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Or maybe my misconceptions of their strategies?  Or maybe this approach applies to other positions?  I take it that RHP's are a just about "a dime a dozen" and that significant college pitching potential might be better judged later in the HS career.  (Also, as a father of a RHP.)  Is this the general approach?

1.  Early big offers to super-studs, ie rising HS sophomores or maybe even earlier--few and far between.

2.  Low ball offers to sophomore/rising juniors who are "studly" and anxious to get their name on a competitive college team (read D1).

3.  Wait around till late junior year/rising senior year and feel out what's left in the high school ranks and see who comes calling.

4.  Pick someone up late HS senior year if you need another body.

Overall, I think my point is that colleges don't have an urgency in securing the RHP. 

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I've been through this twice with two RHP sons.  One fit the "stud" category you laid out, the other one not.

 

I think the colleges' strategies are pretty simple.

  1. Find and identify talent.
  2. Once found and once convinced, make offer.  The offer depends on the economics of it all, that is, an RHP that is expected to be in high demand will get better offers.

Everyone is looking for the hidden or non-traditional gem.  If they find one, they will move on him (younger son probably fit that profile and several found him early).  The timing of that could be the same (and was for us) as the super-studs.

 

Your strategy should be:

  1. Make sure your son focuses more on grades than baseball (there are more academic scholarships than baseball ones).
  2. Get your son in front of coaches, let them evaluate.
  3. Keep things in perspective.  Don't add too much pressure.  Enjoy watching your son play baseball.
  4. If one of the "right schools" comes along with an offer, don't play games with them.
Last edited by justbaseball

As the dad of a "sub 6 footer" RHP, i would agree with jb on the talent. After that, i think the "projectiblity" aspect comes into play and fit into their rotation or teams needs. My son didn't fit the projectibility and it came down to velo, his cb and mound presence. Out of the 4 campus visits and calls with 3 other big D1 coaches....his tempo and mound presence was a common thread among all of the conversations. This was all AFTER he went from 86-88 to 89-92, touching 93 between sophmore and junior year. I know there are lots of opinions on velo being the benchmark or gating item on interest......for my son it was. He was basically invisible when throwing 86-88 as a RHP. He is very fortunate to be committed to play D1 ACC baseball next year and i credit his desire to be better and stronger by working his tail off in the weight room.

Originally Posted by nas9005:

I take it that RHP's are a just about "a dime a dozen" 

As parents of a position player, our feeling is that it is a "pitcher's world".   Half of son's college roster are pitchers (plus, check any MLB roster).  During the recruiting process, many times it felt as if the position players were there just to back up the pitchers and to have players out there just so there would a game.

 

justbaseball gave great advice.  And remember, you only need ONE offer.

 

And those offers can come in a variety ways.  Not all schools are fully funded.  D3s don't have athletic scholarships, but many have generous "other" money.  If someone says "full ride", just nod...they are very very rare (but do exist).  Many folks mistakenly believe that "scholarship" means full ride.  I heard it this weekend at a funeral. There also seems to be money available late in the recruiting process for "one more good pitcher".  Not so for position players.

 

I had a mentor that I tapped for questions along my son's journey, before I found this site.  Her son is now in the milb, who went to a very prestigious school, academic and baseball-wise.  As good as a player he was in HS, she shared with me that he received a 25% scholly his first year.  ANY scholarship is good!

 

You may have to readjust if you are planning a baseball scholarship to fund your son's higher education.  My son would have played for free, anywhere.  And we needed to be prepared for that.

My son was looked at by 4 or 5 D1's this past summer.  3 saw him as a second  baseman....2 as a pitcher.  He is a 6', 165# RHP....with good power at the plate.  He hit 87 this summer.  He committed to a school that originally saw him as a pitcher....but after seeing him play very well, and hit very well, told him he would have "every opportunity to play INF if that's what he wants".  The coach said adding 3-5 mph by the time he gets on the field in the spring of 2016 is a very realistic goal.

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