Ahead of his arrival to Clemson, Lleyton Lackey keeps harping on the “family feel” that awaits him in Tiger Town.
Hailing from Georgia’s Evan High School, the Class of 2022 commit, is a speedy and instinctive athlete, who can do it all.
Lackey, a left-handed thrower and switch hitter recently caught up with The Clemson Insider regarding his prior recruitment and his thoughts on his incoming class.
One of the main things that Lackey wanted to pick his next school based on was family. When he officially committed to Clemson back on July 16, 2020, he chose the Tigers over programs like Tennessee and Georgia Tech.
He felt most at home in Tiger Town.
“They really preached to me the meaning of family and I wanted to make my decision based on what felt right for me and my family,” Lackey said. “It was close to home and my decision was a family decision. That’s what I wanted to be a part of.
Lackey will be an outfielder for Clemson’s baseball program.
He feels like he already has a “close bond” with head coach Monte Lee and assistant coach Bradley LeCroy.
“My relationship is real close,” he said. “I talk with Coach LeCroy and Coach Lee, about the same. I like the fact how they really just made the big pitch of family and they made me feel like I was coming to be a part of that and make an immediate impact.
“Not only about baseball, but just life itself. That was the main thing that I really wanted to focus on. That’s what really sold me, that’s what really made a connection. We talk about anything. We talk about sports, we talk about football last year. “
When Lackey won Player of the Year for his region, Lee texted him and told him “congratulations, keep it up.”
That meant a lot to him.
“I think it’s the way I play the game,” Lackey said when asked what the Tigers like about his game. “I think that’s the most important thing, just how fast I play the game.”
If Lackey had to choose a player that he plays baseball similar to, he’d say San Diego Padres superstar shortstop Fernando Tatis, Jr. Lackey feels like he plays with a similar style of speed, swagger and excitement, he said.
Beyond that, what does Lackey bring to the table?
“I bring, first and foremost, speed, knowledge of the game,” he added. “I understand what’s supposed to happen in every situation. Confidence, just everything that’s needed in a baseball player.”
As far as Lackey’s senior season of high school baseball is concerned, his main priority is to win the region. The end goal is obviously winning a State Championship, but Lackey wants to see how far his team can take it.
Right now, he’s looking to work on his consistency before he officially enrolls at Clemson.
The Tigers’ Class of 2022 commits embrace the family feel that Lackey’s talking about.
“I think we’re pretty close,” he said. “We talk every now and then, we check up on each other, we see how each other’s doing. I actually played with a couple of players during tournaments [this summer]. We kind of started to build a relationship as well, outside of baseball.”
“We definitely want to come in and make that immediate impact and maybe go to the World Series,” Lackey added. “See how far we can take it.”
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