On June 16, in Omaha, Nebraska, Georgia's season hung by a thread.

The third-ranked Bulldogs met the sixth-ranked Tennessee Volunteers in an elimination game of the College World Series.

With the season on the line, the stakes couldn’t have been higher for Georgia’s starting pitcher Dylan Vigue. Ten days earlier, Vigue had allowed three runs in two innings in a Super Regionals shootout in which Georgia squeaked by Mississippi State 13-12.

Nonetheless, the 22-year-old from Massachusetts performed as if he was built for the brightest lights.

“It was a roller-coaster of emotions,” Vigue said. “Starting that game, with so much to play for, was truly special. I knew I was prepared and was excited to help my team win.”

​Vigue trusted his preparation that day while taking the mound in what may have been the biggest game of his career, contributing to a team shutout of the Volunteers. He pitched four innings, tallying eight strikeouts and allowing just four baserunners. Georgia won 2-0 and advanced to the CWS semifinals.

​Despite the Bulldogs losing the next day to the eventual championship-winning Oklahoma Sooners, Georgia put together what Vigue said was a historic season.

“It was obviously heartbreaking and frustrating to get so close and lose, but the experience was really exciting,” Vigue said. “We were mad when we lost, but I think we were able to look back on the connections we had formed and what we had accomplished and feel a sense of appreciation.”

However, the 6-foot-3, 230-pound right-hander didn't have long to dwell on the loss.

Six days later, he was at the MLB Draft Combine preparing for another lifelong dream.

Since he was a little kid watching his favorite player Mookie Betts grow into a superstar for his hometown Boston Red Sox, Vigue has envisioned his name being called in the MLB draft. 

​“When I was little, I’d always say how I wanted to play for the Red Sox; I wanted to play in the MLB,” Vigue said. “But my parents never talked about it as a dream. They talked about it as something that could be a reality if I worked hard enough.”​

Vigue continued: “Back when I was playing in Little League, my dad would tell people that I was going to play professionally one day. Because of my parents, I’ve dreamt of playing in the MLB forever, but I’ve also believed that I would play in the MLB forever.”

That dream became reality Sunday.

The Kansas City Royals selected Vigue in the seventh round of the MLB Draft with the 209th overall pick after a junior season in which he posted a 4.41 ERA and struck out 77 batters. Armed with a cutter, slider, circle change, four-seam fastball and sinker that reaches 98 mph, Vigue entered the draft ranked No. 201 on MLB.com's prospect list.

Vigue's raw talent is obvious, but he said his mentality on the mound is equally important.

“When I take the mound, it’s not mechanics, velocity or pitch shaping; it comes down to being a competitor,” Vigue said. “Whatever you have that day, you have to compete. It doesn't matter what the count is or what the situation is; every single pitch is about getting the batter out. That mindset shift is something I took big strides in this year.”

But Vigue said his competitiveness is most effective when it's paired with a sense of ease.

“When I’m at my best, I’m also having a good time out there,” he said. “When I get too serious, I start overanalyzing everything. When there’s a mix of joking with my infielders and a unified competitive spirit, everything flows together best.”

Away from baseball, Vigue finds a similar balance in one of his favorite hobbies: cooking.

“To focus on cooking, you have to take your mind off anything else you're thinking about,” Vigue said. “It allows me to take my mind off baseball and push myself to make the product as good as it can be.”

That same mindset he brings to making his favorite bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches—preparing, competing and enjoying the process—has carried Vigue from Massachusetts to Omaha and now into professional baseball.

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