Smitty28 posted:TPM posted:Smitty,
JMO but the majority of the East coast coaches are not going to come west, and neither will teams for a tournament that is more of a coaches convention than anything else. JMO on that.
There is no reason to travel when most college programs are located on the east coast.
Of course that is my opinion, maybe Jerry can weigh in after the tournament.
Maybe most college programs are located on the east coast, but California probably produces more top baseball players than any state, and to participate in PG events and get on PG's radar, you have to go east. And a lot of west coast college recruiting for west coast kids happens in GA or FL. I for one would like to see more of a PG presence on the west coast. They've started adding events and showcases in recent years but I'd like to see more, and I think the market supports it. And given the ever-present rain at LakePoint events and in Jupiter, there is a case to be made to host some events in the AZ spring training facilities.
In my opinion, California kids don't need as much PG exposure. When you talk about recruiting and the West, your focus has to be almost entirely on California because no other western states develop enough D1 talent to make moving big PG events West.
The California recruiting situation also seems much different due to the overwhelming incentives scools there have in terms of a huge talent pool + in state tuition rates and state scholarship money. Most major California schools have so much talent in their back yard, and so many stay in state, that it appears there isn't as much a need for PG exposure for those kids. It is one of the few states where the old adage "if you have talent they will find YOU" still has merit.