I can only share how my PO son has been handled, so may vary by team. Like your son, my kid was a two-way but when it became obvious, he made the switch. He had a knee injury that we also wanted to protect, so made the decision for him easier. He found out that he loves baseball even more now. At practice he gets to focus on his own development and the daily pressure to hit has been removed. My responses:
- Totally depends on the pitcher. My son is a primary starter for his travel team. So he usually pitches the first or second game of pool for 2-3 innings (this works in the longer PG events, not so much for weekend events). He sometimes will come in to close out a game in pool. But then he's lined up to start in bracket with the other 1-2 primary starters. But there are numerous PO's who can relieve at any time, subject to any pitch count restrictions. I would consult with your travel coach to see what he has in mind for your son.
- My son goes to every game. He can wear shorts when he's not scheduled to pitch, but it's still important to throw on off days, and being a part of the team is a part of the experience. I wouldn't want it any other way. We're fortunate to play locally much of the time, but he also stays to the end when we go out of town. Remember, coaches are looking as much at players when they are NOT playing as when they are. I have a great story from last summer that I previously shared that backs that statement up 100%!
- It's hard for a pitcher to mix in showcases during the middle of the travel season. But coaches know the players are in it to get noticed by schools, so my guess is so long as you give the coach notice, he'll work around it. We just focused on doing them before or after the main travel season. Position players have a much easier time managing this problem.