Jake Koeper '19 Recruiting Profile

My name is Jake Koeper, I am from Santa Barbara and graduated from Bishop Diego High School. I am currently a catcher at Santa Barbara City College. I am a junior academically with a 3.65 GPA and plan to get my AA at the end of 2022 spring semester. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic I am a Covid freshman and after this year will have 3 years of eligibility left. I have grown up in a pretty athletic family. My dad played college baseball at Saint Mary’s College and played minor league baseball at the high A level. My grandfather played in the minor leagues for the Superior Senators. 

Growing Up I was a multi sport athlete playing baseball, basketball, soccer, and football. My parents are big proponents of playing multiple sports at a young age and not just focusing on one. However, baseball has always been my passion and I have always wanted to play college baseball. Throughout Little League I was always one of the better players and I would play whatever position coaches needed me to play because of my athletic ability. Like my dad, I was a late bloomer physically,  making me one of the smaller kids on my high school teams. It wasn’t until my sophomore year of high school where I started to grow and was able to play catcher competitively. I have always loved to catch, because as a catcher you're like the quarterback, calling the shots and involved in every pitch. 

 During the summer months of my youth, my family would host college players for the Santa Barbara Foresters, who play in the California Collegiate league. Being that baseball is my passion, I would spend most of my summers in the Foresters dugout watching and learning how to play baseball from those at a higher level. Being able to experience baseball at that level while at a young age has helped me develop a high baseball IQ, which is one of my strengths when I am behind the plate.