10 Questions with UW Baseball Standout Will Simpson

BY BOB SHERWIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Baseball is a game Will Simpson has played since he was a tyke growing up on the playgrounds, backyards and cul de sacs in Sammamish. He played it for fun, in youthful passion with his buddies, not realizing that it would be a means for his education and possibly one day, a living.

Simpson, a redshirt sophomore first baseman for the Washington Huskies, is preparing for his third full season for UW, which opens its schedule Feb. 18 at Cal Poly. Last season, Simpson led the Huskies with a .310 average while smacking seven home runs and driving in 35.

UW Baseball Coach Lindsay Meggs didn’t have to travel far to recruit Simpson, just 20 miles up to the Plateau. He watched Simpson earn first team All-State honors in both 2018 and 2019. After his senior season, he handed Simpson a scholarship while the Pittsburgh Pirates also did him a solid. The Pirates drafted him in the 18th round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft.

“I was very blessed to have that opportunity,” Simpson said. He decided at that stage in his life there was more value in a UW education than the itinerant life of a minor-league ballplayer.

Professional baseball will be there again, as he is eligible for the draft after this collegiate season. Perhaps the Pirates will be interested again. Perhaps the hometown Mariners will be as well. Or maybe his all-time favorite team, 2,000 miles away, will be moved to bring him into the franchise.

Is Pittsburgh now your favorite team, or the Mariners?

“I’m actually a (Chicago) White Sox fan. I had the opportunity to be the bat boy for the White Sox at a spring training game when I was like 8-years old. Ever since then I’ve been a White Sox fan. This guy named Josh Fields gave me a broken bat of his. It’s like the only memorabilia I got from that game.’’

You are eligible for the MLB draft again this summer. Would you like the Pirates to commit to you again or perhaps the White Sox or Mariners?

“Every kid dreams about playing for their favorite team they grew up rooting for. That (White Sox) would definitely be a dream come true. Every kid (also) dreams about playing for their hometown professional sports team. That (Mariners) would be cool as well.’’

You live in a house with eight Husky baseball players. How crazy is that and can everyone remain on the straight and narrow disciplined life of a college athlete?

“We love living together. We have a blast. Everyone has their priorities set in stone. We all want to make sure we have the best chance to have a successful season and get the Huskies back to Omaha.’’

How did you prepare for this season?

“I hit the weight room harder than ever before. I also had the chance to play in the Cape Cod League (wood bats) this past summer. It was a great opportunity for me to play against some of the best talent that college baseball has to offer. ’’

What were your earliest baseball memories, or memories you cherish thus far in your career?

“The one I remember most was we were playing Little League All-Stars and I think I was 9-years old. I hit a walk-off grand slam to get to the ‘mercy rule’ against the other team. I don’t remember a walk-off in high school but one of the best moments I had was near the end of my senior season when Cole Hinkelman (now at Stanford) went back-to-back (home runs) in a game. In college, the best moments I had was when I had two walk-offs in one weekend. But I make memories every day with the guys that I’ll never forget.’’

Did you always play organized ball as a kid or did your neighborhood buddies get together for pickup games?

“Just about every night during the summer, me and my friends would play a game of Wiffle Ball out in the cul de sac. We kind of lobbed it in there. We didn’t have a lot of movement on our pitches. We played for a lot of offense.’’

What is your favorite uniform number?

“My favorite number is 6. The reason is there are six members of my family. I always like to have a reminder of them wherever I’m playing. I wear 10 right now and some guys on the team have created some pretty cool nicknames for me. They call me ‘10er’ a lot. So, when I had the chance to change numbers this year I thought, ‘I can’t ruin the nickname. I’ll stick with 10.’’’

Did you enter UW with any friends, or teammates or opposing players?

“(UW second baseman) Dalton Chandler, one of my best buddies on the team right now, he actually went to high school (Eastlake) just down the road from our school. Throughout our entire childhood we played against each other. It’s been really cool to play together in college. ’’

Is it true that you have never traveled outside of the United States?

“Not one time. I actually have a lot of family in Bellingham, so I get even closer (to Canada) but never made my way across the border. No travel plans, no family trips. During spring break when everyone goes on vacation, that’s right in the heart of baseball season. I couldn’t miss baseball for the world. ’’

How much do you pay attention to the mental element of the game?

“I’ve kind of developed that the past couple months because I realize how important the mental part of the game is. Baseball is 99 percent mental and one percent physical. If I can get a grip on the mental side, it will take my performance to a new level. The Husky program brought in a guy named Brian Cain, who is a well-known mental performance coach. We took his plan and use it for what works for us. When you go through the trials and tribulations, it’s always something to lean on.’’