AUSTIN, Texas — Blake Mitchell has had a love for baseball about as far back as he can remember.

“I started playing when I was 4 and loved it ever since,” Mitchell said. “My dad introduced me to the game and I fell in love with it. He played, and I said, why not give it a try? Been having a whole bunch of fun ever since.”

It’s also fun when you realize you’re pretty good at the game. Mitchell noticed that early on and then had some moments at the start of high school that showed him he might have a real future on the field.

“As a young freshman he made an impact on our team as a lead-off guy,” said Adrian Alaniz, the head coach at Sinton. “The tools and knowledge of the game was there already.”

“I went to Area Code tryout after my freshman season and hit a home run at the tryout,” Mitchell recalled. “I was like, 'I can compete with these guys out here,' and that’s when it clicked.”

A month or two after that he got an offer from LSU and committed to the Tigers. The Blake Mitchell hype was off from there. Now he’s a senior and turned into the top ranked high school baseball prospect in Texas.

“He’s one of those five-tool guys. He’s my best base runner, he can hit for power, he can hit for contact,” Alaniz said. “He can get on the mound and throw 97 mph and he’s the best backstop in the United States. The plus to that is he’s a left-handed hitter and everybody loves to attract to a left-handed hitter.”

That skillset is incredibly unique and it’s the reason that many projections have him as a first-round pick in the upcoming MLB Draft. It also means there’s incredible attention around him at all times. When we did our interview, Mitchell and the Sinton baseball team were taking batting practice at the Marucci Clubhouse outside of Dripping Springs. The team was in town for a tournament and at the short hitting session there were probably 15-20 scouts that had flown in just to watch his every swing.

“It can be overwhelming for an 18-year-old kid but he’s kind of been prepped for this,” Alaniz said. “He is a true professional at this point and I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen an 18-year-old kid handle it that way. If you know Blake, he puts in a lot of work and it’s an everyday grind for himself.”

“I take it in and try to go out there and have fun,” said Mitchell. “Not really block them out because I know they’re there, but I’m just trying to have fun and have a great last season with my teammates.”

It could be his last season of playing just for fun. Mitchell has signed to play at LSU but there’s a good chance he could turn pro and be in the minor leagues sooner than later.

“Always been a dream and always talked about it,” Mitchell said. “As a job to play baseball would be a dream come true.”

Before he has that decision to make, Mitchell would love to win another state title. He helped Sinton capture their first championship in 20 years last season.

“Last year getting that ring under our belt after losing the year before felt great,” Mitchell said. “Special group of guys, grew up playing with them, it was a special feeling.”

The Pirates will have a good chance to repeat. They are currently the top ranked team in class 4A.