The Process of Recruiting: How College Coaches Build a Team

“We are not just collecting talent, we are building teams. Evaluation is a balance of what we see with our eyes, feel in our gut, and what the numbers tell us.”

– Coach Macdonald, Indiana Wesleyan University Baseball

The road to a college baseball roster spot has never been more competitive. The players filling out rosters are the ones who not only have the skill set required, but who also have a better understanding of how to navigate the recruiting process.

How big of an advantage would it give you to have access to a college coach who was willing to spell out their exact process for finding, evaluating, and recruiting players? It turns out that resource already exists. In addition to our college coach-driven resources aimed at spelling out the recruiting process, and others who are doing the same, one college baseball recruiting coordinator decided over a year ago to pull back the curtains on his program’s process for evaluating and recruiting players in a big way.

Meet Ian Macdonald, an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Indiana Wesleyan University baseball team. Prior to his time in Indiana, Coach Macdonald was in a similar role at University of Charleston (West Virginia), where he started pulling back the curtain on his process for finding and evaluating recruits. Coach Macdonald has done a huge favor to recruits and high school baseball parents who are serious about trying to understand what it takes to play at the college level.

Several years ago, through his website which has since been taken down, Coach Macdonald broke down every element of IWU’s process for finding future players. From IWU’s process for finding and evaluating players to tips for in-person evaluation, and everything in-between, this account of the recruiting process from the perspective of the college coach spared no detail. Simply put, it was a must-bookmark resource for every serious college baseball recruit.

While the website may no longer be active, that doesn’t mean Coach Macdonald has stopped providing transparency and education on the recruiting process for all who want to take the time to learn. His Twitter threads are a goldmine of information, a must-follow for any serious recruit. The threads echo what was shared on his website.

Whether you have interest in Indiana Wesleyan or not, Coach Macdonald’s resources will benefit you as a recruit (or parent of a recruit) and leave you in a better position to understand the recruiting process and find your college baseball fit.

Here’s more from Coach Macdonald on why he created the website:

“Over the years, much of what I have learned about evaluation & recruiting has come from conversations with other college coaches and scouts. Free, publicly available information & resources on the subject is limited.

The purpose of this project is to document, share, and connect. To document what I am learning about evaluation & recruiting, to share what I am learning with others, and to connect with coaches, instructors, and scouts willing to share information, resources, and experiences.

No two programs are the same. We all identify, evaluate, and recruit players differently. This project includes excerpts from our staff’s System for Evaluation & Recruiting. Our system is ever-evolving (and we hope, improving).

I hope this project brings value to you, the reader — whether a player, parent, or coach. If you have any questions about the contents of the website, or if I can help you in any way, please do not hesitate to email me: ian.macdonald@indwes.edu.”

Check out Coach Macdonald’s Twitter.