ACA pitcher Warrick signs with UAB

ACA pitcher Isaac Warrick signed a scholarship with UAB recently. (Tim Gayle)

BY TIM GAYLE

The Alabama All-Stars Sports Week is more than just a collection of games. 

Alabama Christian Academy pitcher Isaac Warrick found that out, starring in the July doubleheader at Riverwalk Stadium and earning the attention of college recruiters in the process.

On Friday, Warrick signed a letter of intent to play baseball at UAB, culminating a seven-month recruiting process that all started on that July evening at Riverwalk.

“I had competed in the North-South all-star game and I was just out there playing baseball and it just so happened that they liked what they saw,” Warrick said. “After the game, I had some coaches come up and say they wanted to introduce me to the UAB coaches. They invited me up for an unofficial visit and offered me the day I went up there.

Warrick, who emerged as one of the city’s top pitchers last season, could have waited through the 2022 season to see what other types of offers he could get, but it just so happened UAB was one of the schools he wanted to attend.

“UAB was always one of my target schools,” he said. “When they offered me, I was ready to go at that moment.”

With the 2022 season starting in a couple of weeks, Warrick is happy to get the recruiting process behind him.  

“I always wanted to get it done before the season started,” he said. “That way, when we rolled into the season, I was just focused on doing one thing and that was winning us a championship.”

ACA coach Manuel Guice was happy the hard work Warrick put in before the 2021 season paid off with a college offer.

“Isaac’s one of those kids that has definitely put in the work,” Guice said. “Last year was his first year with us on the varsity and he just came out and kept getting better and better and better. From a recruiting standpoint, there were people who were interested but sort of in a talking phase and UAB saw him in the all-star game and wanted to get him up there as quick as possible.”