Senior Luke Boyum said he started playing baseball 15 years ago at the age of 3. He has been playing the sport on and off-season ever since.

As Boyum recently committed to The College of St. Scholastica, he said the high quality academics and the baseball team’s success drove him to choose that school over other offers.

“I chose St. Scholastica because it was the best program,” Boyum said. “It’s a good school and they have a good baseball program.”

Senior John Meyer, a teammate of Boyum’s at Park, said Boyum stands apart from other players because he has a lot to offer.

“He’s really just a great guy to have on a baseball team because he really just brings so much to the table,” Meyer said. “When there’s runners on base you know those runners are getting in because he comes up in the clutch.”

Another teammate of Boyum’s, senior Marco Giovannelli, said he noticed early on that Boyum would most likely continue on his baseball career after high school.

“I could tell from the start of high school that baseball was something Luke wanted to do past his four years at St. Louis Park, and I could see the determination,” Giovannelli said.

According to coach Brian Kelly, Boyum’s leadership skills as well as his team spirit are the best parts of being his coach.

“He is such a natural athlete and he’s just a really great teammate,” Kelly said. “Luke is kind of one of the leaders of the group and he kind of sets the tone.”

According to Boyum, doing off-season training at MacStrength in Edina has helped him improve many of his skills, which will be beneficial to him in the future.

“It has helped me get better,” Boyum said. “Hitting drills, strength drills, rotation drills (and) lag drills (have) allowed me to hit the ball better, hit the ball harder and farther.”

Giovannelli said the best part of playing baseball with Boyum is how he has a drive for not only himself, but for the team as a whole, which leads it to more success.

“He always has a competitive side of him that’s not only pushing him but the rest of the team to find success and close out with a win,” Giovannelli said.