By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – For the ninth consecutive year, the Tennessee Tech baseball team played host to multiple Major League Baseball teams with its annual Pro Scout Night Tuesday evening, opening the gates and doors to Bush Stadium at the Averitt Express Baseball Complex to scouts from the highest level of professional baseball.
"These nights are always fun," head coach Matt Bragga explained. "It's great for our guys because it adds a different element to how they prepare and how they perform. I remember back when I played ball and scouts would show up for an event like this. It truly does change the atmosphere and change the way the guys play.
Seven of the 10 organizations that made the 2016 MLB Playoffs sent representation to the event, including the Cleveland Indians, Chicago Cubs, Washington Nationals, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles. Overall, nearly half of the big league clubs were represented while taking a deep look at the talent of the Golden Eagle roster.
And Bragga knows the impact on his team is huge.
"We can sit here all day and say 'oh, well they're people just like you and me,' but our guys have grown up watching Major League Baseball. I would say just about every young man on our team wants to play professional baseball, but they are also smart enough to know that the odds are stacked against not only them, but also anyone that has ever donned a uniform.
"Because of that, when a scout shows up, it provides a game-like element to how our players play because the pressure is on. They know they need to perform. And these guys have dreamed about it their whole life. Some of them will get that opportunity and some will not. But to get the chance to perform in front of a Major League Baseball team, that's a really big deal. During the season, when scouts show up, sometimes you don't even realize they are there. But last night, every one of our players knew all eyes were on them, from multiple Major League teams.
While providing a chance to be noticed by the top teams in the industry certainly benefits the players, Bragga noted perhaps the most impactful result of the entire event comes from the game-like atmosphere.
"That's one of the great values from our Pro Scout Night, especially from a practice standpoint. We can scrimmage and intersquad all day long and it's good. It gets us better. But when can add the element of those professional baseball teams being there, the ante goes up. And anytime the ante goes up and pressure is up, it simulates game-like action. So when we're able to get that in the fall, it is just incredibly valuable to our team. It's just such a great night for our program, both for our guys and from a recruiting standpoint. Any time you can have multiple MLB teams show up, it's a good night for us."
Photos by Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information