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Hey all. I've been completely overwhelmed with this whole recruiting process, as I am basically going about it on my own. I am the only kid in my family that plays baseball, so parent are not much of a help aside from the ever-lasting moral support. I recently finished my first showcase, and got back a whole bunch of data that really does not mean much to me, as I have no idea how to put it into context. First of all, I just finished my Sophomore year with a 3.6 GPA and a 30 ACT while taking a combined 1 AP and 3 Honors courses my first two years. Next year I will be in 4 APs so we will see how that goes. Baseball wise, I ran a 7.2 60 yard dash at the most recent showcase, but I have been timed at 7 or a hair under in the past. Additionally, I topped at 82 MPH Arm speed, but I think with a little hard work I could reach 85 this summer. My bat exit speed with wood off of a tee was around 83 MPH, which I also believe could be improved with some good work over the summer. Essentially, I have no idea how to put these numbers to use, and which level I should be targeting recruiting wise. I want to play at the highest possible level I can, and i figure that the members here at HSbballweb can help me much more than any person I know right now. Thanks in advance!

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Based on the information next summer is probably going to be more important. I'm guessing you're a D3 candidate. Talk to your high school and summer ball coach for an assessment on where you fit.

 

For next summer make a list of D3s you might want to attend. Contact the coaches. Find out where to get in front if them. Find the right travel team for D3s in the region (OH to New England).

Last edited by RJM

Warrior, you are correct.  States have no right to tell you not to take any test, and ACT is happy to issue the test to anyone 6th grade and up.

 

Agree with RJM. Based on what you've posted here and in the past you seem to me like a D3 prospect.  If you keep that GPA up and you can get a few more points the next time you take the ACT you should have a lot of options next year.

No age limit here to take the ACT. Have a kid here that took in the 8th grade and scored a 31. Wasn't satisfied and took again Freshman year and scored a 34. Has several offers for full ride academic. My son is also a 2017 and scored a 21 first try early in Soph year. Most scored up to an 18 same age. My understand standing is he needs to get into mid 20's to get some help academically. That being said I'd say your score is solid. Low 80's as a 2017 is not bad & don't see how you'd be limited to D3. Lots of room to increase over next couple of years. Good luck to you. Work hard & the sky is the limit.

Thank you so much for all the responses, always know I can count on hsbballweb for some help. I play mainly in the outfield but have pitched from time to time due to severe need for my summer team, though I do not plan on continuing that. I plan on retaking the ACT again in September or maybe a little later as I did quite poorly on Math and a little lower on Science than I would have liked. Again, thank you for all of the advice so far and hopefully I can achieve my goal of playing baseball in college somewhere!  

warriorbaseball1,

 

You need not rely so heavily on the sort of numbers you've posted here to help you determine your level of baseball "fit." If you know someone in your area who has a deep background in the game and whose business it's been to routinely evaluate players, there's nothing wrong with approaching that person and asking him to evaluate you; whether it's in an upcoming game situation or in a private workout.

 

People who fit this description can often be found having some affiliation with baseball academies. Chances are that they'll have someone on staff who can do it, or they'll know highly regarded baseball people in the area to whom you can be referred.

 

If you choose this route, try to make sure that the person doing the evaluation has every reason to be objective. For example, it probably shouldn't be a coach who wants to add you to his roster.

 

Best of luck to you!

What is your primary position?  Throw and bat right or left?  Height/Weight?   Your numbers are at or above where my son was at your age and he's going to a D1 this fall as a potential 2-way player.  I don't think anyone can give you a firm answer on where you may end up based on the little info you have provided.   Did you get to talk to any coaches at the showcase?  What did they say??

1) Those metrics will improve over time if you specifically work on those particular facets of your game: OF velo and the 60.

2) How's your hitting? Hit for average? power? both? 

3) Your academics are excellent, esp considering the AP and Honors courses.

4) There's a place for you at the next level, and you'll want to use baseball to open up doors for yourself.

 

Recommendations, FWIW:

a) Attend one of the Headfirst Honor Roll Camps in Long Island (early to mid-August). With your academics, you'll be able to showcase in front of some heady institutions. In addition, you'll receive solid, verifiable benchmarks for your OF velo and the 60.

b) Work your ass off from August through October, and improve on your hitting, the OF velo and the 60. Don't muck around practicing pitching. Hit at least 100 baseballs a day, even if off the tee into a net. Get into a serious lifting program, and get the required amount of protein into your body each day based on your desired weight.

c) Find the best Fall ball program you can where you can play in each game.

d) Take November and December off from throwing (at least 8 weeks), but continue to lift and swing each day, and continue to work on your speed program (don't have one? get one.)

e) Sign up for the PG Indoor Showcase that takes place in late February, and improve on your metrics.

f) Look for and tryout for the best summer team possible. Watch for those announcements...starting now. Find one that plays competitively and attends the larger events, e.g., the WWBA.

 

warriorbaseball16,

 

If you scored 30 on ACT as a sophomore and you think you can improve, then you may be a candidate for some highly selective academic institutions. Is that one of your goals?

 

One relatively inexpensive way to help you assess your baseball prospects would be to attend a camp at a high academic school this summer or fall. You are probably within a few hours drive from 2 or 3 Ivy League schools and 1 or 2 Patriot League schools. Some of these schools should offer one day camps that you could drive to. If you don't receive any interest at that level (DI), then you will probably have many options at DIII, and you can focus more toward finding the right academic fit, along with a baseball program that works for you.

 

It would also help us to know more about your summer and fall baseball. Are you playing any PG tournaments this summer? Are you playing at Diamond Nation? Both would be venues where recruiters come see kids play, mainly after having some initial contact and interest.

 

Hey Buckeye. Again, sorry for the late response but my Primary position is all the outfield spot, and generally in center. I throw and bat righty, and talked to a couple coaches but not very in depth. A couple of coaches told me I had an "exceptional BP round" but I did not read into that too much as it was just BP. Part of the problem I had with not talking to coaches had to do with the fact that I simply did not know what to say to them in person, but of course that's worthy of a whole another thread. 

Hey JoeMktg! Thank you so much for the in depth response. It is people like you who helped me realize that coming to the HSbball web community was 1000% worth it. I believe I am more of an "average" hitter, definitely not a guy who will wow you with moonshot homeruns. For example, at the showcase I attended I was given a 4 for contact (Above-Average) and a 3+ (Slightly Above Average High School Level) on the evaluation sheet by a D1 coach. Of course, most of the power he rated me on was more of gap to gap type deal, not 450 foot home runs. I definitely plan on heading to the Headfirst Honor Roll camp, one to see how my numbers stack up after a summer of hard work and two to just get in front of more coaches. Again, thank you so much for your detailed reply. 

Hey MidAtlanticDad, thank you for your reply as well. It is most definitely my goal to attend the best school I possibly can while still playing baseball. I know I am not going pro in baseball, and realize that a degree from he best school I can attend sets me up for a much brighter future out there in the working world. I do not play on a fall team as my High School basketball team is required to play in a Fall league then, and this summer I am just playing on my 19U legion team. We will be traveling to Baseball Heaven for the Fourth of July weekend, but that is the only tournament we will be playing in. 

Originally Posted by warriorbaseball16:

Hey MidAtlanticDad, thank you for your reply as well. It is most definitely my goal to attend the best school I possibly can while still playing baseball. I know I am not going pro in baseball, and realize that a degree from he best school I can attend sets me up for a much brighter future out there in the working world. I do not play on a fall team as my High School basketball team is required to play in a Fall league then, and this summer I am just playing on my 19U legion team. We will be traveling to Baseball Heaven for the Fourth of July weekend, but that is the only tournament we will be playing in. 

No need to be overwhelmed, yet. You have plenty of time. 

 

If Headfirst is within your budget, that's a great way to put yourself in front of high academic coaches. You would probably get the most benefit from Headfirst the summer after your Junior year. If you're already registered to go this summer, be sure to come away from it with a good idea of where your skill level fits (i.e. mid-DI, low DI, high-DIII, mid-DIII, low-DIII). You can waste a lot of time and money on "exposure" if you pursue schools that aren't going to recruit you. If you aren't going to Headfirst this summer, then you'll need another way to access your skill level. Considering that you are probably not playing with a team that is going to help you figure that out, camps may be the best option. Some are in August. Could you fit weekend camps into your basketball schedule in the fall?

 

Another way to get an evaluation this summer would be to attend travel team tryouts for the top teams in your area. Those are usually in August. Is East Cobb New England a top team near you? Do you know of others? It will take some work on your part to interpret the interest from these teams. For example, if someone wants you to play for their 'B' team, you are probably not a DI recruit. If you make a team, you'll have to decide whether or not you want to play with them next summer.

 

I would also encourage you to start making a list of schools that meet your non-baseball criteria (e.g. major, location, size, etc.). Don't worry about the cost just yet, because that is not at all straightforward. Keep the list to a manageable size, and use some kind of ranking system to prioritize them.

 

Hey Warrior as far as fall ball vs basketball. I completely understand as my son had the same time crunch of trying to do both at same time. My observation from your postings is that your intention is to play baseball in college and not basketball. when my son had that same realization that baseball was his best chance to play in college. He talked to basketball coach about just that.

 

his basketball coach was very understanding (maybe because he was the starting PG for 3 years) and understood that baseball came first. He did spread himself thin once in a while trying to do both but when it came to a specific showcase or playing a baseball game vs a basketball game, baseball came first. When it was HS basketball season (not working outs not a prep league for winter school ball (like your fall league I would assume))  Baseball was first since that was his ticket to participate in college.

 

Just a thought when it comes to prioritizing your fall

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