"It's always important to be comfortable in anything you do," Whitman says. "Especially in baseball, knowing what people are going to do, how they're going to play, how they're going to act, it's definitely nice for me. I'm excited for that because I made some very strong bonds with some of those kids and playing with them for longer is going to be fun.
"We could match up with any team, I would say for sure, with the talent we had on that Glendale [college] team, but the thing that got us to [be one of] the top four teams in the state was how we bonded together. If we can get that same thing going with this team, chemistry makes a good team great."
Whitman said his favorite part of the college season was silencing those who doubted the Vaqueros could go deep in the playoffs. As an expansion club competing in one of the most prestigious summer collegiate leagues in the country, Whitman and the Angelenos will no doubt also have something to prove.
And, while looking to help the Angelenos win games and respect, Whitman will also be looking to prove himself at the next level.
"He saw some real power pitchers toward the end of the season and at the state championship," Riviera said. "There's a reason those other teams got there."
"I think that he's going to be an impact player. A lot of scouts are asking about him now."
While he says he's ultimately undecided on where he'll continue his college career in the fall, Whitman's long term baseball goal is clear. And, should his breakout spring sustain itself into a big-time summer, the future may come calling even quicker for this hoopster turned hitter.
"I'm definitely going [to school [somewhere] and the plan has always been to try to get drafted as high as possible and see where that can take me," Whitman says. "I'll never turn down an opportunity, we'll see."
