Welcome to Rogue Baseball’s college commitment blog, which we will put out periodically when our players have committed to play baseball at the collegiate level! The purposes of this blog are twofold. The first and most important purpose is to highlight athletes who have spent thousands of hours and many years training at Rogue Baseball Performance and/or playing for Colorado Rogue Baseball Club, and share this accomplishment and their journey. The second purpose, is for the next generation of aspiring college baseball players (and their families) to learn from each of these paths, and become better informed about the recruiting process and how truly different it is for each player. Players in this blog are not just headed to big Division 1 schools, but instead will end up in baseball programs at all levels of college baseball, programs which they feel will be the right fit for them and allow them to further their education and baseball careers.
Elijah’s development leading to his commitment to CSU-Pueblo this spring is a huge source of pride for the coaching staff at Rogue Baseball, as we have gotten to witness his incredible growth over the last couple of years. Elijah first came to us looking for a strong, structured throwing program that would help him meet his goals, which as you will read below, were to play college baseball. It didn’t take long for him to go full send, and dive into everything that we are doing at Rogue, including training in our HS group hitting program and playing for us at Colorado Rogue Baseball Club, which he will do one more time this summer before heading to Pueblo. Elijah had a huge summer at the plate in 2020, and set multiple program records including Slugging Percentage (.736), OPS (1.227) and Batting Average (.434), in addition to his 3 home runs which is good for 2nd in program history. While things didn’t quite click for him on the bump as he continued to work on intent, Elijah has since made huge strides as a pitcher and has a bright future there. His first peak mound fastball velocity coming to us was 84.2 at the beginning of 2020, and by December he hit the magic 90 MPH, a huge milestone for any pitcher.
While the notes above show how Elijah has progressed as an athlete, the real pride for us as coaches is his willingness to go all in on the process and take ownership of his goals and development. Elijah is as good as we have seen at taking the feedback he receives and using it to make meaningful changes. He constantly is hounding us for videos and information about his performance, so he can use it for his next training session or game and asks good relevant questions about things he doesn’t understand. In addition for his desire for improvement, Elijah’s character is outstanding and he has become a leader in our program and our facility for the players around him. He is a great teammate and his work ethic and leadership make the guys around him better, one of the highest compliments an athlete can receive.
We are lucky to have had the chance to train and coach Elijah, so please read below and get his perspective on his recruiting process and the things that have allowed him to get to this point in his career!
Name: Elijah Borjas
College Commitment: Colorado State University – Pueblo (NCAA DII)
Positions: RHP, 1B, 3B
High School: Lakewood High School – Class of 2021
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 210 lbs.
Rogue: Congrats on your commitment! How does it feel knowing that you are going to have a chance to play college baseball?
Elijah Borjas: It is like a dream come true. I’ve always dreamed about going to the next level to play and now it’s here.
R: When did you make the decision that you wanted to play college baseball? What motivated you?
EB: Since I was a young kid. My family is what motivated me mostly. Most my family didn’t get the chance to go to college or even finish highschool and hearing them talk about how they regret it and wish they made better decisions or talking to me about going to college it motivated me more than anything.
R: What specifically have you done throughout high school that put you on the path to playing in college? What were your biggest priorities?
EB: I think it was just practicing and lifting. Those were the main things that helped me. And my midset had to change in order to get where I am today.
R: Tell us about the recruiting process. Where and when did Doane first see you play or see your skills?
EB: The first time Pueblo reached out it was last fall. They really liked what I saw and we talked on the phone for a couple weeks. Finally we set up a virtual visit and that is when I got the offer
R: What did they like about you as a player, and how do they see you fitting into their program?
EB: They liked they I was still growing and that I had a lot more potential.
R: What attracted you to Doane and their baseball program?
EB: The fact the they said I was for sure going to play and how much they wanted me. It really made me feel like they could even get me to the next level.
R: How long before they offered you, and how long until you committed? Were you talking to other schools as well when you decided to commit?
EB: It took a couple week to offer me. And it took me a couple months to commit Becasue I wanted to get to my to the top of my game by the end of the winter.
R: Now that you are committed, what are your biggest priorities between now and when you head to campus?
EB: Get even better and stinger so I don’t look like a baby when I get out there.
R: What is your advice to younger players with college baseball aspirations?
EB: I would tell them go to Rogue Baseball and listen to what the coaches have to say. And also just find something that motivates you. Whether it’s just for your own good. Or maybe you know someone that can’t play baseball. It will make it a lot better and easier on you if you find something to work for.
