Tagged With "DIII"
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What say you...
Most college baseball programs fall somewhere on the spectrum between perennial winners or regular bottom dwellers. We are faced with those two extremes, so let's set some basic background first. You have a player who is not going to be drafted into the professional ranks so lets assume a baseball career is not going to happen. The player is an excellent student and will likely have a successful financial future associated with what ever academic program they select. So now for the baseball...
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2019 prospect trying to finalize summer schedule
My son is a 2019 6'4" 205lb hit and hit-for-power 3B/RHP with 7.2 speed . He attends an academically rigorous independent boarding school and is a solid student (3.2/ACT~25) who has taken seven AP and/or IB courses, as well as Physics, Chemistry, Calc, Econ, Stats, and Spanish 5. He's also a very mature kid and has travelled extensively internationally. He's been a three sport varsity athlete since his freshman year and quarterbacked the football team this past fall. Coaches/Scouts say...
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Re: What say you...
Which one does your son want to go to? I, if 35 years younger, would choose B. Would probably tell my son that if it was his decision. My son just last night had the choice of Freshman A basketball deep on the bench, or Freshman B basketball and most likely start. He took B. But his baseball decision might be different.
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I'll repeat what I learned here. Tell your son to go where he would love to go to school and baseball wasn't in the mix and where they love him back.
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School B..... winning tradition is good, playing time is better, playing 4 years and maybe starting a winning tradition at school B priceless.
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Pull out a pen and paper & write down ALL the pro's and con's to each option. Analyze & discuss, then ask him to make a decision. My personal choice would be option B.
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Took the B route many years ago. No regrets. Knew if I went the A route would certainly be a pitcher only and definitely not be a starter until at least junior year. By taking the B route was able to be a two way player, near the top of the conference in innings pitched for three years, was part of team that made conference playoffs 3 of 4 years...school had only been once in history of the school before that, and played for a great man.
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Re: What say you...
My take would be school B, but that choice includes reasons that I was not mature enough to think about as a senior in HS. In addition to the playing time advantage and starting earlier in his college career, he will also have potential leadership opportunities on the team earlier on. A mentor once told me that good leadership = competence + character. The academics helps to get a leg up on the competence part of the equation; the baseball experience, and how he responds with the potential...
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I have to echo the earlier answer given....who has the better lookin girls! lol
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I always worry (for my 2017 too) when we hear "guarantees" that you would be a starter or get X playing time NOW, up front. How can any coach know? Playing time is earned in my opinion -- and NOT given. A coach, whether a winning program or not, should want to put in the line up that he or she thinks gives the team the best chance to win. My son would plan to make it hard for a coach not to have him in that line up, no matter the preconceived notions. Any coach that is telling my son right...
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Re: What say you...
This part of the description stood out to me: "will likely start all 4 years at their chosen position." I would never make that assumption at any program, especially at D3. If the new coach is going to turn things around, he's going to do it primarily by finding better players. Sounds like school "A" has a track record of developing guys and playing more juniors and seniors. School "B" has no track record, so there is some risk involved. School "B" may still be the better choice, but...
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Re: What say you...
The above responses are all good. I think I'd encourage my son to carefully consider Option B also because of the opportunity to play more. But, if his intuition causes him to lean toward one or the other (perhaps because of the coach or the school atmosphere or no reason at all), that should weigh heavily. Finally, as a praying person, I'd do a lot of that and encourage my son to do that as well.
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Do they both pass the Tommy John test? Will he be happier at one or the other if baseball suddenly goes away?
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So I would say go where he will be challenged. That can be choice A or B. Most players want to compete and be challenged. And not just by opposing teams. They want to be challenged by their team mates. one school came ay my son very hard. One of the coaches selling points was, "I cannot promise you will be a starter, but I know the talent I have, and you have more talent, than my current players." He was a new coach for this program, but not new to coaching. He had been a successful...
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Re: What say you...
A lot of great responses! We went through this same discussion with my 2016 last year. I agree with what MidAtlantic says. Every coach at every school is looking to bring in better talent every year. There are zero playing time guarantees anywhere IMHO. My boys wanted commitment from the coaching staffs for Spring roster spots in year one. And (ideally) a four year roster spot commitment to the player if he was working hard on and off the field and there are no disciplinary issues. Playing...
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My thoughts are to drill deeper. I'll start with program B - Many losing programs bring in a new coach who, of course, claims he will turn the program around. What are the real chances that this is the guy? It usually doesn't turn out that way. Playing is great. Playing for a perennial loser and getting hammered regularly can take the joy out in a hurry. Do you see indicators with this guy, beyond his required dialog, that lead to believe maybe he can turn it around? What is his relevant...
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Get a read on whether you think the new guy has what it takes to turn around the losing program. There's a special kind of pride that comes from being part of a successful turnaround. My son was part of a group that turned a 10-win team that was perennially in the bottom 10% of D1 RPI into a 35-win team with an RPI almost 150 spots higher than its customary level. These guys aren't/weren't pro prospects, but they have a lifetime bond and sense of accomplishment nobody can ever take away.
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Re: What say you...
I think I'd lean toward option B - I like the idea of being part of the group that creates a new tradition of winning rather than maintaining the status quo. But I agree with those who say that in either option A or B the player has to go in focused on winning playing time, regardless of any promises and expectations. I disagree somewhat with the premise of the question in that you can posit that all other things are equal between the two schools, but in the real world they are not. Food,...
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Re: What say you...
Probably a tad off topic, but I have heard so many times about players having to sit on the bench for two years before getting in the starting lineup. While I know this happens at times, what happens more often is the player sitting on the bench his first two years also ends up sitting on the bench his last two years. Or he no longer plays at that school. Or he no longer plays at all. Never understood guaranteed playing situations. Starting lineup as a freshman or becoming a starter after a...
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Re: What say you...
Agree with most posts -- option B. If you already know son is not a MLB prospect, why not go with a program that he can be in the starting lineup and have fun? Sitting on the bench is never fun and you can't get better either.
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Re: What say you...
Agreed - a lot changes from year to year. Especially at the higher-tier schools that bring in large classes of JC transfers. You may have "put in your time" for 2 years on the bench, but there is still the chance that your coach brings in a JC transfer to start over you.
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Re: What say you...
As always there are an abundance of excellent responses to the question that provide both new insights and reinforcements of sound logical approaches. Always interested in the thoughts and ideas of this group. Thanks!
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Personally, my choice would be B where I'd have a good shot to play as a freshman. My son would likely choose A because he'd want to win and he'd want to be challenged for playing time. It depends on the individual personality. There is not one right or wrong answer
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Wow, I am a tad bit shocked to read everyone advocating for the easier route. I guess what they say about today's society is true, nobody wants to take the hard road. College athletics is not about just athletics. Based on what OP put I would and I would want my son to attend program A. You are going to learn hard work, you are going to learn tradition, you are going to learn perseverance, you are going to learn patience, you are going to learn how to be a team player. Program B will hand...
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Re: What say you...
occasionally people get hit by lightening bolts and attached by sharks - pretty safe to assume the boy shouldn't be overly concerned about them. Every baseball person I spoken with has said roughly to the same to me, if you don't start or play regular Freshman or sophomore year you most likely won't play at all as an upperclassmen. That includes several college coaches.
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My son did select option B. As it turns out his team did win a conference championship his sophomore year....first in program history. A couple things went into his decision. First playing time has tremendous value in a very competitive major. His reasoning is if I'm not good enough to play, I could be doing things more related to my major or other interests. Second, the school he selected had more academic options (deeper and wider program) related to his major than his other choices. This...
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playing time is never given even in a weaker program but I prefer playing and losing over winning and sitting any day. winning is more fun than losing and Baseball is a Team game but sitting is no fun.
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Re: What say you...
You just don't know. You can look at every opportunity and try to project where you fit in. You can have a coach tell you "we see you as a starter day one" "we believe you can compete for playing time day one" etc etc. But the fact is you just don't know. You could go to a D1 and play right away. You could choose a D2 and sit. The only thing you can do is go in and compete. You can be the 2nd best catcher in your entire conference and sit behind the best catcher in your conference. And that...
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I think a lot may have to do with your son's personality. My son hated to lose at anything, he hated for his t ball team to lose, he hated to lose at board games, if his favorite pro sports team lost we knew to give him some space. I saw a video of his college baseball team competing against the lacrosse and hockey team in a fitness test, he wasn't going to let his team lose an event. This winning desire factored in to his decision on where to attend school and play baseball. He didn't want...
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The only thing worse than losing is sitting and watching someone else play all year long . Starting as a freshman isnt necessary but I would like to see some action in at least a few games. Who wants to watch from the bench all year??
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How many players are on a college roster? At the D1 level 35. At the lower levels many more than that. How many play? Lets take position players. You will have 8 starters who play the vast majority of the innings. One catcher who will rotate from time to time. A DH. And maybe one guy who is a utility player. Let's call it 11 position players who see time. That leaves 24 players. Out of those 24 you will have 3 weekend starters and 2 midweek starters. Then you will have around 6 guys that get...
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Re: What say you...
You are ONLY young once, he obviously loves the game and college will likely be his last chance to play. With all other things at the school being equal I would tell my son to go have fun playing his final years of baseball on team B, where he would actually PLAY.
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Re: What say you...
A) You and I know a lot more MLB guys were written off out of HS than Shark Attacks and Lighting. B) What is the purpose of your statement about "Every Baseball Person"? I don't remember nor reading anything I wrote stating that is not true. I don't even remember thinking that, that was not true.
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Re: 2019 prospect trying to finalize summer schedule
A few thoughts that don't necessarily directly answer your questions... Does he know what he wants to major in or what he wants to do for a living (besides maybe play baseball)? Many come here without a wide enough net. As an academic 2019 considering D1 states thru D3's in a large geographic area, I would propose that his net is quite wide and he will have to put sufficient time into research and searching within as to what options will be realistic for him (narrow that net a bit). It won't...
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Re: 2019 prospect trying to finalize summer schedule
At this point a good portion of D1 commitments are filled. There is space available. But be careful not to be the non scholarship insurance policy for a position. Keep in mind a lot of faster with power shortstops will be moved to third in college. At this point I wouldn’t throw spaghetti off the wall to see what sticks. I would have a very targeted strategy. Where do I want to play? Does my high school or travel coach know that college’s coach so he can promote me before I’m seen. You...
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Re: 2019 prospect trying to finalize summer schedule
Jfnnyc is your son invited to the Yankees Area Code tryout? Bob founder of Area Code Baseball 1987 and Goodwill Series 1983
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Re: 2019 prospect trying to finalize summer schedule
Go to the events where the schools on your son’s vetted list will be. And those events should be ones where he will be seen by those schools. Vetted academically and athletically. At a minimum, trusted third parties (e.g., scouts, guidance counselors, et. al.) have said your son could be admitted and could play baseball there. Does he have a vetted list that he’s working now? If not, he should ASAP. For the vast majority of players, college baseball recruiting is not a crap shoot where a...
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Re: 2019 prospect trying to finalize summer schedule
My wife complained that I made the initial post way too long! Sorry for that. For sake of brevity, hoping to find out two questions: 1) Do D1 coaches heavily scout PG national 18U Memorial Day tournaments? 2) Is PG 17U WWBA tournament in GA enough for a kid that is interested in playing DI? What's the next most important 17U national summer tournament as measured by D1 coaches in attendance? Bob- thanks for the question. Yes, he already has an Area Code invite lined up from a Yankees scout.
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Re: 2019 prospect trying to finalize summer schedule
Out of state cost may not matter to you. But the percentage that becomes an athletic scholarship has to fit into the coach’s budget. This goes back to the stud value. But some state universities need to recruit out of state due to the limited talent base in their state.
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Re: 2019 prospect trying to finalize summer schedule
If he participates in the AC tryout, there will be over 80 major college coaches and 40 pro scouts. Your cost is zero and an opportunity to play in Los Angeles and Fenway Park. All the East Coast scouts are great talent evaluators. We travel to Australia as the Yankees. Bob
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Re: 2019 prospect trying to finalize summer schedule
Regarding the Memorial Day tournament you mentioned, I don't know anyone that's gone to that (from CA). At least in CA, HS teams are just finishing up and players are taking a breather and getting ready for JOs. Also, colleges are still playing so not sure how they'd be on the recruiting trail. I don't think it would hurt to miss this, IMO. Regarding the 17U WWBA, this is a great tournament no doubt. But, that's a lot of eggs to put in one basket. What if the coaches you are interested in...
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Re: 2019 prospect trying to finalize summer schedule
I should add - regarding the 17U WWBA, you'll only play a couple games at Lake Point where the majority of coaches hang out. Most of the games will be on fields up to an hour away and very few college coaches make the trip in my experience.
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Re: 2019 prospect trying to finalize summer schedule
Concur with Smitty here. Depending on which travel team he's able to get on, they may have preferred access to Lake Point (turf fields where the majority of coaches are). I believe the preferred access comes from teams having played in the WWBA tournament for a number of years.
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Re: 2019 prospect trying to finalize summer schedule
We only got one game at Lake Pointe last year and due to rain delays, it didn't start until almost midnight. I only saw one coach there at that point. I wouldn't put it all in that. Area Code should be a good opportunity.
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Re: 2019 prospect trying to finalize summer schedule
Agree with Smitty. Too many teams and not enough games played at LakePoint for each team to ensure he'll get seen in that one tournament. Definitely a tournament you should ideally play in, but it's one of several you'd want to attend. My 16u is lucky because we live in Atlanta, and his team will play in every 16u & 17u event at Lakepoint this coming summer. And we're still not counting on that to carry the day. Still need to target specific schools, make contact, then attend their camp...
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Re: 2019 prospect trying to finalize summer schedule
Patriot League, GTown type D1's will still be very active next summer - get the ACT score up. How many times has he taken it? A few extra points will expand his options.
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Re: 2019 prospect trying to finalize summer schedule
Thanks everyone. What other heavily scouted national travel tournaments should we consider? Maybe not a PG one? Have coaches firmed up their summer recruiting schedules this early and are they willing to give that information to interested prospects, or perhaps better, prospects in whom they have an interest? ACT- He's taken it once and was sick with the flu. Tutor-administered practice tests consistently showing ~27, but I've been trying to keep our expectations low, realizing this all...