On Campus: Recruiting Top 100 Prospects

The Baseball America Top 100 Prospects list will be revealed tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern on MLB Network. In the spirit of the Top 100 list, this week’s On Campus includes the recruiting stories of a half-dozen players who made last year’s Top 100 and then went on to graduate to the major leagues.

Kris Bryant, 3b, Cubs

2015 Top 100 Ranking: No. 1. College commitment (high school graduation): San Diego (2010).

After Arizona coach Andy Lopez retired at the end of the 2015 season, Jay Johnson was hired to replace him. Johnson said he knows Bryant is a key reason he has ascended to one of college baseball’s premier jobs at the age of 38.

Johnson was the recruiting coordinator at San Diego when Bryant was coming out of high school in Las Vegas, and helped convince the future Rookie of the Year to play for the Toreros.

“I remember each phase of it,” Johnson said. “I remember when he was 15 years old and I was watching him in high school, I said I don’t think I’ve seen too many guys like this before. He was a solid kid from a makeup standpoint, a 4.6 (GPA) student.”

Bryant was drafted in the 18th round by the Blue Jays in 2010, but remained committed to attending San Diego. Still, Johnson was a little nervous when he called Bryant just after the signing deadline passed.

“I felt pretty good, but I was just making sure he didn’t sign,” Johnson said. “But he was at In-N-Out with his girlfriend. He said, ‘No, coach, I told you I wasn’t going to sign.’ I let out big sigh of relief.

“The opportunity to work with him for three years was great. It made me a better coach. He really was the total package.”

Carlos Correa, ss, Astros

2015 Top 100 Ranking: No. 4. College commitment (high school graduation): Miami (2012).

Miami associate head coach Gino DiMare had just rejoined the program after three years away when he first saw Correa play.

“The first thing I thought of was (Alex Rodriguez),” DiMare said. “He was a clone. He looked just liked him—the actions, the mannerisms, the way he fielded the ball, the way he threw, even the way he kind of hit.”

DiMare was pleased to learn Correa was a fluent English speaker and had the grades and test scores necessary to get into Miami. DiMare said he never felt strongly that the Hurricanes would get Correa to campus, but was willing to take a shot. After all, Rodriguez had signed with Miami and, though he never played a game at the school, the Hurricanes now play in Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field.

Correa went on to become the first overall pick and rocketed through the minor leagues to help lead the Astros to the playoffs last season.

“The success he’s had hasn’t been that big of a surprise to me,” DiMare said. “He’s the full package. He’s got the makeup to go along with the ability.”

Noah Syndergaard, rhp, Mets

2015 Top 100 Ranking: No. 11. College commitment (high school graduation): Dallas Baptist (2010).

Dallas Baptist assistant athletic director Nate Frieling was the baseball team’s recruiting coordinator when Syndergaard was playing for Legacy High in nearby Mansfield, Texas. Frieling first saw Syndergaard as a hitter, but wasn’t interested in recruiting him as a position player. Frieling saw Syndergaard again in the summer of 2009, this time as a pitcher, and was much more impressed.

“He was probably 87-88 mph, but he was projectable when you saw the body, obviously,” Frieling. “We were able to get him committed then in the early signing period.

“We kept track of him throughout the spring. Every time I talked to scouts about him, it seemed like he added a mile per hour every time out.”

By the time Frieling heard reports of Syndergaard getting up to 96 mph, he knew it was time to make alternative plans in case the big righthander signed. He said the Patriots staff did their best to help Syndergaard learn about the draft process, and the difference between pro ball and college. Ultimately, he signed with the Blue Jays after he was drafted 38th overall.

Even though Syndergaard never made it to Dallas Baptist, Frieling said he has kept tabs on Syndergaard, and enjoyed watching him break into the big leagues.

“For me personally it was fun to see a guy I identified in high school and got to follow his career, sort of like the guys we do get on campus,” Frieling said. “I was excited for him and just knowing what a great guy he was and how he prepared.”

Kyle Schwarber, c/of, Cubs

2015 Top 100 Ranking: No. 19. College commitment (high school graduation): Indiana (2011).

Cincinnati coach Ty Neal was the recruiting coordinator at Indiana, but when it came to recruiting Schwarber, he got an assist from then-Indiana coach Tracy Smith’s wife, Jamie. Schwarber and Jamie Smith are both from Middletown, Ohio, a small town in the southwestern corner of the state. Because of that connection, by the time Neal saw Schwarber he knew there was a pretty good chance the Hoosiers were going to get the big catcher.

“It wasn’t like I had to go in and grind on him to come to Indiana,” Neal said. “When I got to see him it was more enjoying it, like ‘Holy cow, this guy’s a difference-maker.’”

Schwarber was a difference-maker for the Hoosiers, helping them reach the College World Series in 2013. He has already been a difference-maker for the Cubs, as well, hitting 16 home runs in 69 games last season. Neal said he and his two sons were closely watching his progress during the postseason.

“Both my boys were wearing (Schwarber) jerseys,” Neal said. “My oldest is eight and he got to watch him play at Indiana. We know that guy. He’s a great teammate and he’s a great human being. We didn’t miss an inning.”

Dalton Pompey, of, Blue Jays

2015 Top 100 Ranking: No. 30. College commitment (high school graduation): St. Francis (Ind.) (2010).

Jason Booth had recently joined the Oakville Royals, a Canadian travel ball organization, as a coach after a stint as an assistant coach at St. Francis (Ind.), an NAIA school, when Pompey was looking at colleges. Booth told his former boss Greg Roberts about the outfielder, and Pompey eventually went to Fort Wayne, Ind., to see St. Francis.

“We had a nice visit with him and his family,” Roberts said. “He liked the program. He was particularly interested in the educational program. He signed fairly early. We thought he’d get drafted, but we didn’t think get drafted quite that high.”

Pompey had flown a bit under the radar, but a strong showing with the Canadian Junior National Team changed that and he was selected in the 16th round by the Blue Jays. In the end, the allure of starting his professional career with his hometown team was too much for Pompey to pass up, and he signed with Toronto.

Though he missed out on getting Pompey on his team, Roberts said the St. Francis program continues to root for him. Several current Cougars have Pompey on their fantasy team and Roberts follows his progress.

“He wasn’t a hard recruit,” Roberts said. “He was a modest kid. He was really interested in education as much as the baseball program. I really enjoyed meeting him and his family.

“We all wish him the best of luck.”

Michael Conforto, of, Mets

2015 Top 100 Ranking: No. 80. College commitment (high school graduation): Oregon State (2011).

Conforto came from an athletic family—his mother was an Olympic synchronized swimmer and his father was a linebacker at Penn State. Oregon State recruiting coordinator Nate Yeskie said because of Conforto’s background, he gravitated toward Beavers coach Pat Casey. Recently, Conforto was back on campus for Oregon State’s season kickoff dinner, and told a story about his recruitment.

“Michael shared that on the drive home (from a campus visit), his dad said that Pat (Casey) and Joe Paterno had some similarities in terms of structure and approach,” Yeskie said. “Once he came down to campus he fell in love with the place.”

Yeskie said after Conforto committed, they were a little apprehensive he might be swayed by pro ball, but believed they would get him. He ultimately went undrafted out of high school and became a star for the Beavers before the Mets selected him 10th overall in 2014. He quickly made an impact in the big leagues, helping the Mets reach the World Series last fall.

“I think it was fun, not only for the Oregon State baseball program and the university itself, but also for the town of Corvallis and those who had chance to see him play in and out of Pac-12 season,” Yeskie said. “Everyone pulls for their own, and it was exciting to see what he could do in playoffs.”

News and Notes

Atlantic Coast Conference: Wake Forest announced Saturday it has named its baseball stadium David F. Couch Ballpark. Couch caught for the Demon Deacons from 1981-84 and has been a longtime supporter of his alma mater, including a $4 million donation he made last year. He made the lead donation for the new player development center, which is currently under construction.

Big 12 Conference: Oklahoma righthander Jake Elliott is often overshadowed by his teammate Alec Hansen, a potential first-overall draft pick. But Elliott has been the more consistent pitcher through the first two years of his career, and coach Pete Hughes said he has been working to get even better this offseason. Elliott largely had relied on his fastball and changeup in the past, but has been working to improve his breaking ball to give him a third quality offering. “That was my major point of emphasis this fall and this winter,” Elliott said. “I feel like that I have grown a lot in that area.”

Big Ten Conference: Ryan Boldt came to Nebraska as a heralded recruit and has largely lived up to his billing. The outfielder was voted a Preseason All-American by major league scouting directors this spring and has a chance to be a first-round draft pick. But there are some unanswered questions about his power. He had just 10 extra-base hits last season and has three career home runs in 116 games for the Cornhuskers. But coach Darin Erstad doesn’t want Boldt to start swinging for the fences. “I don’t want to give away his approach because it’s pretty darn good,” Erstad said. “For his development as a player, you don’t want to force things. When his power comes, I don’t know, but I’m not willing to sacrifice his approach for power. I picture him as a Joe Mauer type, where the power is not there at the start of his career, but then they come on.”

Pacific-12 Conference: No. 5 Oregon State entered practice this year with one of the most interesting position battles in the country. Returning shortstop Trever Morrison hit .317/.412/.400 last season, but the Beavers top two recruits— Cadyn Grenier and Nick Madrigal—are both very well-regarded by scouts and coaches alike. Oregon State still has not settled on a starter, but all three are expected to show off their versatility at times this season … USA Baseball announced Thursday that Oregon coach George Horton will lead the Collegiate National Team this summer. Horton was an assistant coach for the team in 2012. Team USA will play friendship series at Taiwan, Japan and Cuba this July, after hosting all three countries in North Carolina last year.

Southeastern Conference: Tennessee has eight seniors on its roster, the most the program has had in a decade. That kind of veteran presence should help the Volunteers early in the season, when nine of their first 10 games are away from home. Tennessee begins the season with a three-game series against Memphis at Chattanooga, Tenn., then travels to Phoenix for the Grand Canyon Tournament and Greenville, N.C., for the Keith LeClair Classic on the next two weekends.

Other conferences: The universal start date for Division I schools is Feb. 19, but the season actually opens Saturday. Hawaii will take advantage of an NCAA rule commonly known as the Hawaii Exemption to open its season a week early against Division II Hawaii-Hilo. By rule, Hawaii is not required to observe the start dates for practice and playing games. This is the first time Hawaii has taken advantage of the exception since 2008, the first year the universal start date went into effect … UC Santa Barbara center fielder Andrew Calica broke out this summer in the Cape Cod League, where he hit .425/.480/.469. He recorded the highest batting average since the league switched back to wood bats in 1985. He has spent the offseason improving his game, adding about 15 pounds of good weight and working to shorten his swing. His performance last summer has scouts closely watching the redshirt junior … The Big South Conference announced Thursday it will hold its tournament at Lexington County Baseball Stadium for the next three seasons. It is the first time in the history of the tournament that it will be held at a neutral site.