Tagged With "Showball Showcase for July"
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Re: Academic Showcase insights
Kind of amazing that a freshman already knows he wants to major in Economics. An academic dream list for econ should include Claremont McKenna IMHO but they don't attend HF, last I heard. I recommend you try to get him into the NorCal World Series next year. Stanford may be a good choice too.
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Re: Academic Showcase insights
Because of all your smart advice, we'd decided to register for Headfirst West 4 in Woodland this September. And Showball in Albany NY in Aug. And next summer, hit a couple more. I didn't know about NorCal World Series, that looks great too. Thanks for that lead. I'm not a baseball guy (I rowed in College and never played baseball.) JCG, I know it's nuts to be thinking about a field of interest at this age, but we've heard from admissions people that they aren't as interested in generalist.
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Re: Academic Showcase insights
Take a look at the Showball academic showcases, too. Also very good, and a slightly different mix of HA schools (as well as a good deal of overlap). My son has done both and both were very good. I will note that Showball only has pitchers throw on Day 2, while HF has them pitch on both days. For my son at HF, that meant 40+ pitches on Day 1, then another 80+ on Day 2. Not ideal...
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Re: Academic Showcase insights
... and the Junior All-Academic Tryout at the AZ Senior Fall Classic. https://azfallclassic.com/junior-all-academic-game Another recent thread: https://community.hsbaseballwe...ides-showball-and-hf
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Re: Academic Showcase insights
My info from 2009 era (tho I keep current on some lines of info). As a rising junior at HF (and Stanford) my son was at least 6" shorter and 30 lbs lighter (tho a LHP), he sat 80-2, had a bit better grades 😉. I thought it really helped him when he went the following summer to the same camps with very improved velo. I think it gave the coaches a feel for his progression (and, by extension, his work ethic) baseball wise and physical maturity. Foe example, most kids are trying to be seen, but...
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Re: Academic Showcase insights
Is your son a rising junior then? I think a HA showcase in the fall is a good move. HeadFirst is ideal for direct communication with coaches so depending on how comfortable your son feels talking them up, he may need some prep with that aspect :-). He should reach out via e-mail to coaches who will be in attendance. I would also explore playing in the Junior Fall Classic in Arizona - it is highly scouted and given the timing (October), coaches could possibly get two looks within a couple of...
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Re: Academic Showcase insights
This is an incredibe amount of great information. Thank you all so much. I may have somehow implied he's a freshman. He's a sophmore now and will be a Junior this the fall. I'll be sure to look into the Junior Fall classic! OK...I'll push my luck a bit, and throw another one out there. Does he really need to bother with travel anymore? He'd rather play on his HS summer team locally. Could these showcases be enough for a RHP to be seen by the right coaches? Or is that crazy talk
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Re: Academic Showcase insights
In my opinion, he should do both showcases and compete with the highest level travel team at this point. If a coach has interest from a showcase performance, they're going to want to see him play in a competitive game. Hopefully, his travel team coaches are also in a good position to help him make contact with college coaches. My son (2020) has played on a local summer team but that is only because we live in Phoenix and a lot of the major tournaments are held here. If we lived somewhere...
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Re: Academic Showcase insights
On whether to play travel. Not one size fits all. In general, a hitter should play. But a pitcher is treated differently. I'd approach it from the perspective of "what does he need to do to get his skills to the highest level?" Some kids need lessons and build their summer around that (we did); others need game situations and build their summer around that; some build their summers around college camps. But, no path inherently increases or decreases recruiting chances. There are lots of...
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Re: Academic Showcase insights
will also add my 2 cents as my 2017 LHP played on a very well known national travel team. They did not have the same connections for the high academic schools he was looking at as they did for the P5 conferences, and the mid D1 schools. We absolutely had to supplement with showcases and camps (did Stanford back in its old format) in order to be seen by the coaches of the schools he was interested in. To this extent, depending upon your son's dream list, travel may or may not make sense. If...
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Re: HeadFirst or Showball Showcase for July 15-16, 2019
Simple question for those who have experience with HF & Showball ... will this get any attention? RHP 1300 SAT (first try) 4.0 82-84
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Re: HeadFirst or Showball Showcase for July 15-16, 2019
Lots of great posts below about SB and HF. https://community.hsbaseballwe...all?postsPerPage=100
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Re: HeadFirst or Showball Showcase for July 15-16, 2019
Based on our experience Coaches are assuming you are a good student given the player is attending HF or ShowBall. For a first time score of 1300 on the SAT, equivalent of a 28 ACT, that's a good start, and the Coaches know the student will take the SAT or ACT a few more times. Having said that, a 1300 SAT or 28 ACT along with some serious baseball talent will get you into most Ivy's. Serious baseball talent: Big Bat or Big Arm. If a player is hitting balls hard all over the field along with...
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Re: HeadFirst or Showball Showcase for July 15-16, 2019
2020 6' 185 Thanks for the reply, numbers or percentage wise, are these showcases filled with kids like mine? How many would you say? How many lesser talent, how many more talented?
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Re: HeadFirst or Showball Showcase for July 15-16, 2019
I'd guess more kids throw slower than 82-84, and more are below 6'. Does your son sit 82-84, or top FB 84 and he sits 80-82? Has your son ever been critiqued at a PBR or PG or some other showcase? What did they comment about your son? I'd find an inexpensive local camp - showcase to get some feedback specific to your son's skill level. (Plenty of kids throw 82-84 and are all over the place, don't start on their HS Varsity teams). Does he pitch for a reputable club team? What does that club...
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Re: HeadFirst or Showball Showcase for July 15-16, 2019
sits 80-83 has natural cut so he loses a bit of velo on the ones that cut more. Can pitch, very well. On reputable team national ranked, HS all ranked very high, coaches will vouch for his pitchability. Already signed up for Showball, try to decide if HF will be worth the dough.
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Re: Showball Camp vs Headfirst Camp Same November Weekend
Gov, I know you said target colleges will be attending both events. I'd ask the specific college coaches (your son is most interested in) which event is the "best fit" for your son to see what they say. Most likely the HC will be attending one event and the RC may be attending the other event for any particular college in question. Possibly one of those HC coaches has already seen your son and it may be beneficial for your son to be seen by the RC coach (for example) of the same school. Just...
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Re: Showball Camp vs Headfirst Camp Same November Weekend
Hi Gov- As a background my son has attended both Showball Mega twice and HeadFirst once. He went to Headfirst Long Island summer before his junior year and Showball Mega December of his sophomore and junior years. The switch from December (Ft Myers) to November (Lakeland) in Showball is new. Compare the prices HF($995) for 58 coaches so far to Showball ($795) with 90 coaches. Showball Mega Camp usually has about 225 prospects, while the HF in Long Island seemed like more. I thought the...
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Re: Showball Camp vs Headfirst Camp Same November Weekend
Have done both camps in the past. Both accomplish much of the same, perhaps HeadFirst a little more organized and do hand out a book with all coaches attending. There may also be more Assistant Coaches at Showball. Keep in mind similar schools are at Showball's Academic Camps.
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Re: Showball Camp vs Headfirst Camp Same November Weekend
Really appreciate the feedback guys. It threw me off that a few of the same colleges coaches were saying they'd be at both, when they are 2.5 hours apart. Fenway, I like your idea of calling the coaches and asking their suggestion for best fit. Son was able to meet and put on a good showing for Brown, Harvard, and Dartmouth coaches, and he hopes the Stanford coaches, at the recent Stanford All Star Camp. Plan is get him in front of them again soon. We opted for November HF (possibly) because...
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Re: Showball Camp vs Headfirst Camp Same November Weekend
Gov, good call on choosing November camps.
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Re: Showball Camp vs Headfirst Camp Same November Weekend
Smoke - what's the latest w Kai? PM me if preferred
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Re: Showball Camp vs Headfirst Camp Same November Weekend
Hello all, just thought I would add in my two cents. I've had two sons (and now my softball playing daughter) go through this process. My boys attended both HF and Showball, but I will not be sending my daughter to the Showball softball camp. HF has always been better organized, and frankly, they play more baseball. If you look at their schedules, HF has more programming (2 more full games, I think). This extra time with these coaches is vital. HF also had coaches talk to the entire camp...
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Re: Recruiting Catchers
I agree with camps and showcases and only having catchers to catch the pitchers - i have see a ton of it - but what are your sons - pop, Arm velo - TBH - it’s very hard to for a catcher to get playing time - even being really good if you don’t hit well - I’ve seen it at all levels including pro. But in college if he wants to play D1 - which shouldn’t always be the goal , he needs to work on hitting also - most people work on framing and blocking - and forget hitting . You have to to both .
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Re: Recruiting Catchers
I second the camps and showcases comment. The coaches from the school my catcher ended up at (D3) recruited and invited him to the team based only on video, phone/email conversations, and one visit to campus. The HC's exact statement when my son asked about what they were looking for in a catcher was "We are looking for someone who can defend the field above all else. Ability to catch, throw and block as well as control the game from a defensive standpoint are paramount." That said, I agree...
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Re: Recruiting Catchers
Also - my son was recruited by a top 10 D1 Juco - one of Top jucos in midwest - when they contacted him . They wanted for him to come down for a visit . We asked does he need to come to camp Or bring his gear ? Coach said no , we have lots of video on him already and he’s our guy . Granted he had interest from D1s but we felt that Juco was the route for him. Also Note - just cause you go to Juco doesnt mean you cant redshirt - my nephew did that and it wasn’t fun for him . I would also say...
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Re: Recruiting Catchers
Thanks for the responses. My son's pop time is 1.93 and Exit Velocity is 92. On his varsity team, he bats fourth. Hitting is actually his strong suit. I forgot to mention that two of the Ivies told him that he's a good catcher and that if he can get admitted on his own they'd love to have him on the team. That combined with what one of the Georgetown coaches told him made him start to think that coaches often rely on a walk on to fill that role. It looks like he's going HA D3 and he's pretty...
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Re: Recruiting Catchers
The issue I see with so many catchers trying to get recruited is their focus on showing off great receiving, framing and blocking skills. Honestly, none of that matters to a college coach if you can't hit and throw at least as well as the rest of his starters. My advice to high school catchers would be to put hitting first and foremost in your recruiting efforts. Where do you fit as a college hitter? Don't go to a college's camp unless you can honestly see yourself making that team as the DH...
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Re: Recruiting Catchers
Good input. My son graduated HS in 2017 and is happily no longer playing baseball and is a junior at the big D1 of his choice (and my Alma Mater). He was the wire-to-wire hit leader of his NoVA HS (not a powerhouse by a longshot) and for doubles as a senior. He always focused on controlling the game defensively, getting the most out of his pitchers, and not letting anything get by him. And hitting gaps. He also ran a 6.95 60. Nobody cared. If he wanted to and could somehow do it all over...
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Re: Recruiting Catchers
I always thought being a C was one of the better positions to play to make it to the next level, as I truly value the position. After seeing many C struggle getting good offers, I realized it was one of the worst. At best, there's one C in a recruiting class. Unlike SS and CF, where there's multiple and they have positional flexibility Due to the physical characteristics of most C, many cannot play multiple positions If you're a defensive specialist, with a light bat, you won't see any PT...
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Re: Recruiting Catchers
My 2018 played with a C who was one of, if not THE best baseball player he has ever played with. Best in State senior year. 1.75 pop. 84 C throwing velo(90 off the mound). SWitch hitter with exit velo around 100 mph from both sides. 6.9/60. Was thrilled to go to his dream school, a top 25 D1. First year he didn't even see the field, and he is transferring to a JUCO. Some of the kids my 2018 played were overrated, and we all knew it. Not this kid...he not only has the stats, but is a gamer.
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Re: Recruiting Catchers
In my son's first year at Princeton, the catcher was all-Ivy and drafted. His back-up (a freshman like my son) was the son of an Assistant GM (now a manager). He started virtually every game the following 3 years and signed after graduating. The next catcher was the son of a famous governor who worked himself into the starting catcher his senior year; and I mean this kid worked, and worked, and worked. I believe the next one was a walk-on - that rare bird the coach never stops talking about...
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Re: Recruiting Catchers
Ah, a subject I could go on and on about... But to address the OP specifically: 1. Georgetown has a 2020 catcher commit already; they are not likely to commit a second one. You HAVE to look at current rosters and rising class commits and even then you may not have all the info you need (transfers, commits not listed, etc.). 2. Princeton is mostly done with their 2020 class and now have to recruit their primary needs for any remaining slots they may have. And that's where academic index (AI)...
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Re: Recruiting Catchers
Princeton's walk-on catcher (who graduated) has a very interesting story and is published. Check him out.. https://www.amazon.com/How-For...way&sr=8-1-fkmr0
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Re: Recruiting Catchers
As you can see from the above post, this was no ordinary student. He was quite a guy!
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Re: Recruiting Catchers
That is an interesting story! Pretty amazing guy. I’ll have my son read the book. On a separate note, my son has been analyzing all the rosters and commits until I think he has them about memorized. Interestingly, when he arrived at the Georgetown camp they specifically told the catchers that although they recruited a 2020 catcher, they were recruiting him strictly for his bat and not to assume that they wouldn’t take another catcher. If nothing else, seems to confirm what everyone says...
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Re: Recruiting Catchers
There are some comments about C not being a desirable position with regard to recruiting interest. That has not been my experience nor does it match up with prevailing train of thought in my circles. Of course, P is king. Teams use many over the course of the year, it is the most impactful position and injuries happen. After that, SS's who can hit win out because they generally have a strong defensive tool set that can be moved just about anywhere else in the infield or outfield if there is...
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Re: Recruiting Catchers
I don't believe a solid college program would rely on a walk-on to fill their catcher position. If your son is hearing "get admitted on his own" then the Ivy's already have their catcher recruited. Sometimes coaches won't recruit a catcher at all if they are solid in the position and have more pressing needs elsewhere (my son heard this from several schools). My observations from my son's recruiting journey (2019), which included Ivy's, was that coaches looked for catchers with tools who...
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Re: Recruiting Catchers
My 2015 was recruited catcher and would agree with the comment above that most teams will not rely on a walk-on. If you are a good hitting catcher you will get recruited. Most schools will use 2 catcher where each will split between catching duty and DH. For the HA D1 ( Patriot, Ivy etc) where they play Sat/Sun dbl headers it helps to have 2 catchers. MY 2015 hit well in a PG tournament and a showcase. Primary position was catcher with the ability to also play 1B. Got D1, D2 & D3...
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Re: Recruiting Catchers
I've noticed much of the same with catcher recruiting, but I'd add that part of the country you live in is a huge challenge for D1 level catcher recruiting. In the NW, there are very few D1 schools compared to other parts of the country, so many catcher recruits from the NW that end up going to the D1 schools in the NW end up either being a bullpen guy, switching to another position if they were recruited for speed/bat, or not seeing significant playtime until junior year. Those that are...
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Re: Recruiting Catchers
Isn't working on framing a waste of time if you want to get recruited for college? Sure it is the most important catcher skill but at the amateur level it is not quantifiable. Now it shouldn't look totally bad where your glove drifts a foot after catching the ball but I would assume at the amateur level it is more important you have a big arm and of course that you are decent with the bat. The college recruiters don't have pitch fx so they can't measure framing anyway even though of course...
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Re: Recruiting Catchers
And regarding the hitting. Mlb teams tolerate mediocre hitting at C but it can't be totally terrible (like the mentioned hedges) so you still need to be able to hit 250 with a few bombs even as a great defensive catcher. Due to sabermetrics the offensive requirements for catching are lower now (because sabermetrics said framing above all) and they are lese tolerant for mashing catchers with bad gloves than 10 years ago (guys like vmart, Santana napoli or schwarber don't catch anymore) but...
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Re: Recruiting Catchers
Cabbage is right, as usual. There is a shortage of good catchers at the college level. I have never seen a really good one not have options. As he said, it is the most important defensive position on the field. Most Cs would benefit from going the JuCo route unless they are an extremely high academic kid, for all the reasons stated in this thread (and countless others about freshmen position players never seeing the field at their D1 dream school)
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Re: Recruiting Catchers
Lots of great comments here as usual. I should have added this at the beginning of this thread. My son’s travel coach is a guy who was drafted in the first round of the MLB draft out of high school as a catcher many years ago. He peaked at Triple A in his career. He doesn’t like or believe in the entire system of recruiting. Naturally, his views may be influenced by how easy it came for him because he’s obviously extremely talented. However, he keeps telling my son one consistent thing that...
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Re: Recruiting Catchers
Walk-ons happen. But coaches do not rely on walk-ons to earn playing time or become contributors. An injury or two happen or the kid makes the team as a freshman walk-on and is ready to start by the time he's a junior senior is most likely the norm for a walk on starter. You also mentioned two schools that offer no baseball money and very little (if any) baseball money. Technically speaking, they're all walk-ons. It's much easier to do this at a school where baseball money is scarce or non...
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Re: Recruiting Catchers
Just an educated guess, but at 90% of D1's, when a Walk On gets a lot of playing time due to injuries, if the Walk On isn't All Conference that year for the D1 they are bringing in a JUCO guy the next year to take that spot. The deck is stacked against a Walk On. We all love to point out the exceptions, because it is easy to root for that type of guy. As a Parent though, if possible I'd prefer that my Kid has a stronger hand when sitting at the table.
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Re: Recruiting Catchers
I’ll bet if the research is done most walk ones are late blooming pitchers and third string catchers. I know a catcher who walked on at a P5 freshman year. One of their freshman recruits arrived on campus and immediately fell on his face creating an opening. The kid caught bullpens for one season. The next year the team brought in three new catchers and released him.
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Re: Recruiting Catchers
"You also mentioned two schools that offer no baseball money and very little (if any) baseball money. Technically speaking, they're all walk-ons." I was thinking this very same thing throughout this thread. This doesn't get talked about enough here at HSBBW. We always hear the company line that "walk-on" is a very difficult position to be in and that the chances of making a roster spot or getting playing time are very slim. I think that's generally sound advice. But there is a bit of a...
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Re: Recruiting Catchers
There is truth to what Coach is saying , so do the research and you will see high level D1 catchers are coming from some top Juco programs not all but some . I was told that the Juco catchers can be put into the program , because they really don’t have a learning curve . They already for the most call their own pitches . And have handle high Velo, my son is already handling 90 to 95 Velo everyday this fall .