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JP Bitzenhofer, C/OF, St Xavier, Class of 2016

PBR: Why did you choose UK?

Bitzenhofer: I chose University of Kentucky because I was really impressed by the coaching staff, the baseball tradition, the facilities and the university. I had a great visit with Coach Henderson and Coach Bohannon and the more I learned about UK and Kentucky baseball the more I knew UK was a great fit for me.

PBR: What other schools were you considering?

Bitzenhofer: I had not received any other offers. I spent time at Cincinnati and Ohio University.

PBR:  Where did UK first see you compete?

Bitzenhofer: Coach Bohannon told me that the first time he saw me was at the PBR Ohio's Top Prospect Games in June.

PBR: The SEC is a major baseball conference.  How much of a factor was playing in the SEC in your decision?

Bitzenhofer: SEC baseball is very competitive and I want to continue to challenge myself. For me, getting an offer from UK was the best thing I could image because it's a great SEC program that is close to home.

PBR: What were expectations about the recruiting process and what advice can you give future players as they go through their recruitment?

Bitzenhofer: I didn't have many expectations about the recruiting process. I just hoped to find a school that was the right size, a good fit academically and who also wanted me to play baseball for them.

My advice would be to always play at 100% because you never know who is watching. I've also had several scouts tell me that they saw me play at PBR's Top Prospect Game and the Southern Ohio Prospect Game so I know participating in PBR events and being mentioned on PBR's website and twitter was helpful.

PBR: What is your biggest strength as a player and how do you feel that you will help UK?

Bitzenhofer: My biggest strength as a catcher is my intensity, positive attitude and work ethic. I hope to help UK by becoming the best player I can be and by fitting into the program in whatever role is needed for the team to be successful.

PBR: Who has had the biggest impact on you as a baseball player?

Bitzenhofer: My dad and all of my coaches; Tim Raffel, Ben Thamann, Darren Callihan, Bob Sherlock, Scott Humes and Jeff Gatch, because they have all taught me different things over the years.

PBR:  Was the recruiting process what you expected?

Bitzenhofer: The recruiting process was a lot longer than I expected. The recruiting process takes a lot of patience and perseverance.

PBR:  What were you stats last spring?

Bitzenhofer: AVG - .304; SLUG - .357; OB% - .394; RBI's - 18; ER - 0, 20 games/56 AB