Fynn Hyson’s baseball career will continue at the college level. The preparation will largely be done in his backyard instead of a diamond, though.
The Durango High School senior signed a National Letter of Intent to play junior college baseball at Eastern Arizona College in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference. He will play for Gila Monsters head coach John Chalmers in one of the top junior college baseball conferences.
“I’ve dreamed of this since I was a kid, and it means the world to me,” said Hyson. “But I never thought I would trade in my red and black Durango colors for purple and gold.”
It is the games against a purple-and-gold clad Bayfield High School that Hyson said he would remember most from his days playing high school baseball – now distant memories with his final season canceled because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound right-handed pitcher has stayed sharp by throwing bullpen sessions with his dad and brother, Max, whenever he can. The son of Cole and Jennifer Hyson hopes he will be able to get back into a gym soon as he continues to work on his strength.
“I sent their coach video, and it was just of me in a bullpen session in my backyard,” Hyson said. “That’s all I can really do is the at-home workouts. I’m trying to get my velocity up. I’m ready to go to college. Right now, I’m a young adult, and I’m ready for college baseball and to develop into a man.”
Hyson comes from a family of strong athletes. His father played college baseball at the University of Arkansas. He would become a ninth-round draft pick of the Houston Astros and had a minor-league career in the Astros and San Diego Padres organizations. Max is a football player at Fort Lewis College.
“I always wanted to play football, too. But, at the same time, I kind of wanted to follow my dad’s footsteps and see if I could create my own legacy like my dad did,” Hyson said. “Baseball felt more like my thing, and football was always more of Max’s thing.”
Hyson is known for his work ethic and team-first mentality. It was on display during his four-year football career, as he made a shift from playing quarterback to becoming an offensive and defensive lineman. Wherever the team needed him, that’s where he went. And wherever he did line up, he was a difference maker.
In his high school baseball career, Hyson had a 4.99 earned-run average in 80 innings pitched. He struck out 64 batters and walked 29.
“Hyson is one of the best leaders I have ever coached,” DHS baseball coach Rob Coddington said. “Once his senior football season ended, he made it to every preseason workout that we held. If practice started at 6:30 a.m. he was standing at the door at 6:15 waiting to get into the building. On Fridays, when we had freshman-only preseason workouts, there he was at 6:15 a.m. waiting to get his extra work in. Never an excuse, never a reason why he couldn’t be there. He is the epitome of a senior leader who leads by example.
“He is genuine and truly wanted was best for DHS baseball, even if that meant it wasn’t what was best for him at the time. Character traits like that are hard to come by in a time when ‘me’ often supersedes ‘we.’”
Hyson, who said his best pitch is his curveball, said he is open to whatever role the coaches at Eastern Arizona envision for him, whether it is as a starter or as a reliever from the bullpen.
He plans to study biology and aims to grow in junior college and then make the jump to a four-year college.
“I’m going to go down there and show the coaches I can work my butt off,” he said. “Whatever they want me to do, I’m going to do it and just keep getting better for them. I’m excited to go down to Arizona where it will be warm, my arm will feel good the whole time and I will be playing in one of the best junior college conferences around the country. I can’t wait to be part of it.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
