Q&A With Gonzaga Commit Taylor Borchers

February 6, 2015

By Steve Nielsen
Scouting Supervisor – Wisconsin/Illinois

The PBR Future Games has been one of the more heavily recruited events in the country. RHP/3B Taylor Borchers (Appleton North, 2016) marks the fourth verbal commitment from Wisconsin’s 2014 participants. Borchers has been highlighted in The Buzz for several weeks with visits piling up, and after making the trip out west to visit Gonzaga, Borchers decided on the West Coast Conference school. Borchers will be one of three Division 1 recruits on the diamond for the Lightning this year who should be looking to make a deep run this spring.

Here’s our conversation with Borchers.

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

Borchers: The recruiting process to me was a very exciting and enjoyable. I had already known a few friends that had gone through the recruiting process so I had some inside information about it and I knew what to expect.

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

Borchers: When I was looking at schools I had some big factors that I kept in mind, such as great academics, great baseball program, and overall a place that I could see myself going to and could call home for the next four years of my life.

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

Borchers: Overall, location and distance somewhat played a role in my decision, however it was a major role that would change my mind if I felt right at a school.

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?

Borchers: It all started during last summer at the Tournament of Champions with the GRB Rays. Since then I have been recruited regularly until the Top Prospect camp held at GRB academy in January 2015. After that is when it really spiked and to me that’s where I turned the corner.

PBR: Where did Gonzaga first see you? How did your relationship develop with them?

Borchers: The first time Gonzaga University saw me was at the GRB Top Prospect camp in January of 2015. From then on we had kept in regular contact. I recently went on a visit to their campus on January 30-31. Our relationship greatly grew after my visit.

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

Borchers: I really can’t narrow it down to one or two factors, I really enjoyed everything about Gonzaga, from the coaches to the campus, even to the people you pass by walking across campus.

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

Borchers: I got to play with the 2015 and 2016 GRB Rays so luckily I didn't have to face a lot of the best players in the state because most of them were on my team. I would say the toughest player that I have faced is Alex Hintze. He’s in our conference so I'll see him two more times this year before he graduates. He probably is the toughest because he is a lefty that throws in the high 80s and has really good off speed pitches.

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?

Borchers: It was the beginning of my sophomore year when I realized that I had a chance to play college baseball.

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

Borchers: To all the young players out there setting goals to play college baseball and in anything else, even life in general. Never stop trying, give 110% effort into everything you do and will eventually find out that you accomplished your goals and possibly even more than you could ever seeing yourself doing.

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

Borchers: Out of my whole baseball career, my most memorable moment has to be during the spring of 2014. It was my sophomore year for Appleton North, and it was bottom of the 7th, tie game with two outs and my teammate and good friend Alex Henwood on second base. I hit a line drive into the right-center gap to win the game against Kimberly High School. This later on led to the conference championship for Appleton North.

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

Borchers: I believe that we will be a great overall team, from top to bottom we have a very solid line-up that I think will play their hearts out all year long.

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

Borchers: I am honored to be able to play for the GRB Rays academy during the summer and my most memorable moment has to be the entire experience with such great players and great coaches.

Q&A With Gonzaga Commit Taylor Borchers

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