FAN’S CHOICE AWARD: Last Day To Vote For Florida Tech’s Kevin Wortman
By Florida Tech // June 22, 2015
#VoteWort
BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – Today is the last day to vote for the TD Ameritrade Fan’s Choice Award, Florida Tech’s Kevin Wortman will need help from fans in the form of votes to leap up to first place in the competition.
However, being among four finalists in the entire country for an award based on leadership on and off the field is quite a feat for the May biological science/premedical biology graduate from Lakeland, Florida.
Fans are heavily encouraged to view his profile, and vote daily through Facebook, Twitter and a registered email address by visiting FansChoiceAward.com
The final round concludes on today at 12:59 p.m. EDT and the winner will be announced that day. He will also be recognized at the College Home Run Derby on July 2 in Omaha, Nebraska.
Wortman’s nomination can be promoted by using the hashtag #VoteWort.
Upon the final round of the Fan’s Choice Award contest we sat down for a little Q&A with the center fielder:
Q: When/how did you get into baseball?
A: I got into baseball when I moved from Orlando to Lakeland at eight years old. My mom didn’t want me to sit around the house after school and on the weekends because I had too much energy, so she found a local Dixie Youth Baseball League out at East Lakeland for me to start playing in.
Q: Favorite MLB player? Why?
A: Andrew McCutchen. He’s from my area and is a very nice, well-spoken guy. He always wants to talk to fans and give back to the community, plus he’s one of the most versatile players in the game. He can win the game with a diving catch, homerun, or by stealing a base.
Q: Favorite superhero? Why?
A: Thor… hands down. He can control thunder, has super human strength and flies by swinging his hammer around!
Q: Single favorite moment during Florida Tech career?
A: Coming back to my hometown to play against Florida Southern as a freshman and hitting a home run. Having all my friends and family see all the work I’d put in with Coach B (Greg Berkemeier) and Merc (Matt Mercurio) was great.
Q: Dubble Bubble or Big League Chew?
A: Dubble Bubble
Q: Home run or diving catch?
A: Diving catch every day of the week.
Q: What offers did you have out of high school? Why Florida Tech?
A: I had looks from USF, FSU and Liberty but no offers. After the initial contact with those schools, I was then offered by Southeastern University and FIT. My parents loved the coaching staff here. They knew Coach B had a passion for caring for his players, and Coach Merc was dedicated to making us better on and off the field.
Q: Favorite Merc moment/quote?
A: Coach Merc always has acronyms for everything. One that he often used for me this year was LARI (Larry) – Look Away, React In. During one at-bat Merc yelled, “Larry! Larry!”, and for the rest of the game I had the umpire and the catcher thinking my name was Larry. Coach B was wondering what in the world Larry had to do with anything because nobody on the field had that name.
Q: What pushed you towards the med school route?
A: Many of my relatives work in the medical field. My father is a nurse administrator, my grandmother was a nurse and three of her brothers made a living as a pharmacist, dentist and a doctor. After growing up hearing their stories, and the passion I have for people, I knew that going to medical school and becoming a doctor was for me.
Q: Any baseball-related superstitions or rituals?
A: I do a lot of weird stretches while I’m up at the plate. The team always gives me a hard time for them. I also had a four-year-old bottle of water that I kept in my bag until my last game against Tampa. After I hit a home run in my last AAU game my mother bought me an Aquafina bottle of water, but my dad had already given me one beforehand. I put the water my mom gave me in my bag and I always kept it there for good luck. During the regional tournament, I drank that bottle of water as “rally water” during the Lynn game before I doubled home the late tying run.
Q: What’s playing on your IPod?
A: J-Cole, Ellie Goulding, Sylvan Esso, and a lot of Flume.
Q: Any fun facts or hidden talents?
A: I am a very loud shower singer and nine times out of 10 its opera…mostly Luciano Pavarotti.
Q: Where do you hope to be in 10 years?
A: Hopefully married with a couple of kids, coaching baseball during my days off at the hospital.
VOTE HERE: FansChoiceAward.com
