_Armaan Painter is a high school senior at The Westminster Schools in Atlanta. The first baseman has signed to play at Missouri. The Maneater spoke to Painter May 1 about Mizzou, high school baseball and the college process._

**The Maneater**: Tell me about how your high school season has been going this year.
**Armaan Painter**: Individually, I’ve been seeing the ball well, feeling very comfortable at the plate. (I) really focused this year on adjusting from pitch to pitch instead of from at bat to at bat or from game to game, really elevated my baseball IQ and furthered my progress in hitting. As a team, we’ve got top-end talent, guys going to (Louisiana State), Duke … I feel like we have a good shot at a state title.

**ME**: What excites you most about going to college?
**AP**: Just the whole aspect of being around guys who love baseball as much as I do, who have the same work ethic and who are competing to win a national title. I’m excited to get up there in Columbia. I think I’m getting there June 4, actually, to take some summer classes and some lifting. I’m excited to work with coach (Hunter) Mense, who is the hitting coach up there. I’m just excited to be there. It’s SEC baseball, you’ve got to love it.

**ME**: Are there any specific players you are excited to work with?
**AP**: Definitely Trey Harris. I know he’s a Georgia guy up there … and then guys like Ian Nelson, who I met up there in my official visit.

**ME**: What’s the aspect of your game that you want to work on most?
**AP**: I would say just overall competing and staying focused every at bat, working on the mental side of the game … focusing on pitcher tendencies and scouting reports.

**ME**: What stood out about Mizzou on your visit?
**AP**: Just the overall community of Columbia is just unbelievable. You see guys, baseball guys specifically, who have this unbelievable work ethic and who are putting in work to be successful at such a high level … I just can’t wait to get up there. I’m so excited.

**ME**: Do you have any goals for your role on the team next year?
**AP**: For me, it’s just doing whatever I can to help the team win a national title and do well in the SEC. At the same time, I want to be one of the best to ever put on a Mizzou uniform. I’m looking to go up there and be successful and help the team achieve whatever its goals are and be the most successful it can be.

**ME**: Where else were you considering for college?
**AP**: There were a bunch of different schools in the South: Georgia, (North Carolina) State, Wake (Forest). Also, Ivy schools like Harvard and Dartmouth. The guys who really helped with that were my travel baseball organization, which is 6-4-3 DP Baseball … Danny Prolgo and Nelson Pedraza, guys like that at 6-4-3, they just help you so much with recruiting and evolving as a player … They’ve formed me into the player I am on and off the field.

**ME**: Have you been following Mizzou a lot this season?
**AP**: No doubt … I’m excited to play with guys like Tanner Houck, Trey, Connor Brumfield, Ian Nelson, guys like that. I’m just so excited to be around (them), and just being around that kind of baseball talent.