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Reply to "Stories of Late-Blooming Pitchers"

Had no idea where to post this and did not want to start a new topic for just my son....so this topic seemed like best fit. I wanted to share my son's (2018 RHP) story for no other reason then to give hope to the late blooming pitcher and his parents.Our circumstances are probably different then most but it still came down to finding someone who believed in my son and had the knowledge and skills to help him develop.

Our son was not necessarily late developing in terms of his physiological development. However, he was most definitely a late bloomer in terms of pitching including consistent top velo (without arm problems), command, along with mental skills needed to play D1 baseball. My son had always been good enough to play on a local competitive travel team during his youth ball days but NEVER had success on the mound. This carried over to HS where he spent little time on the mound due to poor command (I am talking about 7IP with 19BB and a 17.00 ERA as a frosh). Just to be fully transparent, he did start in CF/RF and had the opportunity to play a lot of baseball. However, I had enough experience to understand that his inconsistency at the plate would eventually catch up to him so we continued to try and work on developing him as a pitcher. It was slow going at best.

Fast forward to Feb, 2017 when we were approached by a recruiting service (1-man shop) after my son threw at local PBR event where he was 87-88. We were told he was on the cusp of being a D1 RHP and that it would depend on how he showed in spring 2017. My son worked his tail off, training at a local facility that was Driveline based and we even set him up with remote lessons from a very reputable pitching coach. There were a couple of games where he really shined but still inconsistent and his velocity was not improving. We were told by the same recruiter that D2 was probably best option. As the season progressed, we were told that most D2 schools (and some D1's) that had expressed interest were no longer interested or going to go the JUCO route for players. It was then that we were informed JUCO was going to be a better option. We flew out to a top 10 JUCO program where he received an offer this past summer. He was really excited about the baseball opportunity but less then thrilled with the academics. 

It was right about this time that we were connected with a pitching coach who I had never heard of but that had been highly recommended by a parent that I trusted. I could go on and on about this guy but will keep it short and say that he transformed my son in a very short period of time. He told my son that he was a D1 pitcher and to turn down the JUCO offer. I was just a little stressed but my son bought in right away and turned down the offer. He then turned down another offer the following week. I sent the new pitching coach video clips and he quickly diagnosed a timing problem. He started working with my son right away. This work also included mental training along with personal/athletic goal setting, etc. He made weekly video clips of progress. It was amazing to watch. My son even started waking up in the morning and making his bed first thing! After just 4 weeks, my son was pitching in front of a Power 5 powerhouse where he was 90-91 and touched 92 with great command. This occurred in early September. They liked him a lot but unfortunately he was going to have to wait around and hope that they lost a commit (they will for sure lose one to draft). He obviously wanted to look for other opportunities and ended up with another opportunity to throw in front of another powerhouse Power 5 program who was still looking for 1-2 arms for 2018. 

To keep this from turning into a novel...my son accepted the offer. It is definitely reaching for the stars but he has a new found confidence and if he continues to progress as he has over the last couple of months, he will fit in just fine. If not, he will know that he reached for the stars and can walk away with very few regrets!

There is more detailed info to his story so feel free to ask questions if you have any. Not sure we will have the answers but will do our best. 

I wish nothing but the best for all the hard working, dedicated HS ball players (especially the 2018's)out there right now who are fighting for a late opportunity.  Keep working hard and know that regardless of outcome, you are building a skill set that will help you long after the game ends!

 

 

 

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