Keenan Proctor took some time this past week to sit down with our PBR Colorado staff. Proctor touched on many subjects including his recruitment process and how he was able to get on the UCLA's radar. The speedy outfielder shares his thoughts on his new home in Los Angeles and offers advice to young athletes who have just started the process.

The PBR Colorado staff took the time to sit down with Keenan to ask him these questions.

Our first NLI of #SigningDay2021 is officially in.

Welcome to Westwood, Keenan Proctor! #GoBruins | @KeenanProctor13 pic.twitter.com/T01w6BPxzf

— UCLA Baseball (@UCLABaseball) November 10, 2021

 

Q&A with Keenan Proctor

Q: What was the recruiting trail like for you? Were colleges interested early on and how did you get on the college coaches radars?

Proctor: I started talking to schools about half way through my sophomore year. My process started when I joined Slammers and Byron Embry immediately started sending out my video to colleges. He did a tremendous job getting my film out there and talking to schools about me. Once summer after my sophomore year hit, I started talking to a lot of schools. I played really well that summer and gained a lot of attention from Power 5 schools in a very short amount of time.

Q: You are committed to UCLA, how did you connect with them and what was it like talking to their staff? Did you visit, and if so how was that?

Proctor: UCLA came into the picture later than most of the other schools. They reached out to my coach at the time, Bryant Asnicar, in early fall of 2020. I hopped on the phone with Bryant Ward, the hitting coach there, one day after practice. We had a really great conversation and we immediately had a solid connection. The next day I got a FaceTime call from head coach, John Savage and that’s when I got the offer. In those couple phone calls with the coaches, I built a solid relationship with them and got to know their philosophy and personalities really well. A couple days after the FaceTime call, I went out to visit and immediately fell in love with the campus and culture in Westwood. I knew pretty much right away I wanted to spend my college years there.

Q: What made you choose UCLA over other schools that gave you offers?

Proctor: I chose UCLA over the other schools I had offers from because I believed it was the best fit for me and my family. The baseball program has a successful history of developing young athletes into MLB caliber players. The coaching staff is one of the best there is in all of college baseball as well. Westwood is a beautiful area with a unique culture of talented individuals that strive to be the best at what they do and I wanted to be apart of that. I knew by going to UCLA I would get a solid education that would set me up for success outside of baseball. I value my education and UCLA is hard to beat when it comes to academics. Westwood just felt like home.

Q: Now that you have finished your recruitment process, do you have any advise for young '23s, ‘24s, 25’s or even ‘26s who have just started this process?

Proctor: My advice for young athletes starting their recruiting process is to be patient and to stay open-minded. The recruiting process can be both overwhelming and exciting at times. It’s best to stay patient and wait for the right school to come around. That may mean you don’t end up at the school you had in mind when you began the process, but as long as you stay open-minded and patient, you will find the right fit for you and your family.

Q: Lastly, out of all the PBR events you have attended in your career, what has PBR meant to you during your time playing baseball in Colorado?

Proctor: PBR has done a tremendous job at exposing high school athletes in Colorado these past few years. Showcasing young athletes and getting them early exposure has been huge for Colorado kids. PBR helped me get the exposure I needed to get in contact with schools by posting my video and stats. I’m grateful for the PBR Colorado team and I’m excited to see Colorado baseball grow with their help.

UPCOMING EVENTS

SHOWCASE	STATE	DATE	LOCATION
Preseason All-State (Invite-Only)	CO	02/27	Marucci Clubhouse
Northern Colorado Rising Stars ID	CO	03/13	DBAT Norco - Windsor, CO
Denver Rising Stars ID	CO	04/18	Slammers Facility - Englewood, CO

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