By Jerry Shank
Maryland Director of Scouting
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Recruiting Road is a feature where PBR Maryland talks about recruiting with one of the collegiate programs within the state.  This offers an opportunity for the reader to get to know a little more about the state and also to hear about how things are going with a program you follow or want to learn more about.  This week PBR Maryland’s Recruiting Road is with Scott Roane, Pitching Coach/Recruiting Coordinator for Towson University.

Roane is entering his 11^th season with Towson and has helped the program average 25 wins per year in that time.  He as seen seven of his former players get drafted in the MLB’s amateur draft.  In 2013, Towson overcame the adversity of possibly cutting the baseball program by winning a CAA championship and winning a game in the Chapel Hill Regional.   

How did recruiting go for Towson in the year 2014?

--Very well. In the early signing period in November we signed nine players: three pitchers, three infielders, two outfielders, and a catcher. We are very excited about this class and it is the biggest we have ever signed in the early signing period. We are working on 16's and we do not have any commitments as of this moment.

What is an interesting fact about Towson University?

--Towson University is Maryland's largest producer of Teachers.

With the slight scare in 2013 of whether the program would continue or not, did that make it tougher from a recruiting standpoint?

--Not really, we had to answer questions as to the future of the program to recruits. Our AD released a statement that Towson University Baseball is permanently saved as any sport at Towson. The future looks promising as we have a new indoor cage at the field, a new locker room and they are in the process of installing a new scoreboard as we speak!

Coach Gottlieb has been a staple in the program for 27 years and has a good chance to reach a milestone with 700 wins this season, what is he like around the players and in the clubhouse?

--Coach Gottlieb lives and breathes Towson University Baseball. He played here, he was an assistant coach here and has been the head coach since 1988. In that time he has made three appearances in the NCAA Regionals. He is very committed to making sure kids graduate, improve on the field and have a great student-athlete experience.

Do you feel the new baseballs have changed the game? Has it changed anything about your recruiting philosophy?

--We used the new balls in fall practice, seems like they travel a little farther and they are not as tough on pitcher's fingers. Let’s see this spring if it changes the game. We have not changed our recruiting philosophy.

What do you feel the toughest position to recruit is?

--Shortstop. 

With all the 2017 and 2018 commitments going on, what are your thoughts about young men making their decision at such an early age?

--It is a BIG decision for kids to make especially at a young age. Maturity is a big factor. Each family based upon their son's skills, academics, and geography to name a few, may find committing early/late better. It works for some and there are times when it does not work out

As a recruiter you have to be everywhere at once. How do you like the fact that Prep Baseball Report will now run events in Maryland?

--I think this will be a big help for us personally as we will have a chance to see kids in our backyard. We have been to other PBR events and they have been very beneficial. We signed a kid in the early signing period that we had the chance to see last summer at the PBR Mid Atlantic Border Battle

How important is having some video footage available to you in order to begin to identify a player you may not have seen before?

--Video can be a great way to start the recruiting process but ultimately we are going to try and see recruits play in person. As a staff we will probably see thousands of kids play each summer and value seeing them compete in person. With video we like to see tools and athleticism. Also being able to see different camera angles for pitchers.

Prep Baseball Report may be new to Maryland, but is an established resource for amateur baseball across the country. How do you feel to finally have Prep Baseball Report in the state of Maryland?

--PBR Maryland will be an outstanding resource for all college programs in the state of MD. We look forward to using the information that the PBR Maryland website provides and attending various PBR Maryland events.