Signing on Christian Collins, left, a pitcher for the Port Aransas High School Marlins who graduated in May, has signed with the Sterling College Warriors Sterling, Kan. His coach will be Jared Hamilton, right, a Sterling alumni. STAFF PHOTO BY KAREN COLLINS Being a lefty has paid off for Christian Collins, a 2010 graduate of Port Aransas High School.

The all-district baseball player has signed with Sterling College in Sterling, Kan., to play baseball.

Sterling is a four-year college that is affiliated with the Presbyterian church.

Collins had planned to attend Blinn Junior College in Brehnam, and was there for the tryouts earlier in the summer. The Blinn coach had asked Sterling coach Jared Hamilton to help with tryouts, and that’s where Hamilton met Collins. After watching him and reading reviews about him, Hamilton asked Collins if he’d be interested in playing for Sterling, and offered him a scholarship.

“He’s left-handed, and that’s not exactly easy to come by,” Hamilton said in a telephone interview.

“I’d never heard of (Sterling College),” Collins said, so he asked for a week to consider the offer.

Collins and his mother, Karen, went to Sterling to check out the program and the campus a few weeks ago. His dad, Mike, couldn’t make the trip because of work obligations.

Collins said he liked “everything there: The Christian school, small campus, baseball and the small town.”

He said he didn’t want to go to a big school, and that’s why he had chosen Blinn. Another selling point for Sterling was that it offers his degree: Biology with a specialty in wildlife management.

“In talking with him, he understands there is work to do. He has the right state of mind and work ethic, and in a year or two, he’ll develop into something,” Hamilton said.

“He’s interested in playing collegiate ball, and has a passion to get better,” Hamilton added.

Collins was second team all-district pitcher for District 31-A his junior and senior years, and was named to the honorable mention all-district team his freshman and sophomore years at PAHS.

Hamilton, who has been coaching at Sterling for three years, has coached college baseball for 10 years and has been a coach for 13 years. He played for Sterling from 1995 to 1998.

“We think he’s a worthwhile investment. He’s open to working hard to become a good collegiate pitcher. It will take time, but he’s got the right work ethic. He’ll work hard, and we’ll see what he can do,” Hamilton said.

For his part, Collins said he’s excited and “a little nervous.”

He said he is looking forward to getting experience and learning what college baseball is all about, but he’s sure “it’s a lot different from high school.”