BATAVIA - “I sold them on the energy I bring.”

And with that, Carter Sunderman was an Old Dominion commit.

“It was a pretty quick process,” the Williamsburg High School junior reflected. “In the beginning I was thinking I’d wait it out, but then I thought why not. They saw me in Georgia and an offer came in the next two days. I had a few Big 10 schools interested, but I knew Old Dominion was right for me. I couldn’t pass it up.”

The 22nd-rated 2023 shortstop in Ohio pointed to one thing in particular that helped make the Conference USA program the perfect choice.

“Coach Finwood has a 100 percent success rate of getting shortstops drafted,” Sunderman said about ODU head coach Chris Finwood, who just completed his 10th year in charge of the program. “Every shortstop that’s played for him has been drafted. I was sold on that. The goal for me is the pros.”

Additionally, one other feature stood out for the 6-0 165-pounder.

“Playing in the south …. You can’t get better than that,” Sunderman said in reference to the university located in Norfolk, Va.. 

Even if it means being 101/2 hours from home.

“Obviously it's a long way, but I wasn’t going to let that sway my decision,” explained Sunderman, while noting that Virginia Beach is just 25 minutes from the Old Dominion campus. “I don’t mind getting out of my comfort zone. I look forward to a different atmosphere.”

Energy is just one trait that attracted the ODU coaches to Sunderman.

“They love my glove,” the 113th-ranked junior in the state noted. “They love that I can switch-hit and they love my speed.”

The idea of switch-hitting began two years ago.

“I started messing around with it in my backyard,” Sunderman related. “I thought I’d have a better chance of being recruited as a switch-hitting shortstop. There aren’t many of them out there.”

A solid showing at the Ohio Top Prospect Games in June helped the cause.

“My summer coach said schools took interest in me there,” Sunderman noted. “After that Old Dominion showed interest and it was something I couldn’t pass up.”

Improved speed along with hard work in the weight room helped in the process to go along with his most significant attribute.

“Defense is the biggest part of my game,” Sunderman pointed out. “That’s what scouts noticed.”

It is only a small segment of what the 16-year-old sees he can provide Old Dominion.

“I’ll bring leadership and high energy,” Sunderman said. “I’m a hard-nosed player that loves to compete, I’ll play great D and help the team score runs, anything to get the job done.”

The life-long dream of playing at the next level started to become a reality a year ago.

“That’s when a few schools said I had the potential,” Sunderman related. “After that it was just the process of gaining weight and getting thicker. My 60-time got quicker and the Top Prospect Games helped get my name out there.”

Sunderman pointed to his father as playing a big role in helping get to this point.
“My dad has been the biggest part of it all,” Sunderman noted. “He’s constantly worked with me and had a huge role in this. I wouldn’t be where I am without him. He coached me when I was little and then recently helped in fall ball.”

To finally be committed admittedly brings much excitement.

“It’s surreal,” Sunderman concluded. “It really didn’t even hit me the first week. Now I’m finally realizing I can play at that level. I just have to keep working and getting better.”