By Ryan Quigley
Illinois Scouting Director

Camden Bauer (O’Fallon HS) a 6-foot-3, 175-pound lanky and projectable right-handed hitting shortstop currently ranked No. 18 in Illinois’ 2016 class, No. 115 in PBR’s overall coverage area saw his recruiting stock skyrocket during a successful summer. Bauer’s impressive summer led to a commitment to the University of Alabama, with several other offers on the table. Bauer sat down with us for an in-depth interview to discuss the whirlwind process and also what he is currently doing to prepare for his next two season of high school baseball.

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

I really didn’t have any expectations on being recruited heading into this past summer. I went into the summer wanting to find out where I stood against some of the best competition around the country, not thinking I was going to receive all the interest and the multiple offers. It seemed that once one school showed interest a bunch of others started showing interest as well. Fortunately the process began during the summer and I was able to sit down and decide what I wanted study in college, visit multiple schools, and sort through everything with very little stress.

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

 Yes and no.  Oregon, South Carolina & Air Force all wanted me to take an unofficial visit, but as the summer went on Alabama ended up being the furthest away.  My mom having relatives living throughout the Southeast eased some of the possible stress about being 7 ½ hours from home, but location was honestly one of the least important factors when deciding on Alabama.

Where did the college you chose first see you? How did your relationship develop with them?

 I believe Coach Phillips first saw me when the St. Louis Pirates were playing down in Nashville, TN over the 4th of July.  There were a bunch of schools at that tournament and multiple schools began showing interest after that weekend.  My relationship started to grow as Coach Phillips reached out to Rick Strickland and Brett Huber (pitched in the SEC at Ole Miss). I think Coach Phillips was at all six of our games that weekend and he or one of the other coaches from Alabama were at every game the rest of the summer (roughly 25-30 games). My family eventually made two trips to Tuscaloosa (after playing in Atlanta and then after the Perfect Game World Series in Fort Myers, FL) I got a feel for the academics, the school and coaching staff.

Who is the best player you have faced in your state, and why?

Anthony Holubecki (Notre Dame commit), Drake Fellows (Vanderbilt commit), and Tyler Fitzgerald (Louisville commit) all played on Elite Baseball Training (out of Chicago) and were some most talented kids we saw all summer. Jordan McFarland (Arkansas commit) and Joey Polak (South Carolina commit) played with me on the St. Louis Pirates Elite team this past summer. I think all five were some of the most talented kids I saw this past summer.

At what point in your career did you realize you were an elite player and became serious about taking your game to the next level?

I still don’t view myself as an elite player. There is still a ton of things that I can improve on before I’d even consider viewing myself as elite.  My high school program (O’Fallon High School – Coach Portz), the Pirates (Coach Strickland and Huber), and my parents all reinforce the fact that pushing yourself daily is essential and the status quo is never good enough.  While I think I performed pretty well this past summer against great competition, there’s a list of things that I want to improve on before heading to Alabama and competing for playing time.

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

My interest in the schools I visited or considered began with academics. I want to study engineering (maybe Business) so that narrowed the list of schools I was interested in.  I also wanted to find a coaching staff and school support system that I felt was as interested in seeing me succeed as much as I want to help the baseball program succeed.  There’s no doubt I want to attend Alabama and help them to the College World Series, but I also want to be sure that I get a quality education at the same time.

What is your best attribute as a baseball player and how does that transfer onto the field for your team?

I consider myself a quality teammate that will do whatever I can to help my team win.  I’m uncomfortable answering this as I’ve always let my actions and play allow others to form their own opinions of my strengths and weaknesses.

What part of your game needs the biggest improvement, why, and what will you do to improve it?

I need to be more consistent in my play day to day. I think that improved this past summer, but there’s always room for improvement.  Winter training, weight and speed training (both with O’Fallon and the Pirates) will hopefully assist me in the fundamentals and strength part of things that will lead to results next spring.

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

Be who you are, don’t try to do too much, and don’t lose confidence in your abilities.  While I was more consistent during the summer season, I attribute that to regaining confidence in my abilities and knowing that I belonged on the field with all the talent I completed against.

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

Since football season has ended I work out 6 days (offensive, arm strength, and weight training) a week. The high school program meets to lift two days a week. I meet with a person trainer two more days per week, and finally I work out with the Pirates two other days a week.  My focus right now is on gaining weight and strength, becoming more consistent in my fundamentals.

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

This is a bittersweet question. In a negative manner it was being upset in the regionals last spring by Belleville West. I didn’t play well and have used that as motivation daily.  The most memorable positive moment would be our performance as a team last summer down in Atlanta and Fort Myers when the St. Louis Pirates played very well against some of the best prospect organizations in the country.

What do you like most about the college you committed to and what were the key factors in making your decision?

It was a difficult decision as the schools that I visited (Indiana, Missouri, and Alabama) were all great and I had been to Notre Dame several times previously with my family. When I sat down and went through everything Alabama just felt like the best fit.  They were the second place I visited (UIC had been first), but the other visits were compared to them.  I knew they had a very good baseball program and were investing over $40 million into their facilities, but it was the coaching staff and academic support staff making me feel at home from the minute I was on campus that put them over the top.

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

Ultimately it came down to offers from Alabama, Missouri, Indiana, and had I chosen to visit, Notre Dame. South Carolina and Air Force showed a lot of interest as well. All in all I think there were ten or so schools that either made an offer or wanted me to visit (Missouri St. St. Louis University, East Carolina, TCU, and the University of Illinois-Chicago)

Preview your high school season for us. How do you feel your team will be? What are your expectations and goals?

I think O’Fallon as the potential to be very good next spring.  Our conference is very good with a ton of talent, but I think O’Fallon has the talent to compete with anybody (Chris Holba – East Carolina, Brad Harrison – SIU Carbondale, Brad Snyder, Kyle Van Bevern, and myself returning).

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

St. Louis Pirates  Elite. The most memorable moment was probably when we played down in Atlanta.  There had been 10-15 coaches at most of our games when we played in St. Louis, Indianapolis, and Nashville, but our second game (night game) against a team from East Cobb had to be in front of over fifty schools. We had seen a bunch of the schools (Alabama, Ole Miss, ECU, Air Force, Notre Dame, Arkansas, etc.) at most of our games up to that point, but that night coaches were everywhere. We played very well and it seemed like many of them followed us the rest of the summer.