A long journey from the Netherlands: Axson lands at TCC, chases baseball dreams
For Daniёl Axson, finding his father’s old baseball glove 12 years ago changed the course of his life forever.
The dream and journey of playing in the U.S. for baseball players from the Netherlands are littered with many obstacles. But Axson, a Tallahassee Community College baseball walk-on, is on the verge of making his dream a reality.
And his efforts may offer hope to international ballplayers and their aspirations of playing collegiately.
Axson’s baseball journey began at age 10 playing sports in his hometown of Delfgauw, a province of South Holland in the Netherlands. A two-sport athlete, playing forward in soccer and pitcher in baseball, he decided baseball would be his focus
“If you want to be good at a sport you have to choose one,” he said. “That’s why I chose baseball.”
Baseball does not even rank in the top 10 of popular sports in the Netherlands. This is according to registered members participating in various sports recorded by Sportsbond, the national Dutch sports associations. Soccer, tennis and golf are the country's most popular sports.
The path from the Netherlands to the U.S. requires exceptional baseball talent and self promotion.Axson’s desire is to play in the MLB. Playing at TCC is the next step on his journey.
“I always wanted to play in the U.S.,” he said. “Because it is an American sport, I would get more exposure to get a chance to sign professionally because of the MLB draft.”
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Axson heads to the states to chase his baseball dream
At the age of 13, Axson played for his city's club, the Neptunus in Rotterdam, helping them become Dutch champions. The following year he was selected to play for the Rotterdam Unicorns academy coached by Evert-Jan ‘t Hoen, coach of The Kingdom of The Netherlands national baseball team.
“He could hit,” Hoen said in a recent Instagram video interview. “Even at a very young age you could see that he could hit.”
In his time with the Unicorns academy, Axson excelled with an impressive batting average of .400, leading the Unicorns to several championships.
He was selected to play for the Baltimore Orioles travel ball organization in 2017 and spent two summers in Fort Lauderdale. After spending three seasons with the Euro Stars back home, he declined multiple offers to stay and play in the Dutch MLB.
Instead, he returned to Florida in summer 2021, and played in the Florida Prospect Showcase and the Collegiate League of the Palm Beaches’ summer showcase for the Palm Beach Snowbirds.
It was during this time he met and created a relationship with Corey Pye.
Pye, former assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for TCC who is now head baseball coach of Chiles High School, said he forged an immediate bond with Axson while scouting him over the past summer during showcases at the College of Central Florida and Florida SouthWestern State College.
“With the connection that we had, and just the conversations that we had, I was like, you know what, this kid deserves a chance,” said Pye during a recent phone interview.
Axson will get that chance at TCC, facing tough competition at the NJCAA Division 1 level this spring.
TCC assistant baseball coach Gavin Murphy said Axson has the raw talent to succeed against top level competition.
“He’s a very strong young man,” said Murphy in a recent phone interview. “I mean, stupid, stupid hand speed through the (strike) zone. You know it is something that you can't teach, guys either have it or they don't, and Daniёl definitely has it.”
Last season, the Eagles were eliminated in the first round of the FCSAA/NJCAA postseason conference tournament. Only five players from last year's roster had a batting average above .300, according to the team’s website. Four of those players have left to play at four-year universities leaving a void that Axson may be able to help fill.
With practice underway at TCC in preparation for the start of the regular season later this month under new coach Bryan Henry, Murphy said he’s been impressed with Axson’s attitude and willingness to work hard.
“Great person to be around, on and off the field,” said Murphy. “You know, he's always got a smile on his face, enjoys being out of the field every single day, you know, and doesn't take it for granted. The kid doesn't take a day for granted being over here and playing baseball at TCC.”
With his parents 3,600 miles away in the Netherlands, and his younger sister Laura Axson, a senior softball catcher at Keiser University in West Palm Beach, cheering him on, Axson said he will continue to work hard to show his appreciation for his family's continuous support.
“I love the game and everything that comes with it,” he said. “I actually want to put in the work, and I think that they appreciate that, and that’s how I feel like that is how I can say, ‘Thank you.
Andrae Lamar Ransom is a Florida State University graduate enrolled at Tallahassee Community College. Last fall, he was Sports Editor for the Talon, TCC’s student newspaper. He is a sports photographer and a staff chaplain at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Netherlands native Daniёl Axson chases baseball dream at TCC
