"It's more about quality of reps over quantity."
From High School to MIT: John Spivey’s Baseball Journey!
Ever wondered what it takes to play college baseball at MIT? 🧠⚾ John Spivey, a Rawlings Tigers alum, reveals the grit behind balancing elite academics and athletics—don’t miss his recruiting hacks that got him noticed!
Join Spiker on this Rawlings Tigers podcast episode as he sits down with John Spivey, a Tigers alum now thriving at MIT. From St. Louis to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, John shares his journey of chasing a dream school while excelling on the field. Discover how he navigated the recruiting process for high-academic schools, tackled a 9-point ACT gap, and balanced chemical engineering with baseball. John opens up about the intense workload at MIT, using baseball as a mental reset, and the sacrifices—like skipping social media and TV—to stay focused. He also reflects on how the Tigers shaped his love for the game and offers actionable recruiting advice for young players aiming for top schools in 2025. This episode is packed with insights for middle school and high school athletes dreaming big!
Timestamps (Chapters):
0:00 - Introduction
1:33 - Life at MIT: Balancing Academics and Baseball
4:52 - Recruiting Journey: High School to MIT
7:06 - Navigating High-Academic Schools
10:00 - Sacrifices for Success
16:10 - Academic Requirements for MIT and Ivy Leagues
19:48 - Recruiting Timeline Challenges
25:16 - Extracurriculars and Essays in Admissions
31:36 - Managing Baseball and Academics at MIT
39:15 - Sleep Struggles and Time Management
43:42 - Study Hacks for MIT Workload
53:05 - How Rawlings Tigers Shaped John’s Journey
1:01:19 - Recruiting Advice: Be Persistent
1:09:14 - Outro
