Brock Herrod always had a dream of playing collegiately. The trouble being Herrod was physically a late bloomer and he knew it.

Brock Herrod at the June 2015 College PREP event

Herrod, a 2017 catcher/second baseman from Lost Creek, WV, came to the Baseball Factory via a College PREP event held in Charleston, WV in June of 2015, having finished his sophomore campaign at 5-foot-6 and 130 pounds. That didn’t stop Brock from making the most of his opportunities.

“After seeing the talent present that day, I knew I needed to work harder and had a long way to go,” Brock explains.

What he lacked in physical size, he more than made up in baseball IQ, skill set and the determination after that first event to get better and raise his game to new heights – even if he didn’t exactly match up in body size with his peers.

“At the Factory event, he saw kids bigger and stronger,” said Dean Herrod, Brock’s father. “Because of the tryout, he was able to compare the raw numbers he saw on his evaluation versus what the other kids were doing. He knew he wanted to play collegiate baseball, but was a long way away from doing that. It basically struck a nerve with him.”

For Brock, it was the opportunity to see his skill set from the PREP video, the real goal of seeing his numbers jump up at the Player Development event he attended to give him something to work towards, coupled with advice and push from Baseball Factory coaches that helped fuel his fire.

“I would highly recommend to guys who are serious about playing college baseball to attend a College PREP event with the Factory,” Brock said. “I thought the Factory experience was awesome and my Player Page gave me a serious outlook on what I needed to improve on.”

The Factory page and his Pop Time, Exit Velocities and other measurables, Dean explains, “Helped him along as he was able to continually go back to those original numbers and help compare to see how far he had come.”

Couple that with Brock’s body transformation and the dedication and work ethic he displayed and his father says seeing him at the first event to what he looks like now, he doesn’t even look like the same kid. Now, 18 months later, Herrod has grown three inches and bulked up to 175 pounds as he gets ready for his senior season in 2017.

The push to get better started long before this past year and his previous work with the Baseball Factory.

Herrod playing for his Hawks high school team.

For the last six years, Herrod has worked on his catching with Alan Robbins of the Philadelphia Phillies, a former 32nd round selection of the Phillies out of Winthrop University in 2006, who spent three minor league seasons in the organization before retiring in 2010. Robbins has helped Brock behind the plate, spending day after day working on a long toss program that Baseball Factory helped guide Brock into after seeing him at Pirate City. He continues to use it to this day.

Brock turned to the gym, spending countless hours building his body, working out five-to-six days a week on the long toss program, along with agility drills, specific baseball weight training and running. If Brock couldn’t get a workout completed in the afternoon, he woke up early in the morning before school to get the workout in.

“I never had to push him one bit,” said Dean. “His drive and determination speaks for itself. I truly believed he was a marginal Division III player if even that before he started his junior season. But because of the effort in the gym and on the diamond, he basically took off.”

Brock improved dramatically behind the plate and is one of the top catchers in West Virginia.

Brock saw a tremendous jump in his game from a statistical standpoint after putting in the work prior to this past season. After it was said and done, Brock was ranked No. 38 overall in the state of West Virginia and the No. 5 catcher in the entire state. He hit the trifecta with All-County, All-Conference and All-State selections. Defensively, he led South Harrison High School in fielding percentage, and was the No. 1 rated defensive catcher in the conference. 

The development has been tangible – an off-the-charts type of transformation. It’s a direct reflection of the drive and determination that one needs to reach a goal that Brock set for himself when his High School career started.

“In my senior season next spring, personally, I once again want to make All-Conference and All-State,” Brock proclaims. “I’d like to see my offensive stats continue to improve as I’ve put in a lot of cage work and swing mechanics.”

Dean, remembers a specific piece of advice from a Baseball Factory coach at Baseball Factory’s Select Training & Competition last November in Pirate City that Brock continues to carry with him today.

“He was told to “Never fear failure and to always strive to reach his fullest potential in life regardless of what that is.” Brock still brings that quote up to this very day. His experience at Pirate City was something he never forgot,” his Dad said. “It gave him structure in his development, structure he still utilizes and attributes in his approach to a workout or game to this very day.”

Brock blossomed at Pirate City last November, lowering his pop time behind the plate from 2.30 at the PREP event to a 2.21 in Bradenton with quick release, clean transfer and accuracy on his throws. Coaches and scouts alike noted his mental makeup, natural leadership and the want-to of being the very best player he could be. He soaked up the experience like a sponge.

Brock recalls Pirate City as one of the best baseball experiences he’s ever had both on and off the field.

“From a baseball standpoint, it showed me how to structure my training and where I wanted that part to take me. My parents sent me to Pirate City by myself. It showed me great responsibility and gave me the opportunity to meet a great group of guys from around the country who I still communicate with.”

He’s utilized everything that Baseball Factory has to offer; Brock is a constant on his personal player page, which features his video from the College PREP event as well as his evaluations from both events he attended. The page became a tool to market himself as a potential option for college coaches all across the nation.

According to Dean, his son received five official offers from colleges in three different states who were interested in his talent. Ultimately, it took one visit to powerhouse Division II school, Alderson Broaddus University for him to know exactly what he wanted both academically and athletically.

“I chose Alderson Broaddus University mainly because of the success of the baseball program,” Brock said. “Coach (Matt) Yurish is a great guy and I immediately felt like that was the place I needed to be. The campus is beautiful, I felt comfortable socially and it’s great academically.”

In the end, Brock’s journey circles back to the very first opportunity he experience on that June morning in Charleston. His Dad summed things up well.

“He attributes all of this to his very first outing with you guys,” Dean explains. “It showed him the possibilities but he knew he needed to work hard to earn it. His dream has become reality because of dedication and good people steering him in the right direction. Baseball Factory started this journey for Brock and we’re just so very blessed that he had that opportunity to be able to reach his dream of playing collegiate baseball at a high level.”