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I think I had incorrectly mentioned that my son would be placed with the NYCBL. As it turns out, he signed his LOI contract yesterday to play next summer for the Jamestown Jammers of the PGCBL. I am looking for any relevant experiences or advise for the kid. We planned to visit for a week during the season, but man, it looks like the teams are fairly spread out. It also looks like they use host families.

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Contact Red Fish Fool. His son was there this past summer.

Why are you signing your son up to play college summer ball before he even goes to college?  

Send him to summer school to start classes, and work with the strength trainer, get stronger, get orientated with school.  

Most college pitchers who play college summer ball are given time off in the fall. Freshman need fall instruct and practice more than anyone.

Don't let anyone make you think he needs to play, even if he isn't pitching.

JMO

Last edited by TPM

My 2016 played in the Perfect Game League the summer before his freshman year...he wanted so see what college competition would be like before he got on campus. Admittedly, he wasn't a pitcher, but he had a great experience, had a wonderful host family, learned how to navigate a clubhouse of new teammates and older players--made the All-Star team and was named All-League.

He also came on campus with enough AP credits to get a head start academically and is on pace to graduate in three years. He was All-Conference Academic...if he's there for all four years, he could be a grad student.

There are many paths out there...

Hey Root, sounds fun.

Son was assigned to a team in this league a few years ago, along with three or four of his D2 teammates.  We did some league research and most teams have solid history and decent following.  Not one of the top leagues as far as high level players but strong enough that he'll get a good dip in the water.  Ultimately, son and his teammates (and their college coach) had issues because costs kept rising from the time they signed contracts so they eventually backed out.  But this was isolated with this team and the team is no longer in the league. 

Jamestown doesn't get huge crowds but several of the other teams in the league draw 1K plus.  Mostly rural upstate NY towns.  Jamestown is the geographic outlier and some of those bus rides will be on the long side.  NY lakes region in the summer for a month or so doesn't suck.  Half a season there sounds like an ideal intro to college summer ball.  Do be aware of costs, however.  The league seemed to be on the high side relative to other summer college leagues.  For us, though, the kid would cost us more staying at home just with the increased grocery bill.

I think the important thing is to clarify and double check what role will be and what the plan would be for innings.  That expense, time commitment and travel would be a shame if he ended up with virtually no innings or was put in harm's way with lack of rest between appearances.

Last edited by cabbagedad
roothog66 posted:

No, just academically. He will have completed his associates degree by the time he graduates high school. He had the credits needed to graduate last year and were approached about reclassifying him as a 2017, but he had no interest in that.

Thanks for this. I was literally just about to ask if the NCAA had any problems with programs that allow students to simultaneously graduate from high school and also earn their associate's degree. Obviously there is no issue. Great to hear!

This is a pretty strong league.  Jamestown was ranked 25th in the nation in overall summer collegiate rankings.  Amsterdam was ranked 7th.  Neither team won the league.  That was the Mohawk valley diamond dawgs.    My son played in this league last year.  The top teams will have arms and players from Universities of Virginia.  South Carolina, clemson,  Miss. State, Ky, Louisville, big ten, acc, and sec.  It will also have teams that are comprised of d2 and d3 talent.  Your longest drive will be 5 hours for one game.  Most games are within 2-3 hour drive range.

As in any league. Do your due diligence on the teams. As CoachMarch points out. There are differences in the level each team recruits from. I am not trying to diminish the teams that are D2 and D3 focused. But in every league there are well run teams and not so well run. (Cape and maybe Northwoods might be exceptions here.) 

The PGCBL is a newer league, but most of these teams played in the old NYCBL, so have been around for a while. Some of the teams have moved back and forth between the two leagues. 

I find it interesting that the league is admitting promising, rising Freshmen, before they have even stepped on campus. Good for them. There has been some pent up demand for that. Always quite a few conversations on this site about it. 

BishopLeftiesDad posted:

As in any league. Do your due diligence on the teams. As CoachMarch points out. There are differences in the level each team recruits from. I am not trying to diminish the teams that are D2 and D3 focused. But in every league there are well run teams and not so well run. (Cape and maybe Northwoods might be exceptions here.) 

The PGCBL is a newer league, but most of these teams played in the old NYCBL, so have been around for a while. Some of the teams have moved back and forth between the two leagues. 

I find it interesting that the league is admitting promising, rising Freshmen, before they have even stepped on campus. Good for them. There has been some pent up demand for that. Always quite a few conversations on this site about it. 

Yeah, if you browse the rosters, there are a LOT of freshmen in this league.

cabbagedad posted:
BishopLeftiesDad posted:

As in any league. Do your due diligence on the teams. As CoachMarch points out. There are differences in the level each team recruits from. I am not trying to diminish the teams that are D2 and D3 focused. But in every league there are well run teams and not so well run. (Cape and maybe Northwoods might be exceptions here.) 

The PGCBL is a newer league, but most of these teams played in the old NYCBL, so have been around for a while. Some of the teams have moved back and forth between the two leagues. 

I find it interesting that the league is admitting promising, rising Freshmen, before they have even stepped on campus. Good for them. There has been some pent up demand for that. Always quite a few conversations on this site about it. 

Yeah, if you browse the rosters, there are a LOT of freshmen in this league.

I had not gone that far. But I wonder if this will become a freshmen dominated league and upper classmen gravitating/being sent to other leagues. Not sure my son would have been thrilled being a Rising Junior or Senior and being in a league with many rising Freshmen. 

BishopLeftiesDad posted:
cabbagedad posted:
BishopLeftiesDad posted:

As in any league. Do your due diligence on the teams. As CoachMarch points out. There are differences in the level each team recruits from. I am not trying to diminish the teams that are D2 and D3 focused. But in every league there are well run teams and not so well run. (Cape and maybe Northwoods might be exceptions here.) 

The PGCBL is a newer league, but most of these teams played in the old NYCBL, so have been around for a while. Some of the teams have moved back and forth between the two leagues. 

I find it interesting that the league is admitting promising, rising Freshmen, before they have even stepped on campus. Good for them. There has been some pent up demand for that. Always quite a few conversations on this site about it. 

Yeah, if you browse the rosters, there are a LOT of freshmen in this league.

I had not gone that far. But I wonder if this will become a freshmen dominated league and upper classmen gravitating/being sent to other leagues. Not sure my son would have been thrilled being a Rising Junior or Senior and being in a league with many rising Freshmen. 

I found 21 in the league last season. That comes out to less than two per roster, so I wouldn't call that "many."

Albany had 15 freshman alone.  a couple were RS Freshman.  I counted 18 between jamestown and Adirondack.   Here is Albanies roster. http://www.pgcbl.com/rosters/dutchmen/    Its not really important, I am not trying to show you up, just wanted to show there are a lot of frosh.  But most leagues are this way except the Cape, Coastal, and Northwoods.  They kind of want proven commodities there.

Last edited by Coachmarcohioelite

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