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Q&A with Minnesota State commit Dalton Roach

December 12, 2013

By Steve Nielsen
Scouting Director – Illinois/Wisconsin

RHP Dalton Roach (Eau Claire Memorial, 2014) recently made his commitment to Minnesota State and we got the opportunity to hear his side of the recruiting process.

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

Roach: I really did not know what to expect when it came to the recruiting process.  I kind of assumed that if they wanted you, somehow they would find you. So you could say the process was harder than I thought because I learned that you need to find a way to be seen whether it is showcases or a well-known travel team.

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?

Roach: Probably when I played in a tournament on Team Wisconsin, I threw a really good game, everything was working and I struck out 13 in six innings. That day I had three Division 1 teams call me and then the interest from other schools increased even more.

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

Roach: I was looking for a school that could benefit me as a student and an athlete. I feel that the most important thing is to do well in school and hope that the baseball is successful along with it.  I wanted to pick a school that I thought could give me the best chance to continue to play as long as possible and to give me a great education on top of it.

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

Roach Early on in the process I wanted to be fairly close to home but as the summer went on, I found that really no matter where I go I won’t be able to come home very often. It will be nice to be closer though because this way my family will be able to make more games.

PBR: Where did the college you chose first see you? How did your relationship develop with them?

Roach: I went to a camp at Mankato and that’s when they first really saw me. I did pretty well so they came to a few games over the summer and we stayed in touch.  From that point on, I would have to say the relationship only got stronger because I always ended up hearing something that just kept me more and more interested. 

PBR: What is your best attribute as a baseball player and how does that transfer onto the field for your team?

Roach: I am a very competitive guy; I always have been ever since I was young. I think it allows me to really give it my all no matter what the situation is because I want to win and don’t want to settle for anything less. But at the same time, I like to keep loose and have fun with baseball because after all it is a game. So l like to keep that balance of fun and competitiveness at the right level so that I can do the very best I can and still enjoy the game.

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

Roach: You have to work hard and keep a high work ethic.  Whether you are a pitcher and you need to throw bullpens with some intensity or if you are a position player working on fielding a ground ball or swinging the bat.  It all comes with repetition and giving it 100 percent all the time.  Don’t let success get away from you because you did not work for it.

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

Roach: What I like most is that it feels like home to me. I feel that it will allow me to do a lot of what I would regularly do back at home but allow me to play at the next level as well. Coach Magers and I have talked a lot about the hunting and fishing around the area and that really helped in my decision. I love to be outdoors and those are two activities I spend a lot of time doing when I am not playing baseball.

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

Roach: St. Cloud State, Winona, Middle Tennessee were a few of the schools still on my list.

PBR: Preview your high school season for us. How do you feel Eau Claire Memorial will be? What are your expectations and goals?

Roach: I feel that even though we will have a young team, we have a lot of talent. Some of our young guys have already played at the varsity level and I think they will be able to come back and really know what needs to be done. The rest of the guys I think will be able to make a quick transition to playing varsity baseball based on the athleticism that they have. Some expectations I have are to make it deep into the playoffs and give our team a chance to go to state.  The ultimate goal would be to pitch and win the state championship.

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