A change worked out positively for Colin Tuft, and likely played a big role in the Madison High School graduate getting chosen in the recent Major League baseball draft.
The catcher and Tulane University junior player recently was selected in the eighth round (249th pick overall) by the Baltimore Orioles.
Tuft played his first two years of college baseball at the University of Virginia, receiving significant playing time by appearing in 78 games. But after being converted from a catcher to an outfielder at Virginia, Tuft missed his favorite position. As a result, he made a change and transferred to Tulane for his junior season and became the team’s starting catcher.
“It all worked out,” Tuft said. “Tulane is a good baseball school, they let me catch and now it’s been a dream to be drafted and play pro baseball. I’m super-pumped.”
In his one season at Tulane, the speedy 6-foot-3 Tuft batted .279 and started 61 games. He homered 12 times, had 11 doubles and two triples, drove in 41 runs, scored 67 and stole 13 bases, a lot for a catcher.
“Colin is one of the best athletes to ever come out of Madison High School,” said Mark Gjormand, who coached Tuft in baseball at Madison. “He was liked out of high school back then by pro baseball scouts. It doesn’t surprise me what he did in college baseball.”
At Madison, Tuft helped the Warhawks win a state baseball championship in 2021, hitting .549 that season as a senior. He was chosen first team all-district, all-region and all-state.
Tuft also played basketball and football at Madison. He tied with a team-high 17 points in Madison’s victory over South Lakes in a region-tournament semifinal basketball game his senior season.
Prior to high school, Tuft was a standout year-round swimmer, including during the summertime’s Northern Virginia Swimming League season for the Hunter Mill Sharks.
Tuft said he grew up a Washington Nationals fan, but followed the Orioles, attending some games on occasion at their Oriole Park at Camden Yards home field.
Now he looks forward to playing games there some day.
