Southern Scribes: Thomas Higgins and JD Kaiser: Teammates from the Start
5/3/2024 1:00:00 PM | Baseball
Baseball players Thomas Higgins and JD Kaiser met long before they became teammates at Georgia Southern
STATESBORO – Being on a team with someone creates a bond. Whether you're on that team for a day, a month, a year, or a lifetime, there's no relationship quite like teammates. You might not be best friends, sometimes you might not even like each other, but at the end of the day you're still teammates and you'll still be there for each other. Most people have a team in high school that ends up going their separate ways as they transition into adulthood and those that decide to play in college have to learn how to be teammates all over again with their new team. This was not the case for Georgia Southern class of 2025 recruits JD Kaiser and Thomas Higgins—they had already been teammates before.
Higgins, a right-handed pitcher from Baxley, Georgia, remembers how he and Kaiser first got connected when they were young. It was one of the situations that happens often when you are from a smalltown area where you know somebody who knows somebody, and they got to playing baseball together for the first time.
"So, we actually played together. He's not originally from Statesboro, don't let him lie to you, he's actually from a town called Glenville," Higgins joked. "So that's like 30 minutes from where I'm from. One of my best friends from growing up moved to where he was. So, he [JD] was connected there. And so he [the friend] knew that I played baseball, and he moved to where JD was from.
So they were still friends. And so we connected there. One time they were like we need two people to play. So they asked me and my cousin 'Hey you wanna play on our team?' So since then, we've been playing together and then kind of took a break and then started playing again when we were 15. And we played while we were 15 and 16. We've been playing together for a while."
Kaiser, a catcher from the Statesboro area, emphasized how being in Southeast Georgia brought them together when they were younger. He talks about how they connected well, which is especially important for a catcher and a pitcher, and that would become an advantage for them later going into college ball.
"Yeah, obviously not much to do in Southeast Georgia," Kaiser started, "I played baseball, played football. But, you know, ever since I was young, my dad always put into me that sports would be a great thing for me to do. And, you know, I fell in love with baseball as a kid and that goes into me and Higgy. We were [young] I think, and obviously Baxley is 35 minutes away from Statesboro, and our coach brought a team together from the Southeast and it happened to me and him are both on it. And from day one me and him hit it off pretty good. Best friends ever since then."
And just when you thought their story couldn't get any more interesting, we come to find out that there was actually a game where they played against each other as well. In high school, JD and Thomas played for different schools: Statesboro and Appling County, respectively. This led to a one time match up between the two where Kaiser was playing third base.
"We did our freshman year of high school," JD remembered. "I want to say it was the first time I've ever played third base, actually, and I think he hit one to me. I let it go between my legs actually. I think that was probably the only time we played against each other."
Kaiser recalled a memorable tournament for both him and Higgins as a favorite baseball memory from before Georgia Southern. They played a tournament as the underdogs and were able to come out on top in the end.
"Probably... It's kind of funny actually," JD told us. "Me and Thomas used to play on a team together when we were like 14. And we weren't very good, or it seemed that way, but we actually went up to Lake Point. Actually, won a pretty big tournament, so I'd say for me and him both that was a pretty good memory back in the day."
Thomas and JD fell out of touch a little bit toward the end of high school, as they were both focused on what was next for their baseball careers. For both players, Georgia Southern baseball had been a lifelong dream, but it looked like they were both out of luck this time around. Higgins had committed to playing JUCO baseball and Kaiser thought his baseball career had come to an end.
Higgins thought his path to playing college baseball had been decided. He was almost done with his senior year of high school and getting ready to go play for ABAC. Thomas didn't know what JD's plans were at this point, and he got a surprise call late in his senior year.
"I didn't know what he [JD] was gonna do. I didn't really keep in contact with him in my junior and senior year. So, I really didn't know his plans. I was actually committed to ABAC, which is JUCO. And then, one of the coaches here [Georgia Southern] contacted me in April of my senior year, and I was like, this is where I've been wanting to go for my whole life. So, I was like, yeah, of course I'm coming here. I was committed to here from like, late March, early April."
For JD, Higgins signing was one of the things that pushed him to not give up on baseball and try again to follow his dream of playing at Georgia Southern.
"I remember I got a text from him saying that he had just committed, and he had just signed and obviously that was something that I really wanted to do," Kaiser explained. "And so, I think it made me push a little bit more to try and do the same thing with him."
Kaiser went on to tell us that he was able to sign really late, after high school graduation and this was a really exciting time for both players. As it turned out, they were not out of luck yet and both of them would become Georgia Southern Eagles.
"Me and him were probably the two least recruited guys that year," JD admitted. "I signed after I graduated high school actually because I thought I was done playing baseball. And I'm pretty sure, if I'm not mistaken, Higgy was going to Junior College until about midway through our senior year. I think that's when he signed to come here [Georgia Southern]. So, you know it's just two guys that stuck it out and really saw the true opportunity that they were really given. And, you know, it worked out for both of us, I'd say."
Higgins now knew that he would become an Eagle, but he was in the dark about what JD's plans were. Like JD, he also thought that maybe his [JD] baseball career had run its course. But, while
Higgins was on a family vacation after high school graduation he found out that he and JD would be teammates again.
"I knew that JD hadn't committed yet and I didn't know if he was gonna play or anything," Thomas told us. "And then he texts me. I think July: it was really late. You know, I was on my family vacation. He was like, 'Hey, man, I just got offered by Southern'—he knew I was committed. And I was like, 'Yeah, you gotta come.' So, it was a cool experience for us two, being able to come here you know, playing together for so long. And I wanted to come here for a while."
It was an easy decision for both players. Becoming an Eagles was what they had always wanted to do.
"I mean, I've wanted to go here since I was like seven or eight because this is the only baseball school near me," Higgins explained. "Georgia was three and a half hours away, Tech was four and a half, so this was really the only school near me that I could come watch college baseball. And I used to come in actually when I was in like fifth or sixth grade. Someone went to our high school, and he actually came here. He actually got drafted. He was really good. So, we would come watch him. He was a family friend, so it was fun to come here and watch him and ever since then, this is really the only college baseball games I ever came to. I wouldn't battle with anybody else–if I got offered here, I was going to come here."
"Super easy decision," JD was quick to say. "Obviously, just Growing up in Statesboro, coming to J.I. to watch games, ever since I was probably, I don't know, six-seven years old. It was always a dream. Just come and watch those games and see those guys play. I remember when I was younger. I used to love watching Logan Baldwin play and he was a great, great player. Or Washington play, and it just it made me want to play, made me want to be an Eagle so bad."
The transition to playing at Southern came with its challenges, as that high school to college transition always does, but Higgins believes that it was made easier by the connection he and JD had already had from a young age.
"Yeah, it was easy for us two because I feel like when you're from South Georgia, you don't really get recognition that much," Thomas revealed. "When you're from Atlanta you're playing games up there and you're getting that recognition. I feel like we had a little chip on our shoulder coming in because we didn't really have that, nobody really knew us, and we were both walk-ons. I mean, it was kind of like we had nothing to lose. We knew we could play with the best talent. It was kind of fun coming in here in the show like 'Hey, we can compete with y'all too.' We didn't really go to many perfect game tournaments or anything growing up. We were very unlike the rest, but we knew we could compete. It was fun to come in here because when he would catch me and I would pitch, it was like we already knew our connection."
For Kaiser, it has been a cool experience to see his and Higgins' baseball journey come full circle. They have played together since the beginning and have seen a lot of ups and downs alongside each other. JD has been excited to see Thomas back on the field this season after injury and he is once again getting to catch Thomas' pitches.
"It's just cool to see everything come full circle," Kaiser expressed, "playing against each other and playing with each other. And now these past three years here. Me and him, you know, we've grown extremely tight and he's the best friend a guy could ever ask for and a great teammate and you know, it's great to see him back on the field succeeding and showcasing to the world what he could truly do."
Not only have they been able to share the field throughout their baseball careers, but they also got to experience an NCAA Regional together their freshman year. This is not something many players, and especially freshman, get to be a part of and Thomas cites it as his favorite baseball memory.
"Probably my freshman year," Higgins said when asked about his favorite memory. "Being a part of that team and hosting a regional, being so young, and that group was so well connected like a family. So, being in your first year in the program and coming here to a group that special means a lot. So probably hosting that regional and being a part of that 40-plus win team–that was special."
While neither one of the players are quite sure what their plans are after graduation yet, they are ready to take on the next challenge—senior year—and see what the future holds beyond that.
Higgins, a right-handed pitcher from Baxley, Georgia, remembers how he and Kaiser first got connected when they were young. It was one of the situations that happens often when you are from a smalltown area where you know somebody who knows somebody, and they got to playing baseball together for the first time.
"So, we actually played together. He's not originally from Statesboro, don't let him lie to you, he's actually from a town called Glenville," Higgins joked. "So that's like 30 minutes from where I'm from. One of my best friends from growing up moved to where he was. So, he [JD] was connected there. And so he [the friend] knew that I played baseball, and he moved to where JD was from.
So they were still friends. And so we connected there. One time they were like we need two people to play. So they asked me and my cousin 'Hey you wanna play on our team?' So since then, we've been playing together and then kind of took a break and then started playing again when we were 15. And we played while we were 15 and 16. We've been playing together for a while."
Kaiser, a catcher from the Statesboro area, emphasized how being in Southeast Georgia brought them together when they were younger. He talks about how they connected well, which is especially important for a catcher and a pitcher, and that would become an advantage for them later going into college ball.
"Yeah, obviously not much to do in Southeast Georgia," Kaiser started, "I played baseball, played football. But, you know, ever since I was young, my dad always put into me that sports would be a great thing for me to do. And, you know, I fell in love with baseball as a kid and that goes into me and Higgy. We were [young] I think, and obviously Baxley is 35 minutes away from Statesboro, and our coach brought a team together from the Southeast and it happened to me and him are both on it. And from day one me and him hit it off pretty good. Best friends ever since then."
And just when you thought their story couldn't get any more interesting, we come to find out that there was actually a game where they played against each other as well. In high school, JD and Thomas played for different schools: Statesboro and Appling County, respectively. This led to a one time match up between the two where Kaiser was playing third base.
"We did our freshman year of high school," JD remembered. "I want to say it was the first time I've ever played third base, actually, and I think he hit one to me. I let it go between my legs actually. I think that was probably the only time we played against each other."
Kaiser recalled a memorable tournament for both him and Higgins as a favorite baseball memory from before Georgia Southern. They played a tournament as the underdogs and were able to come out on top in the end.
"Probably... It's kind of funny actually," JD told us. "Me and Thomas used to play on a team together when we were like 14. And we weren't very good, or it seemed that way, but we actually went up to Lake Point. Actually, won a pretty big tournament, so I'd say for me and him both that was a pretty good memory back in the day."
Thomas and JD fell out of touch a little bit toward the end of high school, as they were both focused on what was next for their baseball careers. For both players, Georgia Southern baseball had been a lifelong dream, but it looked like they were both out of luck this time around. Higgins had committed to playing JUCO baseball and Kaiser thought his baseball career had come to an end.
Higgins thought his path to playing college baseball had been decided. He was almost done with his senior year of high school and getting ready to go play for ABAC. Thomas didn't know what JD's plans were at this point, and he got a surprise call late in his senior year.
"I didn't know what he [JD] was gonna do. I didn't really keep in contact with him in my junior and senior year. So, I really didn't know his plans. I was actually committed to ABAC, which is JUCO. And then, one of the coaches here [Georgia Southern] contacted me in April of my senior year, and I was like, this is where I've been wanting to go for my whole life. So, I was like, yeah, of course I'm coming here. I was committed to here from like, late March, early April."
For JD, Higgins signing was one of the things that pushed him to not give up on baseball and try again to follow his dream of playing at Georgia Southern.
"I remember I got a text from him saying that he had just committed, and he had just signed and obviously that was something that I really wanted to do," Kaiser explained. "And so, I think it made me push a little bit more to try and do the same thing with him."
Kaiser went on to tell us that he was able to sign really late, after high school graduation and this was a really exciting time for both players. As it turned out, they were not out of luck yet and both of them would become Georgia Southern Eagles.
"Me and him were probably the two least recruited guys that year," JD admitted. "I signed after I graduated high school actually because I thought I was done playing baseball. And I'm pretty sure, if I'm not mistaken, Higgy was going to Junior College until about midway through our senior year. I think that's when he signed to come here [Georgia Southern]. So, you know it's just two guys that stuck it out and really saw the true opportunity that they were really given. And, you know, it worked out for both of us, I'd say."
Higgins now knew that he would become an Eagle, but he was in the dark about what JD's plans were. Like JD, he also thought that maybe his [JD] baseball career had run its course. But, while
Higgins was on a family vacation after high school graduation he found out that he and JD would be teammates again.
"I knew that JD hadn't committed yet and I didn't know if he was gonna play or anything," Thomas told us. "And then he texts me. I think July: it was really late. You know, I was on my family vacation. He was like, 'Hey, man, I just got offered by Southern'—he knew I was committed. And I was like, 'Yeah, you gotta come.' So, it was a cool experience for us two, being able to come here you know, playing together for so long. And I wanted to come here for a while."
It was an easy decision for both players. Becoming an Eagles was what they had always wanted to do.
"I mean, I've wanted to go here since I was like seven or eight because this is the only baseball school near me," Higgins explained. "Georgia was three and a half hours away, Tech was four and a half, so this was really the only school near me that I could come watch college baseball. And I used to come in actually when I was in like fifth or sixth grade. Someone went to our high school, and he actually came here. He actually got drafted. He was really good. So, we would come watch him. He was a family friend, so it was fun to come here and watch him and ever since then, this is really the only college baseball games I ever came to. I wouldn't battle with anybody else–if I got offered here, I was going to come here."
"Super easy decision," JD was quick to say. "Obviously, just Growing up in Statesboro, coming to J.I. to watch games, ever since I was probably, I don't know, six-seven years old. It was always a dream. Just come and watch those games and see those guys play. I remember when I was younger. I used to love watching Logan Baldwin play and he was a great, great player. Or Washington play, and it just it made me want to play, made me want to be an Eagle so bad."
The transition to playing at Southern came with its challenges, as that high school to college transition always does, but Higgins believes that it was made easier by the connection he and JD had already had from a young age.
"Yeah, it was easy for us two because I feel like when you're from South Georgia, you don't really get recognition that much," Thomas revealed. "When you're from Atlanta you're playing games up there and you're getting that recognition. I feel like we had a little chip on our shoulder coming in because we didn't really have that, nobody really knew us, and we were both walk-ons. I mean, it was kind of like we had nothing to lose. We knew we could play with the best talent. It was kind of fun coming in here in the show like 'Hey, we can compete with y'all too.' We didn't really go to many perfect game tournaments or anything growing up. We were very unlike the rest, but we knew we could compete. It was fun to come in here because when he would catch me and I would pitch, it was like we already knew our connection."
For Kaiser, it has been a cool experience to see his and Higgins' baseball journey come full circle. They have played together since the beginning and have seen a lot of ups and downs alongside each other. JD has been excited to see Thomas back on the field this season after injury and he is once again getting to catch Thomas' pitches.
"It's just cool to see everything come full circle," Kaiser expressed, "playing against each other and playing with each other. And now these past three years here. Me and him, you know, we've grown extremely tight and he's the best friend a guy could ever ask for and a great teammate and you know, it's great to see him back on the field succeeding and showcasing to the world what he could truly do."
Not only have they been able to share the field throughout their baseball careers, but they also got to experience an NCAA Regional together their freshman year. This is not something many players, and especially freshman, get to be a part of and Thomas cites it as his favorite baseball memory.
"Probably my freshman year," Higgins said when asked about his favorite memory. "Being a part of that team and hosting a regional, being so young, and that group was so well connected like a family. So, being in your first year in the program and coming here to a group that special means a lot. So probably hosting that regional and being a part of that 40-plus win team–that was special."
While neither one of the players are quite sure what their plans are after graduation yet, they are ready to take on the next challenge—senior year—and see what the future holds beyond that.
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