I put on skates and played hocked, so its been something I have done all my life and something I was very good at, but Hockey has definitely helped my baseball development. It’s helped to improve my leg strength because you squat so much, all my speed comes from my hamstrings. From the toughness aspect, it’s helped mentally and physically because of the grind.”

Despite a busy schedule, he hasn’t forgotten Maryland, spending many an afternoon while on break from school at Baseball Factory headquarters here in Columbia, swinging in the cages, working hard to get to the next level. From hitting lessons to an Under Armour Baseball Factory College PREP event in Bowie, MD in March of 2012, it was the opportunity to have video featuring Buddy’s skill set that was most impressive to the Reed family and helpful for Buddy to get his name and game out in front of coaches.

Buddy with Coach Fyffe

“Everyone at the Factory has been so friendly to me over the last few years, every time I come to Maryland to hit in the cages,” said Buddy. “The events I did were great in helping me get better. When I first came to the Baseball Factory, I met Coach (Josh) Fyffe, who was my first real hitting coach and I continued coming back because him and I hit it off so well.”

The bond between Buddy and Fyffe are still strong today. Fyffe and his wife joined Buddy and the rest of the Reed’s at the family’s Draft party to see the outfielder get selected by the San Diego Padres and maintains communication about life, baseball and more.

“He seemed like a cool dude. Fyffe is a great guy and comes from a great family. In terms of hitting, he helped me with my approach and my swing. Our relationship has grown so much; we talk every day, I ask about the family and we talk about baseball and he talks to me about different things I need to work on or that I am doing well. Hopefully, I’ll have him in my wedding one time soon… and it’s a relationship that will hopefully last until the day we die.”

Back on the field, at one point, Buddy had a list of nearly 40 schools of interest in his baseball skills. Whittling that down to just a few, he arrived at the 2012 Team One South showcase nearing his decision. Weeks later, he was headed to Gainesville to play for the Gators.

Originally selected in the 35th round of the 2013 Major League Baseball Draft by the Texas Rangers, Buddy made the decision to go to school, gaining experience in the process. That patience has paid off as Reed was selected in the second round (48th overall) by the Padres in this year’s MLB Draft. His plus defensive tool-set and elite speed should make an immediate impact in the Padres farm system.

“It was a blessing. From where my parents come from and all the hard work they’ve put in, they deserve so much credit,” said Buddy. “I’ve worked hard at this sport, but I decided to play baseball because I realized the durability would allow me to last in the game longer. To see my name picked in the Top 50 and how much work I’ve put in, it’s a honor. I’m glad to have San Diego give me the chance to show what I can do and I’m excited to see what the future holds for me and my family as well.”

While the thought of getting his professional career off the ground is intriguing, its the thought of completing the mission at Florida and winning a Championship that drives him.

“Coming in with the junior class, we grew as a group and grew together with so many freshman, sophomore and seniors. When its all done, I just want to have a legacy, leave this program knowing that I gave them my all. I thank the coaches for giving me the opportunity to become the player that I am today. I am really fortunate to be in the position I am in now and ready to help this team win a National Championship and then begin my professional career.”