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By Dennis Healy
PBR NE Director of Scouting

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NE Insider: The Recruiting Angle with Nathan Florence

This time of year seems to be a very nerve racking time for unsigned seniors and underclassmen looking to get on coaches radar. No need to panic, it's early in the spring and once it warms up, the coaches will be out to see your game. Relaxing and enjoying the spring season is important, so keep in mind, control the controllable things and work on your game.

The recruiting process happens earlier and earlier every year for the high profile player. Hard to imagine a high school sophomore making a college choice when you really think about it. I remember when I was a sophomore in HS, last thing on my mind was where I was going to go to college. Strange as I write this, not too long ago, I was deciding what to offer high school sophomores. It's a difficult process but exciting and agonizing at the same time. This young man is a prime example of a younger guy getting attention from all angles.

The last big leaguer to come out of Western Mass was Matt Torra, who attended UMASS and was dominant at the college level. However, lets remember pro baseball players who make it to the big leagues are special, no getting around it. It takes a special individual, especially a pitcher, to run out on that mound and perform with thousands of people yelling at you. Pressure, mostly self-imposed can be a demon tough to deal with, and these guys bounce back from failure time and time again. Younger players take notice, failing and struggling is part of the game, you have to get your mind wrapped around that to play baseball.  Probably a big reason why many, including I, think its the greatest game going. Point is, how you handle failure after the fact determines what type of player you are.

The following weekly article will be a feature on a player who has yet to break onto the scene, but certainly has the ability to play and/or pitch at the college level.

Today we are going to take a look at Nathan Florence, a 2016 right-handed pitcher from Minnechaug Regional, Massachusetts.

Scouting Report

6-foot-1, 165-pound prospect.