Of course, when a program has a winning percentage of .100 or less, there's no where to go but up. And, I know for fact that the right coach can come in and change a program from a perennial doormat to a yearly contender.
But the kids I am talking about here are not the kids who are going to turn around a program.
The 17 year old who tops out at 73, can't consistently throw strikes, and literally threw batting practice in the one varsity appearance he had as a junior in a blowout token appearance is not going to find it as a college player.
The kid with a personal best 2.3 POP who played zero varsity games as a junior and was the 4th string catcher on a mediocre HS team is not the kid who is going to get any playing time in college.
The kid who played varsity as a junior on a bad HS team and who had 3 bloop hits in 66 at bats isn't going to find it any easier at the college level.
These are not hypotheticals or exaggerations. These are three 2022s that I know and each one has verbally committed to play at a D3 after HS. Granted, it's D3 programs way at the bottom of the rankings.
And, we all know why the coaches brought them in and they will be one of 55 kids practicing in the fall.