Shortstop Tim Proudfoot's hard work and state glory with the Mount Si varsity baseball team have ended with a scholarship to play Division 1 college baseball.

The first-team all-Kingco conference honoree signed a letter of intent to play for Texas Tech University in Lubbock on Wednesday, June 22.

"It was a perfect fit," Proudfoot said of the school.

Originally offered a quarter-scholarship at Texas Tech, Proudfoot had declined the offer, instead planning to attend Bellevue College with fellow varsity grads Max Brown and Dustin Breshears. But when a shortstop position opened up in recent weeks, Texas officials called with a more generous offer.

Proudfoot deserves to be a Red Raider, Mount Si coach Elliott Cribby said.

"He was always a Division 1 player in my mind," Cribby said.

Proudfoot's name hadn't got out to the big schools by his junior year.

But "I knew what I had with Tim," Cribby said. "Tim, in my mind, is the best shortstop in the west." Powerful for his size, Proudfoot brings a lot of tangible and intangible qualities to the game.

Texas scouts were shaking their head when they visited a few weeks ago, watching the senior smack homers and wondering why he was their gain, and Northwest schools' loss.

Cribby emphasizes more than just wins; he's a big proponent of pushing for players to get scholarships and take the next step.

With seven of his 10 seniors playing varsity ball, " that's a pretty good rate," Cribby said.

Contact Snoqualmie Valley Record Editor Seth Truscott at editor@valleyrecord.com or 1-425-888-2311.

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