Simko’s early recruitment process was initially set back after he pulled his hamstring during a baseball tournament in Georgia. His perseverance to compete and get his name out to college coaches was his motivation to swing the ball again. Simko believed God had a plan for him and no matter where he ended up, he would be happy.

“Going into the summer after my junior year, I was talking to a couple of schools,” Simko said. “They all kept saying the same thing, we need to see you in person. I had to wait most of the summer to be seen by those schools just because of the location they were at, and where I was playing. Until then, I would email them my hits or fielding plays from the most recent tournament that I played in. One of my biggest setbacks was during a game in Georgia. This was the biggest tournament of the summer and everyone was going to be there that was where I was going to be seen by all the schools I was talking to.”

Simko’s dedication to the sport of baseball and the support aided by his current baseball teams ultimately helped him through his recruitment process.

“I played on two teams during the summer, The Philadelphia Bellringers, and the York Revolution,” Simko said. “I traveled with them across the country during the summer and they greatly helped me. They would talk to coaches before the game or if a coach called them, they would talk to them about me.”

Drawn to the swift baseball philosophy, welcoming coaches, and excellent facilities, Simko fell in with Shenadoah University.

“The coaches were very nice and welcoming to me when I was there. I liked the way they viewed baseball and how they ran their team. The team has been very successful in the last couple of years, which appealed to me. Lastly, they have a beautiful campus!” Simko exclaimed.

Simko’s aspiration of staying ahead in his academics and leaving a baseball legacy behind helped him lay out a set of future goals.

“I would like to have a successful college baseball career, I would like to leave my mark on the team and win a championship! Also, I want to keep my academics on par with baseball,” Simko exclaimed.

Simko’s biggest piece of advice to a younger athlete is,

“Don’t wait to start reaching out to coaches, start getting into their ears,” Simko said.