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Q&A with Iowa Western Commit 2B/OF Kaleb Reid (Smithville, 2015)

January 2, 2015

Shon Plack
Missouri Scouting Director

Kaleb Reid (Smithville, 2015) had recently committed to play at Iowa Western in the fall.  Reid is an athletic 5-foot-10, 165-pound right-hand hitting outfielder/middle infielder. At the Class of 2015 Prospect Games on August 17, he posted a home-to-first time of 4.13. Defensively, Reid throws from a high 3/4 arm slot making mostly accurate throws with carry. He has a clean exchange and fluid feet. He has an outfield velo of 75 mph and infield velo at 74 mph. At the plate, Reid has an athletic setup with a long stride. He uses his lower half well and has a simple/repeatable swing. He has a gap-to-gap approach that produces line drives. He sports and exit velo of 84 mph.  

Last season, Reid earned 1st Team All-Conference, and 1st Team All-District as an infielder.  He ranks 8th in his class with a 3.99 GPA. Reid is currently doing off season workouts preparing for the spring season.  Below is a look into the recruiting process of Kaleb Reid

PBR: What were your expectations about the recruiting process? Was it as expected? Easy/Difficult?

Reid: My expectations were that colleges would more come to me but I had to do a lot of lobbying and promoting myself and getting in front of coaches. It wasn’t overly hard or easy just a long process but I wouldn’t change anything.

PBR: Did location or distance from home play a factor in your decision? 

Reid: Location wasn’t a huge factor.  I did want go some distance from home so I wouldn’t have as many distractions from baseball.

PBR: Where did Iowa Western first see you? How did your relationship develop with them?

Reid: Iowa Western first saw me at one of their camps. My speed and hustle got me on the radar and they liked how I would grind out at-bats.  I just kept getting in touch with them as much as possible and went to a couple more camps.

PBR: What were you looking for out of a college program to continue your baseball career at?

Reid: Education was the first consideration, so they had to have a Pre-Engineering program.  I chose the junior college route so I could continue to develop baseball skills.  The program needed to have a track record of getting players to top Division 1 programs. 

PBR: What advice would you give to young baseball players striving to get where you are?

Reid: I would say stay patient, explore every opportunity, always keep a dialog with coaches and be the hardest working player on the field in practice and games.

PBR: What do you do in the offseason to keep yourself in baseball shape and prepare for the upcoming season?

Reid: I lift weights and run before school every day.  After school I practice baseball specifics with my summer team, Prodigy Baseball Academy.

PBR: What is the most memorable moment in your baseball career to this point?

Reid: Winning the district championship my junior year.  Our high school had placed second the previous five years and hadn’t been to the post season playoffs in ten years.   It was a major step forward for our program.

PBR: What do you like most about Iowa Western and what were the key factors in making your decision?

Reid: Iowa Western is a notable program with coaches that know how to advance their players to the next level.  Many Division 1 programs look for players that come out of the Reivers’ program.

PBR: What other schools were on your short list before you made your final decision?

Reid: Arkansas State, Crowder CC, Barton CC, and Highland CC

PBR: When did the recruiting process really start to heat up for you? Was there a particular game or event that you feel turned the corner for you?

Reid: The recruiting process heated up for me after a Complete Showcase event where I ran a good 60 yard time.  In fact, that is when a lot of coaches wanted to see if I could transition from the infield to the outfield, which I have.  As for the timing, it really started to heat up after colleges finished their fall practices.

PBR: Preview your high school season for us. How do you feel your team will be? What are your expectations and goals? Name some players that will play a key role for Smithville in 2015. 

Reid: We will be a fast team that will rely on a lot of small ball and tough defense. I expect us to win districts and go deep in the post season. Key players will be senior pitcher/ Infielder Quintan Reed, senior infielder Frank Occhipinto, and juniors Mitchell Orr- outfield, Jacob Bohlken- pitcher/ 1st baseman and Cole Justice – pitcher.

PBR: Where do you play in the summer? And what has been your most memorable experience with them?

Reid: I play summer baseball with Prodigy Baseball Academy.  My most memorable experience with them is the championship game at Wichita State that went deep into extra innings.  Both pitchers threw 9 scoreless innings before being relieved.  We didn’t end up winning but we fought hard like a team. The whole team is a bunch of great guys and there’s never a dull moment.

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