PABaseball and GO44Dad are 100% on the money here. None of these rules are really there for the players, they are there for the coaches. Is it silly to watch a 14 year old player? In most cases I would say yes, but if you are competing with top programs for top talent, and those other programs are doing it too...well, it’s gonna happen then.
Regarding 14 year olds selecting colleges, I know that kids have favorites from a young age, whether they are athletes or not. They may have a family tradition of attending that school, or perhaps live close or its financially advantageous. My son would have jumped on an offer to play at Vandy at age 14 if he had the skills, and I doubt there is a poster on this board who would turn that offer down. But 99.9% of us do t have to worry about that.