It's not uncommon for a prospect to commit to a school early in a season, then de-commit and join another school at the end of the year.
Whether it's due to a different head coach or an opportunity to play on a bigger stage in front of a larger crowd, these decisions are typically made through the lens of athletics.
But Mason Libla isn't typical. For him, his decision came down to one thing: academics.
"I think I have a better chance of getting a good scholarship and having my grades transfer here," said the former Mules catcher.
Libla signed his National Letter of Intent on Friday to play for UT-Martin, foregoing his previous commitment to Rend Lake. He's the Skyhawks second commitment from Poplar Bluff, joining teammate Tyson Cox who also signed Friday.
Second year coach Tyler O'Daniel played a large role in Libla initially committing to Rend Lake, Libla said in November. UT-Martin didn't offer Libla until late into the spring season.
"That was the difficult part for me," Libla said. "I had to make a decision right on the spot."
"I told him that he needs to make the decision that's right for him and his family," Mules coach Steve Edwards said. "It had to be hard (to change schools) because a commitment is a commitment. Ultimately though, they have to make a decision of what is best for him over the next four years."
Libla didn't receive much attention from other schools, surmising that his lackluster play at the end of his junior season played a role. Despite his view on his performance, voters felt his overall body of work for the 2017 season earned him first team All-District and first team All-Conference honors.
This past season he again earned first team All-District and first team All-Conference honors. He also received the distinctions in 2016. He finished his career with a .298 batting average, 10 home runs and 79 RBIs.
Libla shines behind the plate as much as he does next to it.
"Mason is a gritty catcher," Edwards said. "He's going to block everything up. If a ball does get by him it bothers him to the point that he's not frustrated as a player and therefore causing an error, but that he wants to know how to fix it.
"He always wants to work at improving his blocking or throwing a guy out."
Libla agrees.
"They're getting a hard working catcher."
Although undecided on his major, Libla knows UT-Martin will provide as much success off the diamond as it will on it.