RHP Jack Nobe (St. Francis Borgia) has greatly boosted his prospect stock over the last calendar year, so much so that he's now slotted within the top-10 prospects in the Missouri 2024 class and within the top-200 nationally as well.

Nobe really made a jump this winter, pumping his fastball up to 93 mph at the Rawlings Tigers Scout Day, while pitching in the low-90s with advanced arm speed and feel for a power breaking ball. He rode that momentum into the spring, helping his St. Francis Borgia squad finish as Class 5 state runner-ups as a top-tier two-way contributor. Nobe shined on the mound over a few looks this summer as well, most notably at Creekside and The Rock.

Recently, our staff spoke with Nobe on why he chose Xavier, his expecations on the recruiting process as a whole, who his toughest opponent to date has been, and we even got a brief preview on Borgia's squad for 2024. You'll find our full discourse below.

OUR Q&A

PBR: What were your expectations about the recruiting process? What were you looking for out of a college program to continue your baseball career at?

Nobe: Obviously what everyone wants is for every college calling their phone on the day they are allowed to. But for me I was expecting smaller schools to reach out to me at the time. I was looking for a small school close to home whenever the recruiting process started for me. As I grew a little more and focused on baseball a little more I was able to look at schools not just from around me.

PBR: Did location or distance from home play a factor in your decision?

Nobe: Early in the recruiting process it did but as time went on I realized distance from home didn’t really matter to me

PBR: When did the recruiting process really start to heat up for you? Where did the school you committed to first see you play?

Nobe: After the Future Games for me in 2022, I’d say around five coaches reached out from respected programs but no offers were on the table. At the end of that offseason in February of 2023 is when my velocity increased and a lot more coaches were texting and calling from great schools. At that time I found the right school to make a decision. Xavier actually didn’t see me play until after I committed. But the first time they saw me play was in Indianapolis for a tournament 

PBR: What do you like most about the program you chose, and what were the key factors in making your decision?

Nobe: Obviously the relationship with the coaching staff and a program that has a recent history of success was a big deal for me. On my visit the campus was also amazing to see and the academics that are offered are great. The team also looks like they get along great and have a brotherhood

PBR: What other schools were on your short list before you made your final decision?

Nobe: SLU, Northwestern, and Illinois were probably my main schools that I was looking at, at that time. 

PBR: Who is the best player you have faced in your state? What about them makes for a tough opponent?

Nobe: At the plate I’ve always struggled with Sam Wyrick (2024; Central Missouri signee) from Helias Catholic. Threw upper 80’s at the time I faced him with a good breaking ball. Shut me and our whole team down pretty much. Just didn’t give up many walks and threw strikes. No free base runners normally leads to success.

PBR: At what point in your career did you realize you were a college-caliber player and became serious about taking your game to the next level?

Nobe: During my youth career I thought playing college baseball was completely out of the picture. I played for fun and love of the game for the most part. Around 15U I realized others around me commit to colleges at a young age and I realized playing college baseball was possible. That offseason is when I made the biggest jump in training in order to achieve my goal of playing college baseball

PBR: What advice would you give to young baseball players striving to get where you are?

Nobe: I would say that nobody cares about your success when you’re 13 or 14 or even 15 years old. Many times poeple that were good at that time fall off and others rise to the top. Stay on your journey and trust the process

PBR: What is the most memorable moment in your baseball career to this point?

Nobe: My junior year playoff run with Borgia has been something I still don’t understand. Third seed in our district making it all the way to the state championship. Didn’t end how we wanted but the journey was unforgettable 

PBR: Preview your high school team's season for us. How do you feel your team will be?

Nobe: We’ll be pretty similar to last year which is a very good thing. We lost two seniors, one at third and the other in left field, which we’ll have to fill. However our entire pitching staff is returning with some younger kids stepping up. We have big expectations to meet I’d say.

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