Gavin Schaefer-Hood '17 Recruiting Profile

            My name is Gavin Schaefer-Hood.  I will turn 17 years old in July, and am 6’1", 175 pounds.  Most importantly, I am a student first and am looking for a school that will give me an opportunity to be successful academically as well as athletically, and will prepare me for life beyond college. I am a very self-motivated student, and am always driven to perform in the classroom just as much as on the field as shown by my excellent GPA and SAT scores in a challenging curriculum.

            On the baseball field, I am an athletic and versatile player. I am an intense competitor, love to win, and strive to make my teammates better. While my greatest strength and primary position is as a pitcher, I am also playing shortstop and second base at the varsity level and have played third base, first base, and center field on my travel and legion teams. The fact I can play many different positions would make me invaluable to many college programs as I feel I have a high baseball IQ and am athletically suited for any position.

            I am an especially coachable player and am always looking for ways to improve and make myself a better player. For example, I started a weight program this past Fall with a trainer who works with the Penn State pitchers, and am now consistently throwing 85 on the mound early in the season.  I have worked with a college pitching coach for a few years, my travel ball coach is an ex-collegiate coach, and I am thankful for their guidance along with that of my parents in preparing me to play college baseball. I hope to continue to improve and get better in college.

            While baseball is my true passion, I am a multi-sport athlete, unlike many today, which gives me balanced and better muscle development, control of my body, and coordination. It has greatly improved my overall athleticism, and has given me experience in stressful competitive situations. The lessons I have learned playing basketball and football help me stay mentally focused and give me the coordination to make small adjustments when they are needed.