cabbagedad posted:We have had several recent threads from younger (2020/2021) players and parents asking about what level they project to or should target, which is great. Figuring out the lay of the land early is far better than late.
Part of the equation, I think, is understanding what kind of HS players land at the different college levels. We know that the range is very wide. That said, I thought it may be helpful to illustrate what "the middle" looks like. So, I am listing the bio's (names protected) of the most recent recruiting class for a D2 school that plays in a good league but typically finishes below .500 most years. Pretty darn "middle" in the college baseball world.
Player #1 - 2B, prepped at IMG, hit about .300 Sr year
Player #2 - C, helped HS win two state championships in his four years. During his senior season, was named the team captain and hit .367 from the cleanup spot. Was honored with .. outstanding senior baseball player award, All-State Team, All-Division Team, and Interscholastic All-Star. Was also a standout on the football field, winning four state championships and earning All-City and All-Division honors.
Player #3 - LHP, helped his team win the district championship, was a four-year scholar athlete and in 2017 received the "xxx" Award for his leadership and hard work.
Player #4 - 1B, was a three-time all-district, three-time all-county, first-team honors as a senior. In his junior year, was named the County 5A Hitter of the Year following an impressive season that saw him hit .420 with 16 RBIs, two home runs, and eight doubles. As a senior, hit .416 with 28 RBIs, three home runs, and eight doubles.
Player #5 - Ut., JC transfer, JC sophomore year hit .444 and drove in 18 runs while smacking four doubles and four triples.
Player #6 - RHP, As a senior, posted a 0.48 ERA over 29.1 innings pitched while striking out 35. 7A All-District honors in 2016 and 2017, State Region All-High School Honorable Mention, First Team All-Conference, Senior All-Star Game, and Perfect Game All-Tournament Team on four occasions.
Player #7 - OF, Power 5 D1 drop down, played in 52 games in his two years with D1 team and hit .296 as a freshman. made the 2017 Conference All-Academic Team following his sophomore campaign. In HS, he was USA Today All-State First Team in 2014 and 2015 while hitting .423 as a senior.
Player #8 - 2B, was his team's 2017 Offensive MVP and a two-time selection to the all-area team. Was also a three-year member of the basketball team.
Player #9 - RHP, compiled an impressive 17-3 record with a 1.88 ERA over three years at (HS). As a senior, he fanned 33 batters in 27.1 innings pitched while allowing only 11 hits.
Player #10 - C, was named to the All-League Team following his junior and senior seasons. He was a two-time recipient of the Coaches Award (2015, 2017) and named the team's Most Valuable Player in 2016.
Player #11 - UT, boasted a 0.66 ERA his senior year with 34 strikeouts while also posting a .302 batting average. Was a multi-sport athlete lettering in football, baseball, and soccer. He earned the MVP Award in baseball and was named to the all-state team in football.
Player #12 - RHP - During his senior season, hit .330 from the leadoff spot with 11 doubles and one home run. On the mound, finished the season with a 1.75 ERA over 12 innings while striking out 19.
Player #13 - IF, JC transfer. In his sophomore JC season, hit .270 with eight doubles, two home runs, 17 RBIs, and a team-leading five triples. In his freshman campaign, hit .289 with two home runs. In HS, he was a four-year letterman while being named team captain in 2014.
Remember, this is a below-average D2. So, I think there are many conclusions that can be drawn from this small snapshot and can make for some good discussion.
The biggest takeaway for me as it relates to the young 2020/2021 players is this...
While this is just one of over 1,500 college baseball programs, it is quite typical in the sense that most of the players (particularly the ones that become starters) develop the skills, have the talent and put in the work to become very good and very accomplished HS players first.
Don't put the cart before the horse. Yes, start educating yourself on what you want out of college and where you may want to go but work hard at being the best HS player (and student) you can be. Yes, start figuring out the best resources to help you with both. But, don't look past your HS experience. Enjoy it to the fullest. Most of the rest will start to become much more clear when the time comes.
It's a great idea to do some research on target schools, but I think it's hard to draw conclusions from bios. All-county in, say, Los Angles County (population >10,000,000) is very different than all-county in a small, rural county. Same is true with all-state in, say, Florida vs. all-state in a small state. Even in a big state there can be a world of difference between different classifications (e.g., Div 1 in CIF-SS is a world apart from Div 6 or Div 7). And needless to say, all-league teams are highly variable depending on the strength of the league.
However, looking at measurables and listed size on PBR and PG can give you a good idea of whether your son fits what that particular school looks for.