You don't have too look far to find LHP Jack Schwab (Blue Valley) on the Kansas' 2025 rankings, as the 6-foot, 175-pound southpaw slots at fourth overall on our board. 

An athletic pitchability arm, Schwab's a natural strike-thrower that is able to throw all three of his pitches around the zone, starting with an upper-80s fastball. He spins a tight upper-70s breaking ball with intent and he'll round out his arsenal with a mid-to-high-70s changeup that's flashed in front of our staff before. This summer, Schwab represented Kansas at the PBR Future Games, committing to the Razorbacks shortly afterwards.

We recently had the opportunity to talk with Schwab on his recruiting process, including some of the reasons why he chose Arkansas, his advice to young up-and-coming baseball players, and more. You'll find our full discourse 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?

Schwab: Going into the recruiting process I was looking for a place to call home for the next four years of my life. I wanted a place where I felt comfortable and something that wasn’t too far from home. As a kid I always dreamed of playing baseball at the next level, I wanted a program with a good history in drafting and developing players. Growing up watching baseball I dreamed of playing in Omaha and playing in those big games you watch on TV. 

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

Schwab: Absolutely, I wanted a place where my family could still visit and where I felt as if I wasn’t too far away from home. 

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

Schwab: The recruiting process started to heat up in the high school season of my sophomore year. I didn’t play summer ball so I wasn’t seen by any school or even area scouts before this. I started throwing well and saw a jump in my velocity and as soon as this happened the recruiting process started to heat up. I had local colleges coming to see me pitch in high school. As soon as summer came around it really started to grow into something bigger. I never saw the University of Arkansas until later in the summer and as soon as August 1st hit they said they had been tracking me all year. I was on the phone almost every night connecting with a different school and at the at point I could put into perspective of how fast it all blew up. 

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

Schwab: I really liked how well treated and taken care of all the players and staff were. It feels amazing to know that they can take care of mostly everything and your job is to perform and they will give you everything to perform at the highest of levels. I loved how the staff hasn’t had much change as well as the history Coach Hobbs has with pitchers, especially left-handed pitchers. I loved the history they have as an elite baseball program and that’s everything you look for when choosing a school. 

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

Schwab: My other schools I was interested included Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Kansas State, and Kansas. 

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

Schwab: The best player I have faced in Kansas is 1B Jack Jones (Shawnee Mission East, 2024; Tennessee signee). I faced him a couple times and you have to be very careful of what you throw him and where you throw it. He is a high quality player with a big frame making it harder to throw at him. He can hit all pitches and is on time for everything. 

PBR: 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?

Schwab: I noticed I was a college caliber player as soon as I saw a jump in the off-season going into my sophomore year. I always knew I could pitch but the stuff that came with it put into perspective that I could play at the next level. 

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

Schwab: Some advice I would give is falling in love with the process and the hard work that comes along with it. Setting up yourself for success is one of the hardest things and getting to step on the mound is a reward. You have to stay disciplined and make sacrifices along the road and learning to control what you can control is the most important thing in this process. 

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

Schwab: At this moment in my career I would say committing to a top tier SEC school is my most memorable moment. This has been a childhood dream of mine and to commit to Arkansas fulfilled this dream and more.

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

Schwab: The Blue Valley Tigers are going to be a strong very talented group. We will bring every team we play a good baseball game considering the arms we have and the defense we play. We are returning key players which is huge and we have a lot of players who are going to play at the next level.

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