University of Georgia Athletics
Photo by: Kari Hodges/UGAAA
Bulldog Spotlight: Getting To Know Paul Toetz
December 19, 2023 | Baseball
Leadership comes in all forms. For graduate transfer Paul Toetz, leadership is being true to himself and helping the team, which features 27 newcomers and a first-year coaching staff, mold together.
The Greendale, Wis., native started in all 53 games for Purdue last season and was the first Boilermaker to capture the Triple Crown since 2015, leading in batting average (.335), home runs (10) and RBI (53) with a team-high 66 hits.
You played football and soccer in high school with only one season of baseball. What made you decide to focus on baseball for college?
"There were weird rules in Wisconsin where the high school season was in the summer, so you had to decide between playing club travel baseball or high school ball. They switched it my senior year to be in the spring, so I got to play that one year. I like football a lot, and I liked it a lot in high school. I liked baseball too, and it was less tough on your body. I have felt that my whole life, just wanting to play baseball and sports. It is a lot of fun to me, and it is what I enjoy. Even though sports are hard, it has taught me a lot about myself and life."
Your freshman season was canceled due to covid and the following year you earned Freshman all-American honors and were named to the Big Ten all-freshman team. What did your training look like during that time?
"I just played basketball the whole time. Three months before the COVID-season and stuff was shut down, I had hip surgery. I wasn't going to play anyway. All I really did was play a lot of basketball once I got cleared to run around. I didn't really pick up a bat for about eight months. I tried to get my body back into shape. I showed up that fall out of shape and fat. Having all that time off and using that time to grow as a person instead of just focusing on sports really did a lot for me. I think it helped me to take a second and realize who I was without sports then get to come back to it. That year after was awesome coming into it with a fresh, new mindset."
Last year, you were the first Boilermaker to capture the triple crown since 2015. In what areas have you seen your game improve?
"Last year, I tried to hit for more power and more home runs. It has been a progression. Getting older, having a setback with surgery, then getting back into the training program for the last three or four years, it is always about getting one percent better every day. That has helped me get here. When I was younger, I tried not to work too hard. I did a lot of things that hurt my body like not training the right way, which led to me getting hurt. Here it has been better working on a real hitting approach and figuring out how to play baseball at a higher level. It has been getting one percent better every day and staying true to what I know works."
What went into your decision when choosing to come to Georgia?
"A big factor was the coaches. There are a lot of moving parts on the team this year, including coaches, players and everything. I think being a moving part with everyone else, we have a real chance to do something special here. When Coach (Wes) Johnson was talking to me over the summer and trying to get me to come here, the way that Coach Johnson talks to you over the phone is the same guy that he is in person. It is hard to see through that when you are going through the recruiting process. Going through that a couple times in high school, I have been able to see through how people sound and what other people say about coaches. I have only heard good things about Coach Johnson. He is the same guy that he is over the phone.
Coach (Will) Coggin talking to me a lot, they were both big factors in coming here. Coach Coggin tried to recruit me when he was at Kentucky. I knew him and knew of him. He is a tougher coach, and he knows what he is doing. He is a great guy and a great coach. The dynamic of them was interesting to me. I think we have a laid back, more professional approach here, but there still has to be guys who are getting onto you to get your work done. Coach Coggin does that well. There is a great balance of everything here. Seeing that in the summer and now realizing it, it was the best decision."
What has been your favorite thing about Athens and making the move to UGA?
"I like the town a lot. For baseball, we have a lot more resources here. I am not surprised because I knew it was going to be better, but I am surprised at how supportive all the coaches are and the support staff with the resources we do have. It has been awesome to be able to take advantage of that. I went to some football games, and the atmosphere is crazy. The fans here are awesome. I think if we can fill the stands here, that would be awesome too. I think we are going to do that."
You made the move from Indiana to Purdue, but how have you been able to mesh with the team here?
"It is all about figuring out who guys are and what kind of personalities guys have. Everything will gel together. Everyone here has played baseball and been on a team. You have to go through that group process of storming and norming, I learned with my communications degree. It is true in terms of group development. There are a lot of moving pieces in that. Getting through the fall and now that we know each other, we are starting to come together.
It is about not forcing it and letting everyone be themselves. Show up with your best attitude and best effort every day, and everything else will figure itself out. I really think that. It is tough when you have new coaches and new players. A lot of new guys, this is a new place for them and fitting in. They have done a great job recruiting. Everyone has a great personality. You have dugout guys. We have our leaders and the quieter guys. We have the pieces in terms of personalities. It is about putting that together on the baseball field now. I am confident that we are going to do some good things this year."
As one of the older guys on the team, have you taken on a sort of leadership role?
"I try to, in my own way, be a leader. I am a quiet person. Over my last couple years in college, some coaches wanted to force me into a mold or into a person that I wasn't comfortable being. I am not a loud person. I will get emotional in games and let it show, but I am not really the guy who will show they are fired up to go run down-and-backs for an hour or go run 100s. I will do it, but I am not going to be that. I lead in my own way. Coach Johnson has really preached that by saying, 'Be comfortable in who you are. Don't be afraid to be who you are.' I have heard it a lot in my career that it is not okay to not try to be a leader. I have tried. I do it my own way. In some ways I am a leader.
I always try to be nice to the younger guys because I was very fortunate to have a lot of upperclassmen teach me the ropes as an underclassman and try to help in any way possible. I try to do that. I wouldn't call myself one of the 'rah-rah' guys. That is not me. Everybody leads in their own way. Being a true leader, it is hard to take that role and embody it to make it your personality. If that is what you do naturally, guys will see that, but bringing my genuine self to the field and trying to be me every day is what makes me better and everyone else better."
What are your plans after baseball?
"I have no idea. I have a lot of interests outside of baseball. I could see my life going in a lot of different directions. I am going to try to play baseball for as long as I can and enjoy doing this. If the day comes that I can't do it anymore, I will take it on then. I live in the present. Ten years ago, if you had asked me what I wanted to be doing in 10 years, I would have said, 'I have no idea. I want to play baseball or do sports,' Outside of that, I don't really know. I think that is fine. A lot of people have what they want to do lined up, but I am open to following whatever makes me happy and gives me a sense of happiness."
Aside from baseball, what are your other hobbies, hidden talents?
"I like to cook a lot. I still play a little bit of soccer in my free time whenever I can to keep the hips loose and healthy. Basketball. Whenever we have a rest day, I will be playing video games if I am feeling a little sore. I like cooking a lot. Recently, I have been doing chicken chimichurri. It is interesting trying to find a good recipe for that with a nice side dish like rice. That is probably the best thing that I have been trying to perfect right now. In previous years, when I lived with more roommates, we would always do a lot of cooking together. This year I just have one roommate, so I have just been trying to work on meals that I would like or my friends too if that ever came up and someone needs a cook."
(Bulldog Spotlight written by Julia Maenius, Georgia Sports Communications Graduate Assistant)
The Greendale, Wis., native started in all 53 games for Purdue last season and was the first Boilermaker to capture the Triple Crown since 2015, leading in batting average (.335), home runs (10) and RBI (53) with a team-high 66 hits.
You played football and soccer in high school with only one season of baseball. What made you decide to focus on baseball for college?
"There were weird rules in Wisconsin where the high school season was in the summer, so you had to decide between playing club travel baseball or high school ball. They switched it my senior year to be in the spring, so I got to play that one year. I like football a lot, and I liked it a lot in high school. I liked baseball too, and it was less tough on your body. I have felt that my whole life, just wanting to play baseball and sports. It is a lot of fun to me, and it is what I enjoy. Even though sports are hard, it has taught me a lot about myself and life."
Your freshman season was canceled due to covid and the following year you earned Freshman all-American honors and were named to the Big Ten all-freshman team. What did your training look like during that time?
"I just played basketball the whole time. Three months before the COVID-season and stuff was shut down, I had hip surgery. I wasn't going to play anyway. All I really did was play a lot of basketball once I got cleared to run around. I didn't really pick up a bat for about eight months. I tried to get my body back into shape. I showed up that fall out of shape and fat. Having all that time off and using that time to grow as a person instead of just focusing on sports really did a lot for me. I think it helped me to take a second and realize who I was without sports then get to come back to it. That year after was awesome coming into it with a fresh, new mindset."
Last year, you were the first Boilermaker to capture the triple crown since 2015. In what areas have you seen your game improve?
"Last year, I tried to hit for more power and more home runs. It has been a progression. Getting older, having a setback with surgery, then getting back into the training program for the last three or four years, it is always about getting one percent better every day. That has helped me get here. When I was younger, I tried not to work too hard. I did a lot of things that hurt my body like not training the right way, which led to me getting hurt. Here it has been better working on a real hitting approach and figuring out how to play baseball at a higher level. It has been getting one percent better every day and staying true to what I know works."
What went into your decision when choosing to come to Georgia?
"A big factor was the coaches. There are a lot of moving parts on the team this year, including coaches, players and everything. I think being a moving part with everyone else, we have a real chance to do something special here. When Coach (Wes) Johnson was talking to me over the summer and trying to get me to come here, the way that Coach Johnson talks to you over the phone is the same guy that he is in person. It is hard to see through that when you are going through the recruiting process. Going through that a couple times in high school, I have been able to see through how people sound and what other people say about coaches. I have only heard good things about Coach Johnson. He is the same guy that he is over the phone.
Coach (Will) Coggin talking to me a lot, they were both big factors in coming here. Coach Coggin tried to recruit me when he was at Kentucky. I knew him and knew of him. He is a tougher coach, and he knows what he is doing. He is a great guy and a great coach. The dynamic of them was interesting to me. I think we have a laid back, more professional approach here, but there still has to be guys who are getting onto you to get your work done. Coach Coggin does that well. There is a great balance of everything here. Seeing that in the summer and now realizing it, it was the best decision."
What has been your favorite thing about Athens and making the move to UGA?
"I like the town a lot. For baseball, we have a lot more resources here. I am not surprised because I knew it was going to be better, but I am surprised at how supportive all the coaches are and the support staff with the resources we do have. It has been awesome to be able to take advantage of that. I went to some football games, and the atmosphere is crazy. The fans here are awesome. I think if we can fill the stands here, that would be awesome too. I think we are going to do that."
You made the move from Indiana to Purdue, but how have you been able to mesh with the team here?
"It is all about figuring out who guys are and what kind of personalities guys have. Everything will gel together. Everyone here has played baseball and been on a team. You have to go through that group process of storming and norming, I learned with my communications degree. It is true in terms of group development. There are a lot of moving pieces in that. Getting through the fall and now that we know each other, we are starting to come together.
It is about not forcing it and letting everyone be themselves. Show up with your best attitude and best effort every day, and everything else will figure itself out. I really think that. It is tough when you have new coaches and new players. A lot of new guys, this is a new place for them and fitting in. They have done a great job recruiting. Everyone has a great personality. You have dugout guys. We have our leaders and the quieter guys. We have the pieces in terms of personalities. It is about putting that together on the baseball field now. I am confident that we are going to do some good things this year."
As one of the older guys on the team, have you taken on a sort of leadership role?
"I try to, in my own way, be a leader. I am a quiet person. Over my last couple years in college, some coaches wanted to force me into a mold or into a person that I wasn't comfortable being. I am not a loud person. I will get emotional in games and let it show, but I am not really the guy who will show they are fired up to go run down-and-backs for an hour or go run 100s. I will do it, but I am not going to be that. I lead in my own way. Coach Johnson has really preached that by saying, 'Be comfortable in who you are. Don't be afraid to be who you are.' I have heard it a lot in my career that it is not okay to not try to be a leader. I have tried. I do it my own way. In some ways I am a leader.
I always try to be nice to the younger guys because I was very fortunate to have a lot of upperclassmen teach me the ropes as an underclassman and try to help in any way possible. I try to do that. I wouldn't call myself one of the 'rah-rah' guys. That is not me. Everybody leads in their own way. Being a true leader, it is hard to take that role and embody it to make it your personality. If that is what you do naturally, guys will see that, but bringing my genuine self to the field and trying to be me every day is what makes me better and everyone else better."
What are your plans after baseball?
"I have no idea. I have a lot of interests outside of baseball. I could see my life going in a lot of different directions. I am going to try to play baseball for as long as I can and enjoy doing this. If the day comes that I can't do it anymore, I will take it on then. I live in the present. Ten years ago, if you had asked me what I wanted to be doing in 10 years, I would have said, 'I have no idea. I want to play baseball or do sports,' Outside of that, I don't really know. I think that is fine. A lot of people have what they want to do lined up, but I am open to following whatever makes me happy and gives me a sense of happiness."
Aside from baseball, what are your other hobbies, hidden talents?
"I like to cook a lot. I still play a little bit of soccer in my free time whenever I can to keep the hips loose and healthy. Basketball. Whenever we have a rest day, I will be playing video games if I am feeling a little sore. I like cooking a lot. Recently, I have been doing chicken chimichurri. It is interesting trying to find a good recipe for that with a nice side dish like rice. That is probably the best thing that I have been trying to perfect right now. In previous years, when I lived with more roommates, we would always do a lot of cooking together. This year I just have one roommate, so I have just been trying to work on meals that I would like or my friends too if that ever came up and someone needs a cook."
(Bulldog Spotlight written by Julia Maenius, Georgia Sports Communications Graduate Assistant)
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