Today, We had the pleasure of catching up with 2021 SS Patrick Herrera from Skyline. Herrera recently committed to Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, members of the BIG10 Conference. Herrera is a multi-sport athlete that also plays basketball that has significant upside on the diamond. He has been regarded as a quality player over the last year but has been a bit under the radar. Today, He took some time to answer some questions for us about his college recruiting experience.

Take a look at what Patrick Herrera had to say about his college recruiting experience:

PBR: Why did you choose the school you did?

 

 Herrera: Northwestern is one of the best academic schools in the country and in the Big 10 conference. It’s the best of both worlds.

PBR: What other schools were you considering?

 Herrera: There were other schools like GCU, Hawaii, Gonzaga, and Cal State Fullerton in the mix.

 PBR: Where did the coaching staff first see you? How did your relationship develop with him?

 Herrera: The coaches actually first saw me on Twitter. Recruiting has been very different during COVID, but our relationship grew through phone calls, over Zoom and other social media. 

PBR: Do you feel relieved now that the process is over and you can just focus on baseball and not deal with everything that goes into picking a school?

 Herrera: I’m very relieved to be committed especially with the pandemic causing so much chaos. I’m glad I can just focus on playing baseball and getting better. 

PBR: Was there one deciding factor that put your choice over the top?

 Herrera: Northwestern offered a generous financial package during the dead period. That meant the world to me. Those coaches believed in me from the get go and did everything they could to make me a Wildcat.

 PBR: Who has helped you the most to get to where you are today?

 Herrera: My parents have always pushed me to work hard everyday,  and they’ve supported me every step of the way. Coach Gardner is the guy who continually put my name out there to the right people and gave me direction during the recruiting process.

PBR: What were your expectations about the recruiting process? Was it easy/difficult?

 Herrera: The recruiting process was stressful as I always felt I was trying to prove myself. It was also hard because there were times I’d be talking to a lot of coaches and then there’d be times where there was silence, but it just took the right school to see me at the right time and then things moved very quickly.

PBR: What plans does the coaching staff have in store for you in your freshman season?

 Herrera: One of the most appealing things about Northwestern is that the coaches want me to start as soon as possible, and that’s the goal I’m working towards.

PBR: What is your most memorable baseball moment to date?

 Herrera: My best baseball moment was playing Chandler High School in the playoffs my freshman year and having the RBI single that put us ahead in extra innings.

PBR: Who is the best player that you have competed against?

 Herrera: The best player I’ve played against is probably  Nolan Gorman just because of his size and power.

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