I think the most important part of high school baseball is the relationship the players have with their teammates and the pride they take in representing their schools. That does not get replaced by the fact that the highly competitive baseball on the state and national levels begins in the summer. Playing with the guys you grew up with through Little League, middle school and then through the high school levels is a bond that means something special to the young players.
And scouts find their way to high school baseball games even in New Jersey if there are players to evaluate. My son's teammate two seasons ago was AFLAC All-American Chris Jenkins (Stanford). I attended a pre-season scrimmage and saw eight or nine scouts behind the backstop in 45-degree bitter March weather. Each time he pitched that season, you could count on a dozen or more pro scouts at every game. Obviously colleges rely on the summer schedules more heavily to recruit, since the college and high school seasons are concurrent.