Starting in March with one of the year’s most impressive bullpens and progressing through both the high school season and summer circuit, RHP Theo Zeidler (Bay Port) thoroughly cemented himself as one of the state’s top 2022 prospects. Zeidler helped lead a Bay Port Pirates squad that never finished outside the top three teams on our weekly Power 25 rankings to a state semi-finals appearance as a key contributor on both sides of the ball. He also put together an impressive showing at the PBR ProCase - Midwest, stringing together a clean inning against high-end talent. Ultimately, his successes throughout this year both on and off the field culminated in a commitment to Bradley.

We recently had the opportunity to discuss the recruiting process with Zeidler, what he was looking for out of his college experience, and several other intriguing topics.

LATEST SCOUTING REPORT

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?

Zeidler: I expected to have a tough decision on where to go at the end of my recruiting, but it was actually an easy choice for me. I was looking for high academics, development and a group of coaches and campus I’d feel comfortable with.

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

Z: Distance played a role, definitely. I wanted to be within driving distance of my home in Green Bay, so some schools were sorted out that way.

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

Z: I had lots of looks after I threw a ‘pen at the Fox Cities Preseason PBR event earlier this year where I threw pretty hard. Bradley was the first school to reach out to me and the first to come watch me play. Coach Werner watched me pitch in the state quarter-final this spring.

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

Z: I like most of the people I will get to work with in the future and all the tools I’ll get to use to get better. The main factors were my connection with the coaches, the high quality of education and the smaller campus size.

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

Z: I was between Minnesota and Bradley.

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

Z: Josh Caron (Sun Prairie, 2021; Nebraska). He is a great defensive catcher and can really hit the ball.

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?

Z: During the off-season last year I realized that I had a real shot. I was growing and getting stronger, focusing more on pitching as well at that point.

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

Z: Write out specific goals you want to achieve, and write down what you will do each day to get closer to that goal. That is what helped me stay focused and I got much better mentally and physically in the process. Breaking down big goals into small things you can do throughout the day makes the world of difference.

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

Z: Winning the state semi-final and getting to play in the state final game was the coolest experience I’ve had. Playing in a big stadium with that many fans, grinding out some tough games with some of my closest friends was awesome.

P: Preview Bay Port’s season for us. How do you feel your team will be?

Z: I think Bay Port will be a big contender in the FRCC and I think we have a shot at winning some playoff games as well.

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