JUPITER, Fla. • Austin Gomber didn’t draw much attention from baseball scouts and Division I coaches when he was coming out of high school in 2011. The 6-foot-5 lefthander’s fastball was clocked at only 84 mph at the time, so not many folks could have envisioned that he would challenge for a spot on the Cardinals’ roster seven years later.
Gomber took a recruiting visit to the University of Florida, but the Southeastern Conference’s Gators took a pass. He found a home at Florida Atlantic University, and he has been proving the doubters wrong ever since.
Although Gomber is on track to reach the majors this year, he is in many ways the same kid who derived motivation from receiving only one Division I scholarship offer.