Finding Success: Carter Baumler's Story

Carter Baumler, a 2020 graduate of Dowling Catholic, has established his abilities as an RHP in the last couple of years. He was ranked 1st in the state overall and 15th nationally at his position by PBR for the class of 2020. He attended the 2018 PBR Future Games and verbally committed to Texas Christian University later that year. In June of 2020, Baumler was drafted in the fifth round to the Baltimore Orioles. These accomplishments did not magically appear as he made his way through baseball. Instead, he attributes his success to the people and steps that led him to today.

Baumler has been contemplating his future in baseball for a while. “As a freshman, I wanted to have my first D1 offer,” Baumler said. “And by the time my junior year came around, I wanted to be committed to a really good school, probably like a top 25 school in the country. I did that with TCU.”

But professional baseball has been a more recent goal. “As my senior year kind of went on, it felt like I was just kind of prepping myself for pro ball,” Baumler said. “I was just trying to live on my own a little bit more. I was trying to make my own meals, just small stuff like that.”

Baumler’s success was not instantaneous. It was developed with the help of many people. “I'd say the people over at Sticks throughout my whole high school career were tremendous for me,” he said. “I definitely wouldn't be where I am without them. They put me in front of a lot of different people.”

Preparation and support were vital. “Later in my junior and my senior year, Dan Jennings, a pitching coach of mine...helped me out a ton, just with things to expect for pro ball,” Baumler said. “So he helped me out a ton, and then my parents and all of my friends. Everybody was so supportive, like it just kind of seems mind-boggling to me that everybody around me was just always so dang positive.”

High school baseball also helped Baumler along the way. “The Dowling coaches were always super positive for me,” he said. “When scouts called them, they always said very positive things and told them how I am. They also showed me that baseball doesn’t need to feel like a job. It’s a sport that we play to enjoy.”

As a showcase veteran, Baumler knows the importance of preparedness. “Because sometimes people aren't totally prepared to go out there, if you're a pitcher, and throw as hard as you can,” he said. “So you just need to make sure you're going out there, your body's ready, your mind's ready.”

But numbers are not everything. “I'd say don't let numbers and don't let negativity get in your head,” Baumler said. “Just focus on you. Become the best you possible in the weight room, on the field, and in the classroom. It sounds so cliché to say that, but that's really where you're getting better.”

Each step moves players closer to their goal. “That's how you improve your on-field performance,” Baumler said. “It's by doing everything else outside of baseball, and everything just kind of adds up.”