Q&A with Grand Valley State Commit Hop Buran

November 11, 2015

By Matt Huck
Area Scout

2016 3B Hop Buran from Lake County Lutheran recently committed to Grand Valley State. Buran is ranked No. 61 in the Wisconsin Class of 2016. Buran won the Wisconsin Division 3 state championship this season with Lake County Lutheran. Here is a report on him from last winters Milwaukee Preseason ID Showcase.

Hop Buran 2/8/15 - 6-foot-4, 190-pound, right-handed hitting third baseman. Large, strong build. In the field has a short arm action from an over the top arm slot. Average arm strength with some accuracy. Average hands, fields ball close to body, good body control for size. At the plate hits from a balanced setup with a short stride. Long weight-transfer load to backside with good balance. Gap to gap hitter who looks to elevate, fast bat with fluid rhythm. Strength thru contact, 87 mph exit velocity from a tee. Ran the 60 7.52.

PBR: What were your expectations about the recruiting process? Was it as expected? Easy/Difficult?

Buran: The recruiting process wasn’t easy, but also wasn’t too challenging. As long as I did my part (making phone calls, and sending emails) coaches would do their part.

PBR: What were you looking for out of a college program to continue your baseball career at?

Buran: I wanted to go to a bigger sized school with a winning program but a place where I still felt that I could contribute.

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

Buran: Yes. At first I wanted to go down south to get away from all the snow, but then I realized that I wanted to stay a little closer to home so that my family had the opportunity to come watch me play.

PBR: When did the recruiting process really start to heat up for you? Was there a particular game or event that you feel turned the corner for you?

Buran: I really started getting interest from colleges around my junior year.

PBR: Where did the college you chose first see you? How did your relationship develop with them?

Buran: Grand Valley State first saw me when I was playing a tournament with my high school team out in Michigan. The coach was actually coming to check up on another commit, Ben Wilkins. After the game the GV coach talked to my head coach and said that he also liked what he saw from me. After hearing this we started emailing back and forth which eventually led me to attend their camp later that summer.

PBR: What do you like most about the college you committed to and what were the key factors in making your decision?

Buran: I love everything about Grand Valley. I had a list of things that I was looking for in a college, such as location, size, academic quality, and a baseball team with a winning reputation. Grand Valley fulfilled all of these things.

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

Buran: Winona State, Minnesota State, St Cloud State, and a few junior colleges.

PBR: Who is the best player you have faced in your state, and why?

Buran: Nate Brown is one of the best players I have played alongside and also against. He always kept me on my toes because I could never tell what he was going to throw.

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?

Buran: I realized that I had the potential to play college baseball at the end of the summer of my freshman year.

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

Buran: Keep working hard and never give up. Everything you do to make yourself better will eventually pay off.

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

Buran: My most memorable moment would probably be winning state my junior year with my high school. After winning state the previous year I knew it was going to be hard to make it back because we had lost most of our pitching. The team chemistry my junior year was unbelievable. No matter what we did we had fun and we were always laughing about some kind of inside joke within the team. This kept us loose when we played. The relationships we all had together formed a team bond that I do not think can ever be replicated.

PBR: Preview your high school season for us. How do you feel your team will be? What are your expectations and goals?

Buran: Lake Country Lutheran’s offense has always be the strongest part of our game. It will be interesting to see who steps up pitching as we graduated our 1 and 2 pitchers from last year. Overall, I believe we will have another strong season and my goals and expectations this year is for us to make our 4^th consecutive state run.

PBR: Where do you play in the summer? And what has been your most memorable experience with them?

Buran: I played with Stiks academy my freshman and sophomore year and then played for the WBA Silver Sluggers this past summer. My favorite experience is when we went down to Georgia for the CABA World Series my freshman year because I got to face some of the best talent I’ve seen.

Q&A with Grand Valley State Commit Hop Buran

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