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Q&A With Western Illinois Commit Austin Emanuel

February 17, 2015

WI 3.1.15 Fox Cities Slide

By Steve Nielsen
Scouting Supervisor – Wisconsin/Illinois

Catcher Austin Emanuel (Mukwonago, 2016) recently committed to Western Illinois. Emanuel showed well at the Milwaukee Preseason I.D. and looked to be one of the top catch and throw guys at the event. We dug a little deeper into Emanuel’s recruiting process and here’s a bit of our conversation.

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

Emanuel: I found that the recruiting process takes a lot of time and work from different directions but very exciting. Talking to some older players who have gone through it helped. There were some difficult times trying to get schools to respond as early on in the process as I expected.

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

Emanuel: Finding a school that I felt comfortable with the coaching staff was important. I wanted to find a program where I would have a chance to compete at an early point in my college career and contribute to the team’s success. I was also looking for a college that was a good fit with my educational goals as well.

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

Emanuel: Yes, it is further south and growing up in a rural town I liked the small town setting of WIU. Distance also played a part in my decision. I’ll be far enough away to be on my own but close enough that I can go home and my parents, friends and relatives can come watch me play. My dad always joked I could go anywhere I wanted as long as he didn’t have to drive through Chicago to get there – WIU fit that too.

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?

Emanuel: Things started to ramp up after this fall. I gained some interest after attending the 2015 Hitters Winter Top Prospect Camp.

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

Emanuel: WIU first saw me at the Hitters Midwest Showcase in August of 2014. They saw me again at the Hitters Winter Top Prospect Camp in January 2015. After the January camp I emailed, talked, and visited the campus.

PBR: What do you like most about the college you committed to and what were the key factors in making your decision?

Emanuel: I liked the location of the college. The smaller size of the campus made it easy to get around. All the people I talked to during my visit were very friendly, willing to help any way they could, and made me feel very comfortable. Key factors included: Three coaches have some type of catching experience and they work together which should help my development. I felt the coaching staff really believed in the guys. I liked that the coaches are willing to allow catchers the opportunity to “call” the game after they feel you’re ready.

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

Emanuel: Illinois State, Morehead State, UWM, Heartland CC, Iowa Central CC, North Iowa Area CC

PBR: At what point in your career did you realize you were a college caliber player and became serious about taking your game to the next level?

Emanuel: I’ve always had the desire to play baseball at the college level. Having the opportunity over the years to be successful playing on competitive teams, in high level tournaments, against other strong teams made me believe I could play at the next level. 

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

Emanuel: The game of baseball can beat you up if you let it. So keeping a positive approach to the game is as important as playing the game itself. There’s always room for improvement so you can never be satisfied with how good you are. It takes a lot of extra time working on your own outside of team practices.

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

Emanuel: I have lots of different memories after playing travel baseball since age 8. But, my most memorable experience was playing in the U13 MCYSA International tournament, then returning as a U15 and having the opportunity to compete against teams from Aruba, Puerto Rico, and Brazil. We were seeded 17th and finished 3rd out of 36 teams.

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

Emanuel: The last two years I played for Wisconsin Elite. This year I will be playing for Rawlings Hitters 2016 – White. Playing with a group of guys and creating a lot of good friendships along the way. Also, I will have played for the same head coach since I was 9 years old.

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