RJM posted:The objective shouldn’t be to attempt to accumulate college baseball offers. The objective should be to obtain offers that are an educational, baseball, financial, social and cultural fit.
A player should sit down with a parent(s) and define the potential college conference level he can compete. This isn’t about wishing. It’s about being realistic. Then from those conferences decide which schools fit. Then target those schools. Email coaches and find out where to get in front of them. Don’t do camps unless they’ve seen you and invite you to a legitimate prospect camp.
Despite what most D1 players think going in (they’re going on to pro ball) most will play four years of college ball and hit the real world. Education and becoming prepared for the real world needs to be an important part of the college decision making process.
Rogers3 - I'm a big believer in what RJM is saying here. You and your son have to have a general idea of what he wants to do during his 4 years of college and 40+ years out of college. You asked for a starting point, there it is. Once you have a handle on that, then figure out how baseball & education is going to fit into your son's future plans. Create a list of schools that meet his requirements then cross-reference with available showcases, tournaments, camps. Once your son begins attending these showcases, camps, etc...he will get a feel of where he fits and most importantly where he is wanted. If you are like most people compromise between athletic/academic/financial factors will be part of this search, but don't get ahead of yourself by compromising before you start the process. You want targeted showcases, tournaments, camps that meet your son's goals. These baseball events are very expensive which is another reason you want to target these events that matter to you and your son. EOKERHOLM listed a handful of showcases. There are many more showcase & events that you will be able to identify once your son can clearly tell you what he wants for college baseball and what degree he wants to pursue. Help him learn about different schools, conferences, NCAA Division levels and education options then he'll be better prepared to answer the question. Small steps....this is a process that starts and ends with your son.
As always, JMO.