Watters Discovers A Great Deal To Like At Notre Dame

ROCHESTER HILLS - It did not take long for his ability at the plate to stand out.

Soon after the Future Games, Brenson Watters was committed to Notre Dame.

“I hope I can bring my bat,” the eighth-rated 2024 player in Michigan said of what he feels he can provide the Fighting Irish baseball program. “I want to start as a freshman. I’ll play first base or outfield, wherever I’m needed.”

Right now, the position is secondary.

“They said we want you to hit,” noted Watters, who is known to most as Bino. “If you hit you can’t sit.”

There is more that the 10th-ranked junior first baseman in the nation is looking to add to his game.

“I hope my speed can get better,” Watters related. “If I get down to 6.7 I can project in the outfield and can also play first base. If I work as hard as everyone says to do, I’ll be faster.”

Michigan State and Dayton are others that offered Watters but the recruiting process proved short when Notre Dame came into the picture.

“After the Future Games they saw one of my coaches retweet one of my videos and they reached out through him,” noted Watters, who also had interest from Toledo, Kent State, Miami, Wright State, Indiana and West Virginia. “I called them the next day and I said I wanted to make a decision sooner rather than later. We talked for an hour. The next day we talked again and I asked them some questions. They presented an offer and the next day I visited.”

The trip to South Bend was a good one.

“Two players I know showed us around campus,” Watters explained. “I was ready to pull the trigger and called the coach. It was a quick process.”

The 361st-ranked 2024 in the country had a strong appreciation for what he believes Notre Dame can provide, both academically and athletically.

“I love the education up there,” Watters said. “And their baseball … with the new coaches, the recruits coming in and the  guys they have in place, I’m excited about it.”

Notre Dame saw a great fit in the 6-2 190-pound left-handed hitting southpaw.

“They like my swing and the way I can play first base,” Watters said. “An assistant coach reached out to a few people and asked about my grades and work ethic and they gave him good reviews.”

Watters was appreciative of being part of Team Michigan at the Future Games in helping his recruitment come together.

“Showcases like the Future Games really get your name out there,” Watters pointed out. “Playing in front of 300-plus coaches was very helpful. Being there shows you’re one of the top uncommitted players in your state.”

It solidified the dream of playing college baseball for the top-rated junior first baseman in Michigan.

“When I started getting into travel baseball and going south to play is when I saw that I wanted to be like them and go to college and play,” Watters explained. “I got my first call from Indiana after I hit a big home run in January. They said they liked my swing and options started to open up for me after that.”

Watters, who carries a 3.72 GPA at Rochester Hills High School, is planning to major in business once his college days begin at Notre Dame.

“It was pretty exciting to make a commitment,” the 16-year-old related. “When they offered I called a few members of my family. When I called (assistant) coach (Logan) Robbins it was his birthday. It was pretty surreal.”

With two years of high school remaining, Watters can now only fantasize about what lies ahead playing for head coach Shawn Stiffler at the Atlantic Coast Conference school.

“I’m really looking forward to playing against the best of the best,” Watters concluded. “Power 5 baseball is pretty special. Right now I’ve just got to make myself better and, hopefully, after that I can take the next step of starting as a freshman.”