Little has big plans after graduation — Destin southpaw pitcher is Citadel bound

Destin’s J.D. Little plans to go to The Citadel to play baseball, and he’s already got the haircut.

Little, a senior southpaw pitcher at Fort Walton Beach High School, has made a verbal commitment to play for the Military College in South Carolina after graduation.

The coaching staff at The Citadel spotted Little when he was showcased at a tournament in Marietta, Ga. Little threw a two-hitter for a complete shutout.

“The guy liked what he saw and had me come up for a visit,” Little said.

Little, who is anything but little, stands 6-foot-6 and weighs in at 240. He has been sporting a nearly bald head since he was a freshman.

“I felt more at home there (The Citadel) than I have any other place,” Little said. “Everybody there is required to have shaved heads” because it’s a military school.

Little is not going bald, he just prefers the shaved head because it’s “not as hot.”

The 17-year-old son of John and Judy Little had a “hot” season on the mound for the Fort Walton Beach Vikings this past year.

“We had some good battles this year,” Little said. The Vikings finished up as Class 5A District 2 champs with an overall record of 17-9.

But the game of the year for Little was a 1-0 win over county-rival Niceville.

“It was a pitching duel,” Little said.

Little recalls he gave up three hits, three walks, and struck out 10 for the win.

“That was a fun game,” he said. It was three up, three down and was over in an hour and 10 minutes.

 In a game against a Kentucky team this past season, Little recorded his most strikeouts — 16 Ks.

Little likes being on the mound.

“You feel like you have the whole game in your hands,” he said. “And I prefer it that way. I like it when the pressure is on … that’s a good feeling.”

Little says his best pitch is his curve ball.

A lot of pitchers start out with a fastball, but Little said “I like to go straight to the curve and the off-speed stuff. Then hammer them with the fastball when I’m up in the count.”

He spends anywhere from two to five hours a day perfecting his game from weightlifting, running, pitching and batting cages.

“I do just anything to keep in shape,” Little said.

Little stepped on the ball field at an early age. His first experience was in the Destin Little League Association T-ball division at Dalton Threadgill Park.

“I can remember looking over at the major league field and thinking I’d never get to that point,” he said.  “And now 13 years later, I’m still playing. It’s a good feeling.”

From Little League, Little moved on to play at Destin Middle School for the Marlins and has been on the varsity team at Fort Walton Beach since he was a freshman.

Not only has Little got it done for the Vikings on the mound, but also at bat. He finished this past season with a .411 batting average, including two home runs.

The Citadel, which finished up 43-22 overall this past year, is primarily looking at Little for his pitching ability. However, they are interested in his bat as well.

Little said they want to “put a bat in my hands” that first year to see what I can do.

Little’s parents put a bat in his hand when he was just 3. He said they started tossing a beach ball to him in the backyard and went smaller and smaller with the balls until they got to baseball size.

“I was just sold on baseball,” he said. “Baseball has been my life. It’s what I’ve always done … it’s what I love.”