DAVISON - A father that was once a player in the minor leagues gave JD Garman the inspiration to go as far as possible in the game of baseball.

“My dad played at Michigan State and then in the minors with the Orioles’ system,” the Powers Catholic senior said in reference to his father Daniel. “So college baseball was always a dream of mine.”

It was a dream that began early.

“He motivated me a lot,” Garman explained. “My dad was a pitcher and seeing him play … I always wanted to do that. I’d play with him in the yard every day. He always pushed me to my limits with baseball and with school and It’s helped me improve a lot along the way.”

A change in positions proved beneficial in the long run as well.

“I was a shortstop until I was 12, but I’ve been catching for five years now,” explained Garman. “I was on a team with a catcher that wasn’t very good and I told the coach I can catch if he wanted me to. Ever since that day I’ve been having fun doing it.”

College interest has followed with his dad’s alma mater, Michigan State, one of the first to be intrigued with Garman along with Eastern Michigan and Saginaw Valley. Davenport came onto the scene later in his recruitment.

“Going into my sophomore year I had some college interest but I knew I needed to pick up the pace if I was going to have a shot at college baseball,” the seventh-rated 2021 catcher in Michigan reflected. “I wasn’t a confident player a year ago but I’ve worked hard on the mental part of the game. I’ve put on 20 pounds of muscle since last fall and 20 pounds along with a good mental game can really take you far.”

It helped bring Garman interest this summer from Marshall.

“Back in June an assistant coach at Marshall followed me on Twitter,” Garman related. “I was going to go to a camp there but couldn’t because of the virus, so they had no chance to see me play.”

So Garman turned to the recruiting tool of choice since COVID-19 came onto the scene.

“They loved the video I sent them,” noted the 6-1 198-pounder. “They ended up offering me a scholarship in mid-July. They said they like my frame, the power I have and my work ethic.”

The switch-hitting 17-year old ended up taking an unofficial visit to the Conference USA school after the offer came in.

“I went to Marshall with my family the week before I committed,” Garman explained. “It was beautiful. I thought right then and there it was the right fit for me.”

The decision to attend school five-and-a-half hours from home brought an end to what was a tough recruiting process in the eyes of the 45th-ranked 2021 in the state.

“It was fun at the beginning, going to camps and visiting schools,” pointed out Garman, who took trips to Penn State and Michigan State. “But when the coronavirus happened it was all about videos. That was hard to enjoy. However, once Marshall gave me an opportunity I knew this was where I needed to go.”

Admittedly, there was some pressure involved being uncommitted the summer prior to senior year of high school.

“It was stressful not knowing what I was going to do,” Garman said. “But once the decision was made it’s a huge weight off my shoulders. Now that I know where I’m going it’s honestly more fun than ever. It’s nice to know where you’re going and I can begin working toward a starting job at Marshall. I’m more relaxed and I feel more confident.”

Garman points to a positive effect on him throughout the whole ordeal.

“The people who helped me the most with this was my family,” Garman said. “They always had my back. They’ve played the biggest role in all of this.”

With plans to major in business, Garman, who carries a 3.4 GPA, believes he can be a major contributor to the Marshall program.

“I’ve always been a good leader and, even as a freshman, I think I can do that at Marshall,” Garman said. “I’ll bring a good work ethic to the program that others will follow.”

That is something that started early for Garman in his drive to follow in the baseball footsteps of his father.