From professional baseball to college water polo, 27-year-old Sam Abbott has taken one of the most unusual career paths in American sport.
The former Chicago White Sox draft pick, who spent eight years playing professional baseball, has returned to the swimming pool and is now representing Long Beach State University in California.
Remarkably, Abbott was already an accomplished water polo player before he began his professional baseball career.
Growing up in Washington, Abbott attended Curtis High School, where he competed in swimming, baseball and water polo. His performances in the pool were particularly impressive, scoring 117 goals as a sophomore before recording 146 goals in another season.
He also helped Curtis win two Washington state water polo championships, earned First Team All-State honours and was named state MVP.
Abbott initially committed to Long Beach State to continue his water polo career under head coach Gavin Arroyo, but a professional opportunity in another sport changed everything.
After hitting .438 during his final high-school baseball season, Abbott was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the eighth round of the 2017 Major League Baseball Draft.
He decided to pursue baseball instead, spending four years in the White Sox minor league system before continuing his professional career overseas.
His baseball journey eventually took him to Canada, Nicaragua, Australia, the Dominican Republic and the United Arab Emirates.
Although he never reached Major League Baseball, Abbott spent eight years experiencing professional sport before deciding to return to water polo.
Now, nearly a decade after his original university commitment, Abbott has reunited with Arroyo at Long Beach State.
The 1.93m defender wears number 15 and is officially listed as a freshman, despite being considerably older than most of his teammates.
His return has already produced contributions in competitive matches. Across 24 appearances in the 2026 season, Abbott has recorded six goals, three assists, ten steals and five blocks.
His experience also brings an unusual perspective to the university programme, combining years of professional sporting experience with the demands of collegiate water polo.
Alongside his playing commitments, Abbott is studying finance.
For Long Beach State, the arrival of a former professional baseball player is an unusual addition to their squad. For Abbott, it represents an opportunity to finally pursue the water polo career he originally planned almost ten years ago.
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