Brandon Poole '23 Recruiting Profile

My current collegiate goal is to pursue a degree in cybersecurity. I have completed two NetAcad courses offered by the Career and Technology Academy program at my high school and will be taking another three courses during my final year of high school. I have done well so far in high school with balancing baseball and my studies, keeping my GPA over a 3.5. I am also interested in continuing my baseball passion in college. Growing up, I was athletically inclined, playing  several sports including soccer, lacrosse, basketball,  football (both tackle and flag), and of course, baseball. I have been very fortunate in having the opportunity in playing on many good sports teams, which have created many great memories, such as kicking the winning extra point in a semifinal playoff game to send my team to the championship game at the age of 9. We went on to win the championship game. I also starting playing baseball at 9, which started when an older friend of mine handed down his old baseball glove to me. I have love the game ever since. On the baseball field, I consider myself a very well-rounded athlete and have strengths in most phases of the game (throwing speed/accuracy, batting, and fielding).  My travel coach (11-13U) would always tell me that he could put me anywhere on the field and I would be just fine. Proving his statement, I have played just about every position on the baseball field throughout the years. In travel, I played mainly centerfield and pitcher, but played innings at 1st base and 3rd base when needed.  In middle school, I played pitcher and shortstop. In high school, I have played as a right fielder (as a Sophomore) and as a pitcher (as a Sophomore and a Junior) at the Varsity level. So far, on my current travel team (Rawlings Prospects MD),  I am a starting pitcher and when I am not pitching, I am the starting centerfielder.

As a teammate, I have fit in well on every baseball team I have played on and have developed a good relationship with players and my coaches. I am pretty easy going, have a good sense of humor, and like to have fun. That being said, I do know when to 'turn it on' and get serious when the situation calls for it. This season, as  a Junior, I was in the starting pitching rotation for my  Northern Patriots high school varsity team and I was called upon by the coach to pitch in probably the most important game of the season, the State 3A South I Regional Final Championship game. Winning this game would send my team to the State Quarterfinals for 3A. Our opponent was the Chopticon Braves, which had won the State Championship for 3A the previous year, and it was on their field. In our previous meeting during the regular season, we were shutout by Chopticon 4-0. Although I had not pitched in that game, I knew  defeating Chopticon was not going to be easy and knew that a win would be big for our school and our team, especially for the outgoing Seniors. I walked out onto Chopticon's field and probably pitched one of my best games, shutting out the defending State champions 7-0 with a 71-pitch, 3 hit, complete game. Unfortunately, we would come up short in the State Quarterfinals a few days later, but we had a very good season and i will miss playing with the outgoing Seniors that I had developed bonds with. That is the tough thing about high school baseball, the team changes every year and while I am sure we will have a great team next year, I will miss the good times we had with the group of guys I was fortunate to play with this past season.

I think my pitching performance in the Regional Championship game sums up a lot about my character, I play hard, I play tough, and I am not afraid to step up and deliver when the coach and the team put their faith in me. In the videos I have posted, I have tried to highlight this. The videos show my pitching and fielding abilities, as well as my situational awareness. I also have a decent swing. 

As I have mentioned, I have played quite a bit of outfield, but I am mainly known for my pitching and  have decent velocity,. From my Sophomore to my Junior year, I increased my fastball velocity from the mid-70s to the mid-80s and will be working this off-season to improve this more. I throw both a 2-seam and 4-seam fastball, while also having a pretty decent curveball and changeup. For a right-handed pitcher, I have a pretty quick move to first and am also quick to the plate, mixing in a slide step delivery when there are runners on. As an outfielder, I read the ball well, have decent speed, a good glove, and a strong, accurate arm that can throw out runners at home. At the plate, I haven't had much experience this season, but I do have a pretty good swing when I get the opportunity. I had a big hit in the bottom of the 7th during the high school season that helped fuel a huge comeback win after going down by 4 runs in the top of the inning and have already hit a triple in a PBR event game with my summer travel team. I think this versatility makes me a good fit for any team. I am sure that i will probably be looked at most for my ability to pitch, but if the need arises I can also be a strong player in the field.