Few players from Team Illinois at the Future Games did more for themselves at the event than MIF Kam Jenkins (Oswego, 2026). An uber-projectable 6-foot, 174-pounds, Jenkins is a multi-sport standout and it shows in all aspects of his game. He’s an elite defender at shortstop with natural and athletic actions, and it's easy to fall in love with the upside he has as a prospect as a whole. 

The right-handed hitter has consistently shown well in front of our staff, showing tremendous power for his size to pair with an aggressive, yet controlled approach. You can expect his strength and power to continue to build throughout the coming years, continuing to add to his intriguing set of tools. 

We recently sat down with Jenkins to talk through his commitment to Missouri, and more. 

Our Q&A

PBR: What were your expectations about the recruiting process? What were you looking for out of a college program to continue your baseball career at?

Kamrin: For my expectations I was hoping for schools to reach out to me in the first week and when I got those texts and calls it was almost a relief. I wanted the college to have a great development process that can get me to the next level.

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

K: I didn’t really care about how far it was from home. I just wanted the school to check off all of my boxes.

P: When did the recruiting process really start to heat up for you? Where did the school you committed to first see you play?

K: The start of sophomore year for sure I started to see a lot of scouts at my games either watching me pitch or me at the plate. Mizzou saw me freshman year when I went out to their camp.

P: What do you like most about the program you chose, and what were the key factors in making your decision?

K: The thing I liked most about Mizzou is how everything’s a family at Mizzou, they're building a great culture and I wanted to join that culture.

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

K: My final four was Arkansas, Indiana, Mizzou and Nebraska. 

P: Who is the best player you have faced in your state? What about them makes for a tough opponent?

K: It probably has to be Landon Thome, you know every time you play him he's gonna be a tough out and he’s just gonna play hard every pitch of the game.

P: At what point in your career did you realize you were a college-caliber player and became serious about taking your game to the next level?

K: I would say freshman year I was really growing as a player on the mental side and the physical side and I feel like from there my game just kept getting better and better

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

K: I would tell them just to make every day count and don’t waste days because as your wasting days not working on your craft other players are just getting better and better.

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

K: It was when I was 15, we were down in Fort Myers, Florida and it was a Mother's Day tournament and it was bases loaded. I hit a grand slam to win the game.

P: Preview your high school team's season for us. How do you feel your team will be?

K: I think this year we will have a solid team. We've got a lot of returning starters that will have a big impact this year. We also have some junior pitchers coming that will help our rotation. This year we got something to prove after our first round loss last year.

P: How did the Future Games and/or the Illinois State Games affect your recruitment process? Did you receive more attention following the event(s)?

K: The Future Games helped me big time cause it really showed all the schools that were interested with me that I can really play against top talent in the country. I feel like without the Future Games I wouldn’t have gotten all that attention.

P: If you could steal any tool or quality from another player in the state, what would it be and who would it be from?

K: I would take Nate George’s speed for sure.

P: Who is the next talented young player to keep an eye on out of your high school or travel program?

K: Caleb East, he goes to my school and plays for Top Tier West 15u, he is definitely a player to look out for.

P: Did Prep Baseball assist in your recruiting? Whether it be through a showcase, tournament coverage, tweets, etc? If yes, please explain. 

K: Yes, Prep Baseball helped me tremendously throughout my recruiting process, almost every time I got a hit at one of their events I would get a tweet, so that definitely helped.

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