Commitment Q&A with Jacksonville State Commit Diesel Purnell

OUR Q&A

PBR: What were your expectations about the recruiting process? What were you looking for out of a college program to continue your baseball career at?

Purnell: When looking for colleges, I was looking to make a direct impact. I wanted to be able to walk onto campus and be able to compete for a spot. I also was looking for a coaching staff that could contribute to making me a better baseball player and person.

PBR: Did location or distance from home play a factor in your decision?

Purnell: I believe location played a fairly big role in committing to Jacksonville State. With it being located in the south, I knew that that meant good weather all year round, which also meant baseball through all months of the year.

PBR: When did the recruiting process really start to heat up for you? Where did the school you committed to first see you play?

Purnell: The recruiting process really started to heat up for me the summer going into my sophomore season. I had just came off a good freshman year, which caught some eyes of some schools going into summer.

PBR: What do you like most about the program you chose, and what were the key factors in making your decision?

Purnell: At Jacksonville State I liked the camaraderie of the coaches, which made it feel more like home. They also had big time facilities and an awesome field. 

PBR: Who is the best player you have faced in your state? What about them makes for a tough opponent?

Purnell: My freshman year I faced Karson Milbrandt (Liberty, 2022; Miami Marlins draft pick). He for sure has been the hardest player I have ever faced. He ran his fastball up into the mid and high 90s and had a great slider.

PBR: At what point in your career did you realize you were a college-caliber player and became serious about taking your game to the next level?

Purnell: As long as I can, remember, my dream was to play baseball. Whether that was college, or potentially at the next level. My eighth grade year is when I believe we truly realize that it was a possibility. I had just started to get very physical, and my attributes were starting to stick out.

PBR: What advice would you give to young baseball players striving to get where you are?

Purnell: Embrace the failure. I don’t believe you can truly achieve success without failure.

PBR: What is the most memorable moment in your baseball career to this point?

Purnell: Today, my most memorable moment in baseball was against Liberty North in the state quarterfinal game. We were facing Tate McGuire (Liberty North, 2023; Arkansas signee) and I led the game off with a double off the wall. I had later also hit a homer in that game. Even though we ended up losing that game I feel like that was one of the biggest moments in my baseball career. 

PBR: Preview your high school team's season for us. How do you feel your team will be?

Purnell: I feel like Ray-Pec has great potential leading into the 2024 high school baseball season. We have multiple very high caliber pitchers and some offense to complement that.

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