Commitment Spotlight: 18' Derek Shoen, RHP/UTL, Truman
November 28, 2017
PBR: Why did you choose Iowa Western?
I chose Iowa Western because of their tradition of winning, development facilities and the campus was great.
PBR: What other schools were you considering?
I had strong interest in NIACC, Minnesota State-Mankato, Augustana, and St. Cloud St.
PBR: Where did the coaching staff first see you? How did your relationship develop with him (Phone calls, on-campus visits, etc.)?
The coaches never saw me, only my PBR video. I called to tell a four year school that I would be attending a JUCO and he asked if I heard of Iowa Western since he played there. I said yes, so he called the coaches at western to recommend me. IW called me and we scheduled a visit and then they continued to text me for the next two weeks until I made my decision to go there.
PBR: Was there one deciding factor that put your choice over the top?
The culture of winning and the well know name of Iowa Western. Also I liked the academic courses they can offer me
PBR: Who has helped you the most to get to where you are today?
There have been a lot of people, my parents for supporting me and giving me every opportunity they could for me to fulfill my dream. Coach Chirpich and Thorney that have coached me. They both taught me how to play the game the right way
PBR: What plans do you have in store for you in your freshman season at your new school?
My plans are to get in the lineup anyway and be a big impact right away.
PBR: What advice would you give to others that are currently or will soon be going through the recruiting process?
Be proactive reach out to any program you have interest in. Don’t be scared to go to showcases alone like I was. But keep all doors open every level and make as many connections as you can. Most of all enjoy the process it’s fun and stressful at the same time.
PBR: Are you competing in any fall or winter sports?
I played football and then had season ending foot surgery. I plan to play basketball as soon as I am healthy again.
PBR: In a few sentences, tell us about your high school team in terms of goals for the season and strengths your team possesses that will be pivotal in helping to get there (pitching, defense, offense, chemistry, etc.).
Our goal is to win the section again and make a impact at State. We got there last year and plan on doing it again. We are going to be a strong team all around again we only lost 3 players and have all our pitching back. If we do the little things and have timely hitting we will have a great year. Everyone has to do their roles, we have great chemistry since we have been playing travel ball together since we were 9.
Scouting Report
6/20/17- 6-foot-3, 200-pound right-handed hitting 2-way player. Strong physical build. As high as 89 mph in past; this is Shoen’s first full spring/summer with travel and legion baseball. Above avg. athlete with strength; Shoen’s shows considerable promise in college. Fastball was 80-83 mph slight cutting action. 11/3 breaking ball has short break at plate. 7.15 runner. Front heel turn trigger, short to contact, shows ability to drive baseball to outfield, power potential in swing and frame, 93 mph exit velocity. Long release on throws, solid/avg. range, sure hands, accurate to bag with carry, has athleticism to play 3B, 83 mph arm across infield.
3/20/17- 6-foot-3, 200-pound right-handed hitting 2-way player. Has made large strides in overall game in last year. Simple step and turn into balance point, occasionally loses posture, with avg. extension and finish. Long clean arm action producing 86-89 mph fastballs, slightly downhill, with late running action. Shows avg. command of 11/5 curveball with flashes of sharp break. Has feel for slightly firm changeup and is a usable pitch. 7.28 runner. Shoulder load with front heel turn trigger, stays connected, short to contact, drives baseballs up in zone, flashes power potential, aggressive swinger, 89 mph exit velocity. Sure hands, avg. feet and range, plays back on ball relying on arm strength, makes solid plays, accurate to bag with carry, 85 mph arm strength across diamond. Shoen previously un-ranked; will make substantial jump into MN 2018 rankings.
5/3/16- 6-foot-2, 190-pound right-handed hitting 2-way player. 7.59 runner. Short load, long stride, line drive swing plane, hard contact, pull approach, 87 mph exit velocity. Short steps, solid glove, tends to sit back on groundballs, shows athleticism on body control, fields better on the move, 76 mph arm strength. Raw mechanically with good tools to work with. Uncontrolled front leg, lands across body, and throws with one-piece arm action from OT slot. Fastball was 76-78 mph with flashes of running action. Varying break and spin on curveball at 60-63 mph. Developing feel for changeup.