The Nebraska baseball staff continues to work ahead to fill future recruiting classes, and they recently garnered the commitment of Fargo, N.D., shortstop prospect Tommy Simon.
"Since I started my recruiting a few years ago, Nebraska has been on the top of my list," Simon shared. "I kind of narrowed it down to schools in the Midwest, and then I attended two camps at Nebraska.
"After the second one, they gave me their offer. I let it sink in for a week or two and then I pulled the trigger."
Simon, who both throws and bats right-handed, attended a Husker baseball camp in November, and then returned in January to Lincoln for a prospects camp. Last season, he estimated that he had a .919 fielding percentage and a batting average of .250.
"The first portion of the camp was at the Alex Gordon facility and the batting cages," Simon relayed. "We hit at two stations and I did well, and after that we moved to the Hawks center, the big indoor football facility.
"That's where we fielded and threw, and I was fielding really well. That's probably the best part of my game right now. The coaches liked it. Then, we got a tour of all the facilities: the football stadium, the baseball locker room, the weight room, the nutrition room, and the sports lab."
Seeing everything Nebraska's baseball program had to offer him, Simon knew Lincoln would be the best fit for him in college.
"It sounds kind of funny, but the place they eat at stood out to me the most," Simon stated. "They have almost everything you can imagine there. They have different [stations] for meat, they have ice cream bars, they have everything you want. Also, they have a Division I weight room and it would be unreal to lift in there.
"But I think most importantly about my decision is that I would feel comfortable going there. It's in the Midwest and it's close to home. They are also a winning team. They won the Big Ten last year, and all the guys I met among the coaching staff and players were really nice. They were fun to be around and something I know I will be glad to be a part of."
Simon was also considering interest from Iowa, North Dakota State, and a few junior colleges. The 6-foot and 170-pound Simon was recruited by Nebraska as a middle infielder as he plays shortstop for Shanley high school.
"Defensively, I have been working on that for years and trying to master my craft," Simon said. "I have good hands, I get rid of the ball quick, and I get my feet in good position. For hitting, I'm more of a contact guy. I like to get hits and steal bases. I'm also working on the power component of my game.
"Mentally and emotionally, I don't get down on myself. I think that's an important part of anyone's game. I was a four-sport guy in high school, but once I committed myself to baseball fully, I started to drop one every year. This will be my first year playing baseball only. I used to play football, basketball and hockey, too."
Simon is an avid college baseball fan and he attended the CWS in Omaha last year. He got to see the Vanderbilt vs. Stanford and Texas vs. Mississippi State games.
Simon is the second verbal pledge to NU's baseball class of 2024, joining prior commit RHP/3B J’shawn Unger from Blair, Nebraska.
