Q&A with Thomas Broyles: Dallas Baptist Commit
August 22, 2015
By: Zac Bottoms
Arkansas Scouting Director
Dallas Baptist University landed another top prospect from Northwest Arkansas when they picked up a commitment from 2016 OF Thomas Broyles from Fayetteville HS. Thomas was nice enough to answer some questions about the recruiting process and how he came to his commitment.
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PBR: Ultimately, why did you choose the Dallas Baptist University? Broyles: I was really impressed with the facilities and campus at Dallas Baptist University, but I really chose the program because of the coaching staff. Coach Heefner and Coach Fitzgerald are two of the most impressive coaches in college baseball. They are very clear about what they expect from their players, both on and off the field, and I do extremely well with that type of structure. Coach Heefner has had a very successful record working with hitters, so I am excited about getting to campus and working with him on improving my offensive approach. PBR: Where did they first see you compete?
Broyles: I visited the DBU campus on my own in June, and then visited again later in the summer. Broyles: The coaches really like my speed, so my role will be to get on base and score runs consistently. PBR: What other schools were you considering? Broyles: I considered schools in the SEC, Missouri Valley, and Ohio Valley conferences. PBR: Who did you play for this summer? Talk about your experience playing for them? Broyles: I played for Coach Dave Bingham and the Midwest Nationals out of Springfield, MO. We followed an intense schedule, playing in Texas, Kansas, Tennessee, Missouri, and Arkansas. We started playing two days after my high school season ended, and we competed every week until early August. Coach Bingham is a very strict, no-nonsense type of coach, by far the toughest I have ever played for. His regimented style and intense training schedule provided me with a great platform to elevate my game. It was also very rewarding to see the team improve as the summer progressed, and we had a very successful season. I think every single player on the team got better as a result of Coach Bingham’s influence. Broyles: That’s kind of a tough question to answer. Obviously, my parents have always supported my baseball goals, and I have been lucky enough to play for some of the best coaches like Dave Bingham, Casey Rowlett, Scott Gallagher, and Vance Arnold. However, I would have to say my older brother, Franco, has had the biggest impact on me as a player. Franco competed at the D1 level and is still very passionate about the game. Sometimes he can be kind of tough on me, but he is always the first person I go to when I need baseball advice. He actually lives in Dallas now, which is another reason why I chose DBU. Broyles: Related Content
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