Kolten Poorman’s dream came true in the span of three days.
The Three Rivers freshman infielder went from being uncertain about his recruiting future to signing with the University of Missouri just a few days later.
“It was a great three days,” Poorman said. “All the credit goes to my Lord and Savior. Without him none of this is possible.”
Missouri saw Poorman play late in the Raiders’ fall season. Poorman thinks it might have been at their last game of the fall. Then he got a call from Missouri head coach Steve Bieser the following Tuesday. Poorman bounced some questions off his potential coach, got an offer that night, and immediately agreed.
“The energy he gives when he plays is really infectious. Everybody loves watching him play,” said Three Rivers coach Tyler Smith, who is in his first season as head coach and can now credit Poorman as his first player to sign with a four-year school. “It’s always on the kid, he’s put in the work. He did what he was supposed to do … We were just really blessed to see it happen for him.”
Poorman’s dad has a doctorate from Missouri and played in the minor leagues and in Mexico. Poorman’s grandfather played football for the Tigers. There’s a Mizzou football in Poorman’s room back home and he remembers playing as the Tigers on NCAA ’06 as a kid.
“It’ll be a dream come true to put on the black and gold,” he said. “It’ll be a true blessing.”
Poorman, a North County alum, called home and asked his parents if they’d like to drive to Poplar Bluff and have dinner with a Tiger. His dad was speechless. The next weekend he went home to catch a high school football game and his dad had a Missouri sweatshirt and bomber jacket ready and waiting.
“It really is a blessing beyond our wildest imagination for our family,” he said. “The good Lord put me at Three Rivers for a reason.”
Poorman opted not to tell his teammates until practice the next morning so he could share the news with everyone at the same time.
The Raiders were up and running at 6 a.m. It was a sprint day. They were in the gym afterward, huffing and puffing, and Poorman let it slip.
“And they just went nuts,” he said. “I got swarmed and it was probably one of the best experiences of my life.
“It was like someone just dropped an energy bomb … After we got done, everyone went back to huffing and puffing.”
In an abbreviated spring season of 22 games, before COVID-19 caused the cancellation of the rest of the schedule, Poorman was second on the team with a .328 batting average and hit one home run, two doubles and eight RBIs. He also had a .459 on-base percentage and .414 slugging. He didn’t commit an error in 34 total chances.
“He’s a good kid, local kid … out of high school he didn’t really have that much interest. He’s put in the work,” Smith said. “(This fall) he had a lot of interest.”
Scott Borkgren - Daily American Republic