Prep Baseball Report

Central Michigan The Right Choice For Prout


Bruce Hefflinger
PBR Michigan Senior Writer

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Central Michigan The Right Choice For Prout

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Cole Prout

Class of 2022 / OF

Player Information

  • Graduating Class: 2022
  • Primary Position: OF
    Secondary Position: 1B
  • High School: Standish Sterling
    State: MI
  • Summer Team: South Oakland athletics
  • Height: 6-2
    Weight: 185lbs
  • Bat/Throw: L/L

Statistics

Position
6.88
60-yard
(06/30/20)
85
OF Velo
(06/30/20)
96
Exit Velo
(06/30/20)

Central Michigan The Right Choice For Prout

STANDISH - College baseball life is not perfect and Cole Prout respected hearing it from Central Michigan.

“I liked that they were not afraid to talk down about their college,” Prout said about what stood out with the Mid-American Conference program during his recruitment. “They were up front. They weren’t pushing themselves to make me commit. It was a lot different from others.”

Connection with CMU began in the fall.

“After our last tournament they reached out,” the Standish Sterling High School junior reflected. “I didn’t think much of it, but then the head coach reached out and wanted to zoom with my parents. I liked the call but it slowed down after that. Then Toledo reached out and offered.”

Prout eventually checked out both schools before making a decision.

“The difference was Central Michigan is closer to home,” explained the third-rated 2022 outfielder in the state, who lives an hour-and-a-half from Mount Pleasant. “We have a cottage 15 minutes away from campus, so I’ll be put in a better situation there. That’s the ultimate factor.”

Indiana, Michigan and Michigan State were among others that the 6-2 185-pounder talked with during his recruitment before Central Michigan won out.

“They like my bat and my speed,” Prout pointed out. “They feel my best part of the game is hitting and base stealing and my weakest is arm strength. They want defensive guys and feel the arm will come. They also like a lefty bat that can do damage.”

The idea of playing at the next level is more of a recent development for the 17-year-old.

“Around the age of 13 or 14 a few guys I know from Standish Sterling committed to some smaller colleges,” Prout said. “That’s when it became my goal and I wasn’t just going to play for fun. Then I had some friends commit and I thought I could do that.

“I started getting college calls and I realized I can actually do it. I knew I was as good or better than a lot of guys that were committing. I got my first offer from Oakland and from there I continued to work to do everything I could to improve.”

Even the coronavirus could not slow down the 10th-ranked 2022 in Michigan.

“My dad is a teacher so he has keys to the weight room,” Prout pointed out. “Initially, I had to stay home in the early part of covid and do whatever possible to get better to be ready for travel ball. Once the weight room was opened, I was going there as much as possible.”

The work began to show.

“Last year I added 20 points and this year added 15 of what I think is straight muscle,” Prout noted. “That’s really helped me hit the ball hard. I’ve been working with Casey Smith and he’s transformed my swing.”

Others have been helpful as well in Prout becoming the ballplayer he is today.

“It started with Mark Krzysiak with the RiverDogs summer team at eight or nine,” Prout explained. “He reached out to me and got it started. He helped me get to the next level. My travel coach now, Keith Lelli, is another. He said I need to have more fun with it and that helped me. He also showed me situational hitting.

“But the biggest one has been my dad,” Prout continued. “He had a chance to play college basketball but had an injury. He pushes me to do the right thing and that every day I need to do something. He’s watched a lot of videos and learned from a lot of coaches.”

Prout believes he can be a major asset as part of the program at Central Michigan.

“I feel I bring a winning culture wherever I play,” Prout said. “I feel I’m a leader who’s not trying to make enemies, but friends. I feel I can make an impact and not be just another person going through the program. I’d rather see teammates succeed than me and feel I can turn a team around.”

Kinesiology is the planned major for Prout, a 3.9 student happy to have made a college decision.

“It’s a big weight off my back,” Prout concluded. “I had offers that every day they could have taken away. It’s a big moment for me and my family and my school. I’m the first one to go D-I for baseball at my school and the first one in my family to go to college for sports. It just shows if you put in the work and form the right connections you can do anything.”