Prep Baseball Report

Q&A with Missouri Commit OF Marquise Doherty (Winnetonka, 2015)



Shon Plack
Missouri Scouting Director

One of the top unsigned seniors remaining, OF Marquise Doherty (Winnetonka HS, MO), committed to Missouri this week. Also a standout football player, Doherty is looking to play both baseball and football in college. He is a quick-twitch athlete with excellent speed. His game is raw, but he has upside and will be followed closely by scouts in the spring.

In the outfield, he shows quick foot work and athletic actions to the baseball, with a quick, clean exchange while playing through the ball. Has a positional velo of 87. Offensively, Doherty has extremely quick hands, with a level swing and extension through contact. The ball jumps off his bat and is a power threat. Doherty will be attending the Super 60 in McCook, Illnois on February 1.  

Here is a look inside the recruiting process for Marquise Doherty.

 

PBR: What were your expectations about the recruiting process? Was it as expected? Easy/Difficult?

Doherty: I have two older brothers that have gone through the recruiting process. My brother Brandon Doherty played baseball at Rockhurst then Hutch CC and then onto Michigan State. My other brother Tyler Grayson wrestled at Winnetonka and then went to Central Michigan. Having these two people in my life made the whole process unbelievably easier than it would have been. I knew a lot about the process before it even got started and they were great mentors throughout, telling me what questions to ask, what to say if I was asked something, things to look for and things of that nature. I knew going into it that it would eventually get crazy, and it did, but I was well prepared because of those two.

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

Doherty: Distance from home did not play a role, as I stated before I had two brothers go far away and my sister went to the University of Iowa so really I am the only one staying home. My parents however are definitely grateful for that.

PBR: Where did Mizzou first see you? How did your relationship develop with them?

Doherty: Mizzou first saw me my freshman year when I went to one of their camps at William Jewel College. We also are close with one of the former grad assistants from Mizzou, Johnny Egorugwu. So I'm sure he put in a good word or two for me. The relationship I developed with the staff is probably the biggest reason I chose Missouri. From the first time I stepped foot on that campus, at a Junior day my sophomore year, they treated me like I was already part of the team. I developed a really good relationship with Andy Hill, he is easily one of the funniest people I know and I haven't met one person that has had anything bad to say about him which is saying a lot because you wouldn't believe how many people know him. 

PBR: Who is the best player you have faced in your state, and why?

Doherty: The best baseball player I have faced in my state would be Brian Sharp. Simply because he doesn't make mistakes. He hits well, runs solid, defense is stout, and he can even pitch a little bit. He is such a complete baseball player and he just grinds all the time which I can appreciate because that is what has gotten him and myself where we are now and I'm pumped to play with him.

PBR: What were you looking for out of a college program to continue your baseball career at?

Doherty: I was looking for two things as far as collegiate baseball goes, facilities and coaching. And Mizzou has both of those, they have the most impressive locker room I've seen by baseball standards, and their field is beautiful. They also have basically a movie theater in their indoor to watch your own at-bats or opponent pitching. Which is huge to me because if I can see what I am doing wrong, and it makes it that much easier to fix.

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

Doherty: My advice is for those who want to get places they've never been is to do things they've never done. Work, work, work. Talent plays a role yes, but hard work is what gets people where they want to go regardless of talent level. You have to eat, sleep, and breathe training. There will be people trying to hold you back. It may be friends who aren't on the same training schedule you are who want to just stay in and play X-Box than go hit or run. Which is fine but, you have to separate yourself from those people for that hour it takes you to go hit then come back and hang out. You have to work harder than you ever have before, because every minute you aren't working, someone else who wants that same spot you want, is.

PBR: What do you do in the offseason to keep yourself in baseball shape and prepare for the upcoming season?

Doherty: I do a multitude of things. I do a lot of speed work, plyometrics, short sprints, explosive exercises, running techniques, about 2-4 times a week. I hit at least 4 times a week sometimes everyday of the week, working on everything from bunting, to situational hitting, to hitting technique, to just getting in the cage and letting it fly. I play catch 2-4 times a week, when it's too cold I'll play catch from my knees to simulate long toss. And I am actually in a Sunday men's basketball league to stay in shape, but really it's just to ease my competitive fire and to get buckets in my free time.

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

Doherty: My most memorable baseball memory is winning districts my freshman year.

PBR: What do you like most Mizzou and what were the key factors in making your decision?

Doherty: As I said earlier the relationship I had developed with Mizzou was probably the biggest deciding factor for me. I also was impressed by how many guys they send to the NFL as far as football goes and their success on the field as well. The facilities are amazing, the strength and conditioning program is top notch as well.

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

Doherty: I released a top 5 of Oregon, Mizzou, Iowa, Louisville, and K State back in August.

PBR: When did the recruiting process really start to heat up for you? Was there a particular game or event that you feel turned the corner for you?

Doherty: My Junior year is when things started getting really crazy. I went to the Under Armour All-American Combine Jan. 2 my Junior year. I only had 3 offers at that time, I went down preformed well, Rivals had me as First Team All-Combine at RB. And after that things just took off, I was getting all kinds of calls from coaches, lots of mail was coming to my house and the school, coaches were in and out of my school everyday, the whole nine yards.

PBR: Preview your high school season for us. How do you feel your team will be? What are your expectations and goals? Name some players that will play a key role for Winnetonka in 2015.

Doherty: I am very excited about our team this year. My freshman year we had 12 or so seniors, so that following year we had a bunch of sophomores thrown to the wolves as far as going from seeing no varsity time to starting the very next year. For the past two years we have had some growing pains but now that we are all seniors and most of us will be 3 or 4 year starters we are ready to go. Chase Williams, Ty Bradshaw, Zak Martinez, are some seniors that will be key for us. Ronnie Wigginton is a Junior with some upside. And Brad Willis is a sophomore that will be really good for us as well.

PBR: Where do you play in the summer? And what has been your most memorable experience with them?

Doherty: This past summer I played for Jeremy Jones and Building Champions. The most memorable experience was the 16 day bus trip we took from KC to Atlanta, GA, to Murfreesboro, TN and ending in Nashville TN. It was amazing to see a different level of competition for so many games, but not only that, I built great relationships with my team mates on that trip.

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