By IMG Academy

The IMG Academy baseball program has a rich history of developing players and placing them into top college programs around the country. One of the avenues IMG Academy offers to baseball players trying to maximize their potential and prepare for the next level, for college or the MLB Draft, is through its post-graduate program, which captured national headlines when former Major League draft pick, Jacob Nix, enrolled in the program in January. Student-athletes seek out the IMG Academy post-graduate program because it offers them an unparalleled preparatory experience while being surrounded by cutting edge resources for both academics and athletics.

"It's [post-graduate baseball program] run very much like a college program," explained Dan Simonds, Director of Baseball, IMG Academy. "A big part of it is the things they do on a daily basis; the way practices are run, the accountability that's involved and the amount of structure that's part of the program to get them to play at a higher level."

Simonds himself was a former head coach at two Division-I programs, so he knows the athletic qualities that colleges are looking for in a freshman player. From that experience, Simonds and his team of coaches have tailored the post-graduate program to focus on all-around fundamental development to impress college coaches and scouts.

"We want to make sure they're fundamentally sound – they can handle cut-offs, relays, bunt defenses, pick-offs and run-downs – the things they're going to need to do at a higher level, very consistently," remarked Simonds. "When I had my freshmen come in (at the college level), those were the guys that had a little bit of a step up on the competition... and through the extensive amount of drill-work that we do, we're able to accomplish that."

He added, "Our goal is that when a player goes to pro ball or college baseball, nothing is foreign to them, and nothing will take them by surprise."

The program is working, because 28 of the 30 members of the post-graduate roster are currently committed to a college program. As for the aforementioned Nix, a former fifth-round selection, with significant gains on and off the field during his time in the post-graduate program, he is now projected to go anywhere from the end of the first round or in the second round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Players' Draft in June.

"We want to win, and learning to win is part of the process, but we're not trying to win a state championship or a junior college championship, so we'll never try to win at the expense of the players' development," said Simonds. "For example, whether it's a pitcher headed to the pros or a Division-III prospect, when they're deep in the pitch count and they hit their pitch limit, they're coming out of the game... the bottom line is that we're developing the player."

College placement is the name of the game, but it is not only about placing athletes into elite programs. Simonds and his team work to find the right fit for everyone, as a player and as a person, to fully reach their potential at the next level.

"A lot of the guys want to play at a Division-I or a top-25 program, but it's on us to find the right fit for the player," said Simonds. "With our coaches' expertise at the college and pro level, we have a lot of connections and are constantly reaching out to people to find the best college for everyone where they'll have the best chance to play."

In the current signing class of 2015, several players have achieved their goal of finding a university that is their perfect fit. One case is shortstop Zach Ching, who signed with Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), and 3B/1B Caedon Saltis, who aspired to play for Division-II Florida Southern, earned a scholarship to play for the FSC Mocs following a solid 2014-15 campaign.

The IMG Academy post-graduate baseball program is also set up to shorten the learning curve, so that a freshmen entering college is looked upon as game-ready as a college transfer instead of a typical freshman. Players in the post-graduate program are also afforded the opportunity to take college level courses to give them a jump-start in the classroom, and to shorten the time before they are able to earn their college degree, all without losing a year of college eligibility in the process. This is a unique opportunity for these motivated student-athletes to enhance their academic profile through the various programs available while participating in their sport of choice. Time management and college readiness is endemic in everything the program does, including challenging course schedules, test preparation and participating in college planning seminars to guide the student-athletes through the admissions and recruitment process.

"We're all former college players and coaches, so everything we do, we try to resemble as if we're at a major Division-I university," said post-graduate head coach Nolan Neiman. "From the way we train, the way we practice, the amount of games – with about 50-60 in the spring and 20 in the fall – trying to emulate the same experience they're going to get when they get to college." Neiman added, "Players get virtually a full year of college experience, without losing the year of eligibility as a post-grad, and go to college 100% ready to go. So they're a sophomore mentality and capability, but a freshman on paper."

The coaches also emphasize off-the-field disciplines to heighten the players experience through IMG Academy's Athletic & Personal Development disciplines. Areas such as mental conditioning, vision training and nutrition also help athletes maximize their preparedness.

"During the fall we're able to really push the stress management, leadership, the vision training and weightlifting, and through the spring we keep the weight training and nutrition going," explained Neiman. "Nobody else in the country does what we do. A lot of places try to do a little bit of some of it, but can't execute it at the level we do, with the expertise that we have."

As a whole, the IMG Academy baseball program has more than two decades of success helping student-athletes navigate their way to the next level. Notable draftees of the program include Yankees catcher John Ryan Murphy, a second-round pick in 2009. Led by a coaching staff that averages more than a decade of coaching experience across the board, in addition to their high level playing experience, more than 98% of IMG Academy baseball student-athletes find a spot in college, with more than 60% heading to Division-I, and the other 2% often earning opportunities in the pros.

Are you ready to raise the bar to the next level? Learn more about IMG Academy's post-graduate, private school, and camp offerings, by visiting us at www.imgacademy.com.