College recruiters put their best teams forward

Outfielder Aaron Funk catches a ball during practice Jan. 23 at Clay Gould Ballpark. Funk said he is excited to be back for his last season at UTA.The process of recruiting players for college athletics, regardless of sport, has drastically changed over the past ten years.

Division I baseball is no different. But in spite of the rapid change, recruiting is still the lifeblood of any program. And the ability to persuade players into coming to your school is an essential part of putting together a successful team.

“I think about [recruiting] every day,” said assistant coach Fuller Smith, who heads the recruiting duties for UTA’s baseball team. “At some point, in some fashion, I’m doing…