Luke Hillmann '20 Recruiting Profile

I became interested in baseball at a very young age because both of my brothers played, and I wanted to be like them. Early on I excelled above other children my age. This led me to travel ball as a 9-year-old playing with boys 10 and 11. When those boys grew before me I learned to adjust my game and take the ball away rather than to pull it and to play 2^nd base. This taught me to be a better hitter, something that still helps me today.  I learned that physical preparation and positive mental attitude are necessary to succeed in baseball. I believe baseball has helped me to adopt a never quit attitude that I use in all facets of my life. I always try my best and if my best isn't good enough then I try harder until I succeed.  

During my career I have had to overcome many obstacles to get where I am. As a young player, I always wanted to pitch because I had a very strong arm. As a much younger player I experienced a great deal of failure on the mound. At one point I wasn’t considered a pitcher, but I kept working and asking for additional opportunities to pitch. As I matured, and my arm continued to improve I became one of my teams most reliable pitchers as I am today on my high school and club teams. Those lessons learned by experiencing failure, but believing in myself taught me that nothing is impossible if you believe in yourself and are willing to put in the work.  Last year during my club season, I experienced a physical setback that prevented me from pitching for a short time, this delayed my development for a while. This situation forced me to consider that I must listen to my body to avoid injury and to better prepare my arm for competition, unlike when I was a boy and I would do or say anything to get an opportunity to get on the mound. I am interested in continuing the success I’ve experienced in my baseball career so far through high school and into a college program. The most important factor to me is finding a school where I fit academically and athletically.