By Chris Fuller
Kentucky Scouting Director

With the fall signing period over, many of the remaining unsigned seniors are still trying to decide their future college destination. While there may be a few more players sign with Division I programs in the spring, many Division I programs have their recruiting classes set for the Class of 2013. The remaining players in the class of 2013 are focused on marketing their attention to Division II, III, NAIA, and JUCO programs. At the same time, prospects in the Class of 2014 are at the beginning of the recruiting cycle and identifying potential colleges of interest.

Jeremy Sheetinger is in his first season as the head baseball coach at Spalding University. Prior to coming to Spalding, he held coaching positions at every NCAA level as well as the NAIA.  Recently, he sat down with PBR Kentucky Scouting Director Chris Fuller to talk about his program and the recruiting process at the Division III level.

PBR: As a Division III program, what is your approach to recruiting? What type of player are you looking for?

Coach Sheetinger: Now that we are officially a NCAA Division III program, our approach to recruiting has not changed in that we are looking for the best available players, period. Scholarships aside, we are the cheapest private education in the state of Kentucky, especially in this region, and can boast a tradition of winning that separates us completely from a majority of schools. In 12 years of ever having a program, SU has been to 5 World Series with one National Championship. To that point, we are looking for the best player available who is interested in competing for a National Championship. We have and will continue to bump up against the area mid-major Division I schools as well as the area Division II and NAIA programs, which means we are on the right kids.

Also unique to Spalding and the Division III level, is that we are not handcuffed like the majority of Division III schools and can only recruit the top academic kids, hoping they are baseball fits. Again, best player available for us means the top high school talent in this region, as well as highlighting the top transfer players from the junior college circuit and getting in on Division I and II kickback kids.

It begins for us in dominating our state and our state is the City of Louisville. We pride ourselves on knowing the best players on the area high school teams, being visible in front of parents and players, either recruiting at games throughout the year and also camps and showcases. We are working constantly to establish our brand recognition with the area’s top talent and coaches. Familiarizing each of those groups with who we are as a program, what we are about and what kind of players fit into where we are going.

The type of player that fits in here at the U is the confident kid who plays the game hard and truly has a deep passion for baseball. We are very aggressive and selective in our recruiting and are looking for the right fit. Our style of play is up tempo, built on hustle in all facets of the game, so we want those “dirtbag” players, guys who have that chip on their shoulder and want to win on the national level. Players play but Tough players WIN. Our environment is demanding but our goal as coaches is to challenge our guys daily, make them answer the bell, help them find out who they really are. We always say in recruiting; “If you do not think you are good enough, do not come here to Spalding”. You will be exposed by our guys and our coaches. Certain types of kids will make it here and they better be tough-minded dudes and you don’t get to hang out with us.

PBR:  How is the 2013 recruiting class shaping up for the Spalding baseball program and what needs are you still looking to fill?

Coach Sheetinger: We are very excited about the direction of this recruiting class, especially with the players we have signed early. This class will be around 12-15 guys, which will mainly impact our pitching staff moving forward. We currently will lose 4 senior arms off this year’s team and have zero left handed pitchers in our entire program. We have signed two impact kids on the mound already and they both will be solid for us. Our goal is to sign around 3 more RHPs and then 4-5 LHPs, which would give us some depth and sure up our weekend and midweek starting roles, as well as booster our bullpen. From a velocity standpoint, this class of pitchers will be a great stable of arms for us moving forward and will help establish our game plan to success on the mound.

Positionally, we are looking for 6-7 guys who can give us some depth and compete for playing time early in their time here at SU. We have signed two impact outfielders at this time and are working to sign one more guy there to give us a solid corps of guys that can shorten gaps for us. We have several high school players and some junior college guys we are evaluating for our infield positions, mainly losing two senior first basemen after this season and building our middle infield for ’15. Also, we will only bring back one catcher into next fall and we are happy with the high school and junior college talent we are on behind the dish.

This class is vital to our success, as the ’14 senior class is only three kids deep. As coaches, we are evaluating fully the player but, more importantly, the character of the guys in this class. With the players we brought in this past summer coupled with this class, we should set ourselves apart from our regional opponents and establish ourselves on the national stage with the high level of talent on the field but mainly the mentality in our locker room.

PBR: Many kids have the desire to play at the Division I or II level. How do you help them understand the advantages of playing Division III baseball at Spalding?

Coach Sheetinger: We all have that as high school players, even I, so we can empathize with that train of thought. It’s all we know and all we see on TV…We just try to get the recruit to eliminate levels from the process and truly evaluate the program itself, its history and vision for the future, and also evaluate their connection to the coaches, players and program in helping them find their right fit. We feel when they do this, it becomes apparent that Spalding can offer a personalized education for cheaper than most schools and can offer opportunity to compete on the national level, which most schools cannot honestly say.

With certain guys, who may be stuck on the Division I or II mentality, we will encourage them to pursue those opportunities so they can find out how green the grass truly is. Some will go and flourish, making the right decision and be impact guys at those spots. But, there will also be those who do not and because of our established relationship with those players, we will be their first phone call and it has been proven so far this fall. We understand who we are at SU and, sometimes more importantly, who we are not.

The main advantages we can offer here at Spalding are top notch facilities, a program and University dedicated to competing on the national level. With the improvements we are making at Derby City Field, our locker room and clubhouse situation, we are so blessed and excited for where it’s going. We pride ourselves on being a “player’s program”; as coaches, guiding our guys with servant leadership, creating an atmosphere that most programs will not compare to. The baseball program here at Spalding is expected to win, from administration on down, and we embrace that image and work to enhance it. Our current players and our recruits see the great things we are doing here at the U and we are motivated to keep moving forward.

PBR: This is your first year at the helm of the Spalding baseball program.  Where do you envision taking the program in terms of competing at the DIII level?

Coach Sheetinger: We inherited a great situation here at the U in that the program Coach Kocks (2000-07) built at the NAIA level and that Coach Stawski (2010-12) established on the Division III level is one of winning, period. Our goals are very straight forward; we expect greatness, we expect to be a consistent Top 10 Division III program, make regional appearances commonplace and playing our last games each year in Appleton, WI at the World Series an expectation of our program and our players.

Again, the separator becomes recruiting for us and where we are going. We are very motivated by our situation here at Spalding and see the future being very bright. “Division III” players do not have spots here at the U. Best available players only. We will not open our arms to anyone and refuse to be someone’s fall back plan for college baseball. Our recruits share our vision for where we are going as a program and want nothing more than to be a part of something bigger than themselves. SU has already become and will continue to be a real option for top talent in the state and this region.

PBR: What do you feel sets Spalding apart from other Division III programs?

Coach Sheetinger: We feel there are a great number of things that gives us an edge on not only the regional Division III programs but even the mid-major Division I and II programs as well. As a coaching staff and a program, we are beyond excited for the potential here at Spalding to build a perennial power.

First and foremost, location and cost of school becomes the biggest separator. We are consistently cheaper, almost 50% cheaper than the regional Division III programs. Even when we bump against Division I and II schools, the financial packages our kids are given are consistently cheaper, even with baseball monies involved, which speaks to the excellent job we do here at Spalding to offer an affordable, private education. Add in that your college experience will take place in Louisville, KY and our campus is right in the middle of the action and we have a recipe for success. Recruiting out of and to the Ville opens so many doors for us, even with players who do pursue those Division I or II opportunities out of high school, get frustrated and want to come back home and win.

Academically, our uniqueness continues in our academic calendar, in which we offer six-week sessions, as opposed to your traditional college semester look. Our students can take 1-2 classes every six weeks, with three sessions making up a semester, always have Fridays off and are given 10 days off school after every session is complete. Our kids are so blessed to be a part of this academic plan, as it allows them to work through school if they choose or obtain a job internship, building their resume while working towards their degree and still playing college athletics. As of right now, after three sessions, our overall Team GPA is a 3.45! By far and away, the highest I have ever been a part of and it comes back to our academic system.

Athletically, our players will always be challenged to compete to win jobs as our recruiting gives our locker room a constant feel of competition. You will have to be a tough dude to come through this program, as the talent level will be consistently high in this program. Our kids will also be surrounded by a highly motivated, positive group of coaches who pride themselves on teaching the game. This is a program for players who love this game, want to engulf themselves in baseball and work towards reaching their full potential as players and people.

Lastly, our history as we go into only our 13^th year of baseball here at SU, is rich with the expectation of winning and a tradition of success unlike most programs. Winning 30 games each of the last two years, bringing home the USCAA National Championship, surrounding our program with guys who are baseball rats…we feel that we are very fortunate to be a part of this program and will work to honor our past here at the U and set our path towards greatness at the Division III level.

 

PBR: Prep Baseball Report is well established in many nearby states and arrived on the scene in Kentucky a few months ago.  How have you been able to utilize the information that Prep Baseball Report offers to your advantage?

Coach Sheetinger: After using PBR the last five years, staying up to date on the best players in the area, attending showcase events, etc., we are extremely excited to see Prep Baseball Report arrive in Kentucky and are excited to see it take off and explode. As coaches, it is a great tool we can use to highlight the state’s best players, attend events that give us opportunities to see these kids firsthand. Our staff is already utilizing the info provided by PBR to highlight our 2013 kids and working into next year’s class.

It will take time but after seeing the advantages of PBR Illinois firsthand, this will be a huge step forward for college baseball recruiting for the state of Kentucky with Prep Baseball Report leading the charge. They have been the first guys to release our commits here at Spalding and we plan to work directly with PBR moving forward, to help promote college baseball opportunities but also great things we have going here at Spalding.