SARASOTA, Fla.—Bo Majkowski is a recent addition to Team Elite, but coach Brad Bouras said it didn’t take long for him to become a team leader.
“I think that’s the best attribute I’ve already seen of him is his team camaraderie with the players and just really focusing and caring on what the team does and on himself second,” Bouras said.
Majkowski, a Clemson commit, is also a talented outfielder. He is hitting leadoff for Team Elite at the Wilson Premier Classic, and helped his new team reach Sunday’s semifinals.
Majkowski had two hits in the first game of the tournament, but has been stymied since. He said one area he wants to improve is making his offense more consistent.
“It’s not too hot right now, but I’m not missing the ball,” he said. “I’m just getting under it, getting on top of it too much. I’m just mishitting everything. But other than that, I’m seeing the ball well.”
Majkowski, a lefthanded hitter, has a contact-oriented approach in the batter’s box. Listed at 5-foot-11, 185 pounds, he doesn’t stand out for his speed or power, but he has good athleticism to go with his mature makeup.
It’s clear where Majkowski’s athleticism and leadership traits come from: he’s the son of former Packers, Colts and Lions quarterback Don Majkowski, who played 10 seasons in the NFL. Don had a standout career, making the Pro Bowl in 1989, earning the nickname “The Majik Man” and eventually earning a spot in the Packers hall of fame.
But Bo is not following in his father’s footsteps. He played football growing up before settling on baseball. Majkowski said he misses football, but made the difficult decision to give up the sport. He said watching as his father struggled with injuries in retirement helped push him toward baseball.
“I mean, he’s had 11 or 13 post-career surgeries,” Majkowski said. “So watching him kind of deteriorate over the years helped me make my decision.”
As Majkowski prepares for his senior year at John’s Creek (Ga.) High, he said he is working to get stronger and improve offensively. He was able to get some hitting tips this summer from Clemson right fielder Seth Beer, the 2016 Freshman of the Year.
Majkowski lives close to Beer’s home in suburban Atlanta, and the two hit together late in the summer after Beer returned from playing with USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team. Majkowski said Clemson’s star right fielder gave him some pointers while they were hitting.
“I hit with him for 20 minutes and he was working on my offensive game, he was like my coach basically,” Majkowski said. “He’s incredible.”
Clemson could have Majkowski and Beer both roaming the outfield in Kingsmore Stadium in the spring of 2018. Majkowski was watching this season as the Tigers won the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament and earned a national seed in coach Monte Lee’s first season. He is excited by the opportunity to play for the Tigers.
“Coach Monte Lee is a really good coach,” Majkowski said. “To me, their facilities are the best in the nation, so it’s awesome.”