Farrah Bojalad is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism Student assigned to cover Red Mountain High School for AZPreps365.com.

High school baseball players across the nation share a common goal, to play ball at the collegiate level.

Between the crack of the bat and roar of the crowd lies a rigorous journey, the recruitment process. Every pitch, every swing, every game becomes a stepping stone towards securing a spot on a collegiate team. There are roughly 480,000 high school baseball players in the United States and according to the NCAA about 7.1% go on to play at a collegiate level. 

Red Mountain High School’s baseball team is currently ranked #1 in the 6A east valley region and has several collegiate commits. Hagen Wright, Jake Gorrell and Logan Carney are all members of the RMHS baseball team that are set to play ball at the next level. All three of them play not only high school baseball but club ball as well over the summer. 

The recruiting process started very early for Wright. The now junior was committed to play ball at ASU the summer before his freshman year of highschool. 

“At the time I was the youngest Division 1 commit in Arizona,” said Wright. 

However, the NCAA in June 2023 started prohibiting Division 1 coaches, potential recruits, and anyone speaking on behalf of the athlete before August 1 of their junior year. 

“When they changed the rule I was already committed so I couldn't talk to the college I was already committed to until my junior year of high school,” said Wright. 

The Arizona native overall thought ASU was the best choice for him due to the coaching staff and being able to stay near his family

“I was talking to a lot of other colleges but when I got on the phone with ASU’s head coach he really took me under his wing. I felt comfortable staying home and being close to my family,” said Wright. 

Senior Jake Gorrell, is committed to play at the College of Southern Nevada. Gorrell was recruited after being spotted playing on a club ball team over the summer at CSN’s field in Vegas. The college reached out to Gorrell and invited him to do an intersquad and practice with their team for two days. The senior was able to effectively market himself leading to interest from several colleges by the way he plays and his energy on the field. 

“How I play and handle myself on the field. My energy spark drew a lot of attention because when I play I'm pretty fired up, I'm a good teammate and I'm never moping or anything like that,” said Gorrell.

Team Captain Logan Carney will be furthering his academic and athletic career at Phoenix College. Carney emphasized the importance of not only playing club ball, but how the RMHS coaching staff has been so helpful with players getting recruited.

“Our coaching staff at Red Mountain is awesome with recruiting. Our head coach helps out a lot with us during the recruiting process. Yeah college coaches may discover us at club games but the first person they call is our highschool coaches,” said Carney. 

After countless hours of hitting the gym and tireless dedication refining their skills on the field, these members of the RMHS baseball team are looking forward to the opportunity to carry their passion for the sport to the collegiate level.