Carroll University Pioneers

Carroll University (formerly Carroll College) plays Division 3 baseball and is located in Waukesha.  Derek Hassell is the head coach and agreed to answer a few of my questions.

 BAW:  How much do you pay attention to the elite all star teams in the state
when recruiting?

Derek:  I pay very close attention to the elite all star teams.  The majority of my recruiting will be out on the road watching summer and fall all star tournaments.  In my experience, watching all star tournaments is a better use of my time because there will be a good number of players from both teams that are good enough to play college baseball.  Watching the elite all star teams play, also gives me a chance to see players multiple times to better evaluate if they would be a good fit for my program.  If I go and watch a high school or a legion game, there may only be one or two players on the field that has a chance to be a really good college baseball player.

BAW:   Do you have any tips for youth baseball players hoping to play college ball?

Derek:  Yes.  Put the video games down and practice, practice, practice baseball.  The more you play and practice baseball, the better baseball player you will become.  Especially starting at the youth level.  Developing strong practice habits at a young age will only make it easier to continue them into high school.  Another tip I would give is to always play hard!  Colleges coaches love players who hustle and work hard in practice and in games.

BAW:   How big of an area do you try to recruit players from?

Derek:   I don't have an area that I try and recruit from exclusively.  For my 2012 recruiting class, I have players from Colorado, Virginia, Illinois and Wisconsin all committed to playing at Carroll next year and we aren't done yet.  I would love to get this program to the point where the best players from the Waukesha and Milwaukee area want to be a part of our University, but I will never restrict my recruiting to just one specific area.  Watching all star tournaments also gives me an opportunity to see recruits from other states that I wouldn't normally have a chance to see as well.

BAW:  Are any of your players legitimate prospects for this summers draft?

Derek:  I don't think we have any pro prospects this year.  But we do have a lot of scrappy type players that are good college baseball players, and we are excited about getting the 2011 season underway!