(Editor’s Note: This is the sixth installment of our “College Recruiting 101 Powered by 1 More Rep Athletics & Fitness” in which we delve into the world of college baseball recruiting. In the first edition we spoke to five fathers who sent their sons to Division-I programs. In the next edition, we spoke to three fathers who are also coaches that had to navigate through the pandemic. In the third edition, we spoke with Glenn Petraitis, who had two sons go through the college recruiting process and is an Emmy-award winning Sports Producer for MSG and NBC Olympics. His younger son, AJ, is a freshman at Le Moyne College. Next, we spoke with George Mason University assistant coach Matt Marsh, who is a Long Island native about his process of recruiting players. In last week’s edition, we spoke to Joe Palumbo, owner of 1MR and Knights Empire regarding his experience with the college recruiting process for his son, JJ who is entering his senior season at Clarke HS and is committed to Purchase College. And in this week’s edition, we speak with SUNY Maritime Head Coach Charlie Barbieri, who led the Privateers to the 2017 Skyline Conference Championship.)
I had a chance to speak with him and here’s what he had to say…
When did you initially get into coaching?
My first varsity position was as an assistant under Mike Lesak at Herricks from 2005-2006. From there, I became the head coach at Midwood High School in Brooklyn from 2007-14. In 2015, I was named the head coach at Maritime College and have been there ever since.
I’ve also had the fortune of coaching some high level summer teams. From 2011-2014, I coached the Miami Marlins Scout Team, which rostered 6 current major league players! In 2018 I coached in the Hamptons League with the Westhampton Aviators and from 2019-2021 I coached the Vermont Mountaineers of the prestigious New England Collegiate Baseball League. Those were both great opportunities to be around high level collegiate players.
What are some intangible qualities that you look for when you’re recruiting a player?
Two of the most important qualities I look for in recruits are young men of high character and guys who are great teammates. Our players have created an incredible team culture at Maritime and we want incoming players to be in alignment with our core values. We need guys are want to excel not only on the baseball field, but in the classroom and in the community as well.
I also want student athletes who are self motivators and have a strong work ethic. At the D3 level, we are limited as to how much time we can spend with our players in both the offseason and during the season per NCAA rules. That being said, our guys have to be willing to put in the work on their own. The weight room is also a BIG part of our program, so our players must enjoy competing in there as well!
What are some physical qualities that you look for when recruiting a position player ? Pitchers?
For position players we ideally want players that possess athleticism. Those guys are usually fast movers — bat speed, arm speed, quickness, ability to run etc. — and can help you succeed on the field in a number of different ways.
I also look for guys who are on time when they hit. If you have trouble getting on time consistently, it’ll be challenging to succeed at the college level.
Lastly, and arguably most important, I’m looking for hitters that find barrels often. Quite simply, we want guys who consistently hit the ball hard!
For pitchers, the number one thing we look for are guys that can command the strike zone with multiple pitches. Lineups at the college level are significantly deeper than the high school level, so being able to successfully locate multiple pitches is imperative.
Velocity is another important aspect of what we look for in our pitching recruits. Although not always directly correlated to success, our guys need to be able to keep hitters from getting too comfortable in the batter’s box.
Lastly, we 100% need a bulldog on the mound. I want a guy who wants the ball in a big spot!!! That’s an innate quality that you can’t teach.
What are some events that you like to attend to recruit players?
I’ve learned to value recruiting events that emphasize game play as opposed to the “showcase style” events. For me, it’s more beneficial seeing recruits play in competitive situations compared to a scripted workout. I can learn more from multiple AB’s or innings pitched in one game then I can from 20 BP swings or a pitcher’s bullpen with no hitter in the box! Competing at game speed is incomparable.
Games also allow me to see how players interact with coaches, teammates, opponents, and umpires. I can also gauge how they respond to their success and failure on the field, which carries a lot of weight in our recruiting process.
How important is academics when recruiting a player ?
Academics are absolutely vital and the first step in our recruiting process at Maritime. Our academic program is a demanding and rigorous one, so it’s often challenging for freshmen to make the immediate transition to our college. To piggyback on that, we are looking for student athletes who we feel are likely to have sustained success in the classroom over four years. If our players are struggling to stay locked in academically, it will be virtually impossible to balance school and baseball simultaneously, so we need to see a pattern of success in the high school classroom to even consider them in our recruiting process.
During COVID , how were you able to find players and evaluate them?
Although challenging, we were able to still recruit during COVID. We did rely more on video then we had in the past. We were also fortunate to benefit from coaches who would put on virtual events/showcases that would allow us to watch games from home on our computers. We did have the benefit of getting out to a handful of tournaments that were run locally as well.
Have the rosters gone back to normal yet following the pandemic ?
Fortunately our roster was honestly not affected by the pandemic, so we’ve basically stayed status quo in that regard.
What would you say are some of the biggest changes in the recruiting landscape since you began coaching ?
There are a few that stick out in my mind but the most prominent change is the transfer portal. As a coach, it allows you access to players who may be able to help contribute to your program at a high level immediately. So in essence, you can reload as a program quicker as opposed to going through a rebuild.
Another change I’ve noticed is the evolution in players’ mindset from the “D1 or bust” mentality. Kids are starting to realize they can get top notch degrees, still play at a high level of competition and have a chance to contribute right away by going to a D2, D3 or JUCO. If you’re good enough to play at the professional level, they’ll find you!
