Allen Smoot
"Everyone’s playing career is much shorter than they think. I remember my first day of junior college and in a blink of an eye, It was my last college game. My advice to any amateur would be, dedicate your life for the next 3-5 years to trying to be the best athlete you can be."
01
What was your experience during the recruiting process? Is there anything you wish you knew back then that you know now?
I was not recruited by any schools out of high school. Despite putting up great numbers offensively, I was not ready to play division 1 baseball. Physically, I was not strong enough to be able to compete against guys 3-4 years older than me. I attended College of San Mateo for two years before transferring to University of San Francisco.
Looking back, I wish I dedicated more time to getting much stronger while continuing to increase my flexibility and mobility.
02
How did you choose which college program you wanted to play at? Did you have multiple offers? What was your most important aspect when choosing a college program?
I chose USF because I had been around the program for a while. My dad played there and I had attended lots of games. I also chose USF because I had done my homework on the roster, incoming players, and knew I was capable of beating them out for a roster spot and opportunity to play. I had two offers, one from NC A&T and one from CSU Monterey Bay.
03
What was your favorite part of college baseball?
By far the most fun part of college baseball was meeting friends and building relationships. With all the weight lifting, practices, games, bus rides and team events, we were able to build bonds that we can remember more than any wins and losses.
04
If you had advice to provide to an amateur player looking to play college baseball and has dreams to play professionally, what would it be?
Everyone’s playing career is much shorter than they think. I remember my first day of junior college and in a blink of an eye, It was my last college game. My advice to any amateur would be, dedicate your life for the next 3-5 years to trying to be the best athlete you can be. From nutrition and hydration, sleep habits, weight lifting, agility and conditioning, and baseball development, it’s all important in trying to be the best player you can be.
If you give it everything you have, when your career is over, you will have no regrets and can look yourself in the mirror and say you gave it everything you had.
05
As you have progressed into professional baseball or your next career path; how has your experience in college baseball prepared you for your current endeavors today?
Playing college baseball was helpful before progressing into professional baseball because I had a good idea of how to take care of my body and prepare for games. In the minor leagues, there are many nights with long bus rides and getting into hotels around 3-5 am. Being able to get proper rest and fuel for the game is very important.
I learned the most important lessons from playing baseball and being a student athlete. The value of time management, attention to detail, being able to work in a team setting, communication, hard work, and competitiveness.