RJ Watters, a speedy outfielder from Columbus Academy, recently committed to Northwestern University. The future Wildcat has been clocked with a 6.83 60-yard dash and 87 mph from the outfield. Learn more about his recruiting process and development as a player ...

 

PBR: Why did you choose Northwestern?
Watters: I chose Northwestern because it's a great academic school. I know the education I will receive from Northwestern will help me meet my goals outside of baseball. The campus, facilities, and coaching staff are all wonderful. When visited campus for the first time, I knew that it was it was a special place. All the stars aligned and I was sure Northwestern was where I wanted to go to school and play baseball.

PBR: What other schools were you considering?
Watters: I was considering some other options. Bucknell University, Columbia University and Furman University were among those at the top of my list. They are all phenomenal schools with great baseball programs. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to meet many wonderful coaches throughout this process. 

PBR: Where did Northwestern first see you? How did your relationship develop with their coaching staff?
Watters: They first saw me at a Head First Camp in Sacramento, California. From there, Coach Mikrut, the recruiting coordinator and Assistant Baseball coach, called me weekly and I developed a great relationship with him. I visited the campus and met head coach Stevens and assistant coach Stoddard and was even more impressed. I knew this was the program I wanted to a be part of.

PBR: What role do the coaches expect you to play your first year on campus?
Watters: The coaches expect a lot of me. Speed, stealing bases, tracking balls down in the outfield, getting on base, extra base hits. I wanted to go to a place where I could play early and often, and if I work hard enough and play to my potential, I know Northwestern will give me that opportunity.

PBR: Did you want to get far from home?
Watters: I was actually looking at colleges in North and South Carolina for a while so this is closer to home than expected. I wanted to be far enough from home that I could have my own experience and grow more as an individual but also be close enough to where if I really needed to go home, I wasn't too far away. And it is only a 45 minute flight from Chicago to Columbus, so things worked out perfectly.

PBR: What are your strengths as a baseball player?
Watters: I use my speed to my advantage, and I am efficient on the base paths. I steal bases and extend singles into extra base hits, and I take pride in that. I also cover a lot of ground in the outfield and I am very aggressive when it comes to going after ball. I can hit the ball hard and have a lot of confidence in my swing, and hitting is one of the best attributes to my game.

PBR: What do you think about the switch to BBCOR bats? How do you think this helps or hurts you as a player?
Watters: The bats play perfectly into my style of play. Coaches are looking for speed, athleticism, and line drive hitting. They need players to steal bases and play small ball because they cannot rely on the long ball anymore. And that is more my game, so it helped me a lot in the college process.

PBR: Who has had the biggest impact on you as a baseball player?
Watters: That is a tough question. So many people have helped me along the way and I want to thank everyone who believed in me. Ferrell Frye was definitely one of the most influential people in my baseball career. He has been coaching me since I was 14 years old, and he has taught me everything I know about hitting. He has been the biggest help in my development as a player, and I cannot thank him enough for all that he has done. He will continue to help me for the rest of my baseball career, and I have all the trust in him as my coach to reach my fullest potential in all areas of my game.

PBR: What sort of adjustments do you think you will need to make at the college level to carry over your success from the high school level?
Watters: I will need to learn how to slow down the game, because the more levels you go up in baseball, the faster the game gets. I will need to trust my instincts more and push myself extremely hard in the weight room as well as working on my arm strength. All areas of my game have room for improvement, but I am willing to put in the hours of work it will take to make sure I bring my game up to the level it needs to be for me to be as successful.

PBR: Who is the toughest pitcher that you have faced in Ohio?
Watters:  I have seen some really good pitchers throughout my time in high school. But I will say Michael Steenson is one of the best pitchers I have faced. He plays for Granville and I have to face him twice a season. He throws five pitches for strikes and it is hard to pick up pitches from his consistent arm angle. I am very impressed by the stuff he has and while he is one of the toughest I've seen, I love hitting off him because I know it is always going to be a good challenge.