Last spring, CBC's offense was one of the most potent groups in Missouri with a plethora of high-end bats scattered throughout the lineup, including OF Derrick Pitts (2024). As a junior, Pitts slashed .392/.483/.490 across 123 at-bats as a true mainstay and doubled down on his overall value by playing quality outfield defense as well. His performance throughout the spring, as well as in our live looks, rose Pitts nearly 50 spots up our rankings to his current spot of 28th overall.

After the summer, Pitts announced his commitment to Cincinnati, a program that joins the Big 12 for the first time this season. We recently had the opportunity to discuss the recruiting process with Pitts what he was looking for out of his college experience and some other fun topics along the way.

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?

Pitts: My expectations with the process was to find a second home. Mainly because, not only am I going to school for baseball and school, I have to live there for the next 3 to 4 years of my life. Therefore I had to be comfortable with the people and the city 

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

Pitts: Yes 100% because I wanted to go somewhere in which I can get home in case of an emergency. I also wanted to be far away like every other teenager. 

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

Pitts: The process started a bit late for me but it went from 0 to 100 almost immediately in the summer which is were Cincinnati came to watch me for the first time. I’d had conversations and phone calls with big time schools before but it never led to anything. 

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

Pitts: Cincinnati is the definition of a green flag to me and everything about the campus, coaching staff and facilities was amazing. The coaches had welcome arms when I came on my visit, made me feel apart of the family and made the decision 10x easier. 

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

Pitts: I had a couple choices, but my top three were Cincinnati, Kansas and if I’d waited a bit longer to commit, Kentucky 

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

Pitts: RHP Caden Bogenpohl (Jackson, 2023; Missouri State) without a doubt. Every time I faced him he gave a challenge. Being younger than him and seeing him dominate against other teams played a factor in me taking my game to the next level.

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?

Pitts: As a young boy I’d always tell people that I was going to be a MLB player. I truly believed that and my micro goals leading up to that was to play Power 5 baseball. So around the age of eight or nine I started to see other players journeys and started to believe in myself even more.

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

Pitts: I’d definitely tell them to live in the moment, work hard and never get caught up in other people’s opinions and rankings. I’d also say, keep their head down, clear about the noise and work as hard as they can because anything is possible. 

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

Pitts: The most memorable moment will definitely have to be the Cooperstown tournament. The experiences that I had during my time there was something I’ll never forget. 

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

Pitts: We will definitely be a younger and more inexperienced team than last year, but we’re hungry and ready for whatever this season throws at us. We’ll definitely take lumps early but once we get rolling we will be extremely hard to stop. 

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