INF Brady Green (Oak Park-River Forest, 2025) has made it a habit of impressing our staff, dating all the way back to April of 2021, where he initially stood out at our Future Prospects Showcase. He got noticeably better throughout each look in the months following, and the summer of 2022 is when we really started to see Green tap into his potential, earning an invite to the first-ever Illinois State Games as a rising sophomore. His sophomore year got off to a hot start with eye-opening showings at both the Lockport Preseason ID and the Preseason All-State: Underclass, blasting baseballs as hard as 99.3 mph in BP with quality actions on the infield and a strong arm (T86 mph). After a strong spring campaign, Green eventually landed a spot on Team Illinois at the Future Games, and he more than held his own against some of the top prep competition in the country. He finished off his summer with a trip to Rantoul for the Illinois State Games, where he once again proved to be one of the top prospects in the state's 2025 class, committing to Northern Illinois a few months after the event. 

We recently caught up with Green to talk through his recruitment process and much more, below. 

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?

Brady: I didn’t have too many expectations. The one thing I really wanted was to find a coach who seemed to value me as a person and could help me develop as a player. 

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

B: Yes. I was open to playing further away, but it is exciting to know that I’ll be able to come home for a nice meal on the weekends.   

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

B: I had some contact with schools before the rules changed but my recruiting process really heated up after I came back from the Future Games. NIU saw me several times over the summer, but I think Coach Copeland first saw me at the State Games in 2022. 

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

B: I really enjoyed how relatable the coaches are at NIU. Coach Copeland is one of the youngest D1 coaches in the country. I am also really excited about Coach Copeland’s vision for the program. The last few years I’ve played for a travel program (Strikes) that is on the rise and it can be really exiting to be part of building something great.   

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

B: Michigan State, Illinois, Bucknell, Binghamton and Illinois State. 

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

B: I had my absolute worst at-bat of the season last summer against RHP Lincoln Causero (Hersey, 2025; Xavier commit) from Top Tier North. He throws hard and his off-speed stuff is dirty. I had much better at-bats the next two trips up, but he’s tough. 

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? 

B: I realized in about 8th grade that I was probably going to play in college. That was really motivating and I got really serious about skill development and weight training. 

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

B: Have fun with the game. Don’t let the pressure ruin the experience. Also, don’t stress out about the things you don’t control.  That one is hard for me, but it’s really important. 

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

B: I went yard at Northwestern during a 15U game, that was fun. Also, starting on Varsity as a sophomore was an incredible experience. 

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

B: We should be fun to watch. OPRF built a new turf field and I think our lineup will be filled with gap-to-gap power guys with a lot of speed. Our opponents better have speedy outfielders. 

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)?

B: The Future Games was an incredible opportunity to be seen by schools from all around the country. It definitely got me more attention from schools both locally and nationally. 

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? 

B: I would steal the speed of my future teammate and NIU commit Jalen House (Downers Grove South, 2024). 

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

B: INF Johnny Nelson is one year behind me at OPRF and with Strikes. He’s a great athlete and a really good player. 

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

B: Yes. PBR’s website and social media posts have given schools good visibility to my development over the last few years. 

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