One of the state's top catching prospects, Kyle Hartmann (Sycamore, 2024) had himself a productive year on the baseball field. He started off on a high note at our Preseason All-State: Upperclass showcase, displaying his impressive set of tools that was highlighted by a 101 mph max exit velocity, 84 mph catcher velocity and sub-2.00 pop-time. This was just a glimpse of what was yet to come, as he played a key role in Sycamore's overall success throughout the spring, eventually landing them in the 3A State Finals for the first time in school history. He was one of the more productive pieces in their lineup, boasting a .382 batting average with seven home runs, nine doubles and 36 RBIs heading into the finals. We saw him well in the summer as well, as he took the field at the Illinois State Games and emerged one of the event's biggest winners, going on to commit to Western Kentucky not long after. 

We recently sat down with the future Hilltopper and talked through his recruitment process, and much more. 

Our Q&A

PBR: What were your expectations about the recruiting process? What were you looking for out of a college program to continue your baseball career at? 

Kyle: I knew it was going to be a really long, stressful process. I was looking for a program that was very welcoming and had a great culture, as well as a place to call home for the next four years. 

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

K: No it did not.  

P: When did the recruiting process really start to heat up for you? Where did the school you committed to first see you play?

K: This high school season is when my recruiting process really started heating up. WKU first saw me play my first weekend of the summer this year.  

P: What do you like most about the program you chose, and what were the key factors in making your decision? 

K: Some of the most important factors were the coaches and how they both came from very successful programs in the past. They were also very welcoming and made me feel wanted to the program. The recent upgrades going into the facilities also helped play a factor in my decision.  

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

K: Cincinnati, Eastern Illinois and Northern Illinois.

P: Who is the best player you have faced in your state? What about them makes for a tough opponent? 

K: I faced RHP Josh McDevitt who went to Effingham high school last year and is now at Mizzou. He’s an extremely tough arm to face as he competes in the strike zone with every pitch he throws. He also throws any pitch at any point in the count making it always a tough at-bat. 

P: 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? 

K: I don’t know if there ever was a specific moment where I realized it. From a young age, a dream of mine is to play this game as long as I can at the highest level possible.  

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

K: Don’t ever stop working, continue to get better and surround yourself with people who have the same goals and dreams as you, it will only push you. 

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

K: Making state this year for the first time in school history.  

P: Preview your high school team's season for us. How do you feel your team will be? 

K: We are going to be a tough team to beat with a target on our backs from last year. Lots of new players that will have to play key roles to be able to be where we were last year. 

P: How did the Future Games and/or the Illinois State Games affect your recruitment process? Did you receive more attention following the event(s)? 

K: The State Games really affected my recruiting process giving me a lot of last-minute chances right before I made my final choice. Yes, I received a lot of attention after the State Games this year.  

P: If you could steal any tool or quality from another player in the state, what would it be and who would it be from? 

K: It would have to be a pretty common answer, but Jalen House’s speed. 

P: Who is the next talented young player to keep an eye on out of your high school or travel program? 

K: Tyler Townsend. Really good athlete who can run it up to the upper-80s on the mound with a great slider and a good bat to go along with it. 

P: Did Prep Baseball assist in your recruiting? Whether it be through a showcase, tournament coverage, tweets, etc?  

K: Yes, PBR has helped my recruiting tremendously. I have attended a couple of PBR showcases and they always post the video out to social media and after every showcase I always had new schools reaching out after seeing the videos. I also attended a bunch of PBR tournaments and they also had people watching every game posting videos from games and writing up reports. 

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