2015 Grad RHP (85/86 mph) - No Offer Yet, and What To DO

Congrats on your son's grades, SAT and D3 interest

 

1) If you commit D3, it would be verbal.  They would most likely want your son to apply ED in exchange for their commitment to a roster spot.  If your son needs help getting into the school then I would ask help from the coach in exchange for son's commitment.

 

2) I'll defer to others on showcase suggestions.

 

3) Once accepted to the D1 school, call the coach let him know of your interest to try to walk-on.  Some D1 schools offer it and others only go through the motions  Essentially, you have to go through the whole recruiting process again to sell the coach on his talents.   There is plenty to search on HSBBWeb about walk-ons.

 

My two cents.....My advice would be to listen to those D3 school offers that want your son.  There is a reason they are interested.   Research their academics, and see if it is a fit. 

Two points to keep in mind. First, a point I believe many on this site will agree with - in most cases it's best to go where you are wanted.  Your son will probably be given more chances to fail, and still be on the team, when a coach really wants him there.

 

Second, being a recruited walk-on to a Division I program is a dicey situation.  Not only are you at risk of not being kept on the 35-man roster, but if you want to transfer to another Division I program, you're ineligible at the next school for a year because of your status as "recruited." 

 

Here's a link to a blog from our website on this topic:

 

http://informedathlete.com/to-...ited-or-nonrecruited

I agree with fenway. Max velocity 85-86 with the grades your son has likely translates to an academic D3 school. Most of these schools will be in the Northeast with a smaller number located throughout the rest of the country.

 

In most cases being a walk on is a "crap shoot." Even those that make the team likely will hardly ever play (my son played at a mid-level D1 and had only 3 players make the team as walk-ons during his 4 years on the team). 

 

IMHO it makes sense to go where your son is wanted. It sounds like the interest level may be telling you exactly where your son is wanted.

Thanks fenwaysouth, Rick, and Birdman so much for your responses. For D3, would it be a good idea to apply multiple colleges (my son gets interests by multiple d 3 colleges) to see which gives a higher merit scholarship?  

A friend I met on a board (and this one) had a son play at a borderline ranked D3. Even though a D3 can roster as many as they want the coach keeps a thirty man roster. His six major prospects were all asked to apply ED. These were the kids the coach used his chips with admissions at this top academic college. The year his son was a freshman twenty-seven pitchers were invited to try to walk on for two roster spots.

If your son has had DII interest I would not give up on that quite yet, particularly the Cal States. Based on what I've read here and seen personally those commitments could take at least another month or so.

First relax, you have plenty of time. 

 

My son was in almost the exact position as your son 4 years ago. He had test scores almost exactly your sons. He was at the Arizona Fall Sr Classic (which is going on right now) and was sitting 85-86 and touched 87-89 on some guns.  

 

He ended up being recruited by some D1's into his HS Sr year and had several D1 teams have coaches see him pitch in HS. He ended up getting some D1 offers, but decided to "commit" to a very competitive DIII. He did not sign the papers until May 1st of his Sr year.

 

I would start to really look at the D3 options because he will likely get good academic money with his grades/test scores. Go to D3baseball.com and look over the programs and conferences. You can PM me with any specific program questions as I am pretty familiar with most of the West Coast to Texas D3's.

 

Good luck, but he will find a place to play and contribute and could end up being a top flight D3 pitcher from where he is starting. 

 

Hi BOF, I am new to this web, and I'd like to know about D3 colleges, and how am I able to PM you?

Sorry, DB, I don't know those rules. Maybe somebody who does will chime in. I can tell you DII athletic money can be pretty small, but it's all relative.  Compared to private schools, UC's, and out-of-state schools, Cal States are a great bargain even without athletic money. So if you can get any academic or need based money, it should be even better.

Dp,
is your pitcher dead set on staying west or will he consider schools elsewhere.  Most D3 school like to have a good mix of kids and it is not always easy to get young men and women to leave the west coast for colder climes. Being from California can be a boon for academic money. Make sure you cast your net wide enough.
There are plenty of D3 schools in this part of the country that woul dbe interested in your son.

       
       

To send a dialog (pm) click on BOF's name. This will bring up his profile. On the right you will see the option to start a Dialog.

BLD, could you please expand on that thought?

HiBishopLeftiesDad, my son is open everywhere and yes there are many D3 colleges that showed interests.

 

Cabbagedad,

Most of the D3's in this area, Midwest/Ohio and the east coast are Liberal Arts Colleges (LAC). The LAC's can be put in two categories, National and regiona. One thing All LAC's value is diversity. Diversity can mean many things, racial, sex, and culture are what is usually thought of. The National LAC's take that a step further, they also want regional diversity. If you check out their student body at many of the schools, the population is from all over the country. The regional schools may not have as national of focus, but still want a mix. 

One region that is often under represented here in this area is the west coast. It is tough to get young people to come to the mid-west and the east coast. Weather can be a factor plus many of these schools are in smaller towns so it can be a culture change. Plus the cost of some of these schools when compared to the state system in CA, can be out of reach. So the demand for these students is high and the supply low. 

So there is a lot of competition for these students. Many of the schools keep some academic money aside for students from the west coast part of the country that may not be available to students from a High supply low demand areas.

So a student with the right grades and test scores from California can turn that into extra money. The key is to make sure you have several school options, so you are dealing with the schools from a position of power. 

Will this make the LAC's cheaper than the Ca state schools? I cannot say for sure, but it does make is more affordable.

Just keep in mind this has nothing to do with athletics and applies to any student form Ca. Add in the support of a coach and they may have a bit more bargaining power.

 

Good luck...

Re: recruiting diversity

 

My father used to be on an alumni committee that had something to do with the acceptance process even if it was just PR. Back in the era when his college (a NESCAC) was diversifying from being a preppy, white, north eastern, old money men's college he joked if an applicant was female, black and from North Dakota she was in.

Thanks BLD, informative post.  I was hoping for that depth of insight and hadn't seen that specific angle discussed here.  Could be helpful to Cabbage as well as many others.

Thanks RJM, JCG, BOF, and BLD so much for your valuable information and help!

I am a little surprised by this predicament.   I know there are D1's that would live to have a kid with grades they could give academic money to and save their baseball money.  Not the top schools obviously but some.  And I would think D2's would be all over a kid like this.  Are there other issues like are you being told control is a concern or the lack of a good second pitch?  Do they believe he is not 'projectable' for further mph gain?  I am just surprised this kid wouldn't be getting a little more attention.  Not every staff is full of 90+ guys.

Thanks for your comments. For D1, the short answer is that my son reached 85/86 mph in Mid Aug (a bit late) and after that we did not find (know) any showcases for high academic players and we were unable to register AZ Senior Fall Classic because we knew it too late. My son's exposure to D1 was just a USD Team camp and PG Evosield Upperclass. The current status is 2 D1 colleges list my son as "follow", but no offer. 

 

For D2, my son was followed by one college for a while, and it seems one week we got called and 2 weeks later, nothing happens. And another D2 did suggest merit scholarship, in the process because they have no athlete money and we contacted them late.

 

 

Bottom line is my son reached 85/86 mph a bit late (had been in low 80s) and we were inexperience in finding showcases to get my son the best exposure. So now, we hope get help from here to find remaining good showcases. 

Still has his senior year to go though right?  Not uncommon for late signings at that level of pitcher.  And if he can put on 2 or 3 mph his senior year it rakes him to a whole new level.  So I would say good things are yet to come.

jolietboy,

The pitcher is from San Diego, which is a true hot bed of baseball talent in a State filled with more more D1 and D2 talent than there are slots open each year.  What DPB is experiencing is  quite common(almost the norm) with talented players in our State, especially for players when the talent is associated with late maturity.

From what has been posted, I am not sure this pitcher is currently D1 or D2(top levels) in our State,(our son coaches at a D1 where they have a walk on at 91-93) but it sounds like  he sure has a chance to be good.  His  academics can open doors to programs where he could flourish, even if they are not D1 or D2.

This thread is filled with great suggestions about options to explore, especially outside CA. Without going ED, it  might be best for someone like this to find the right "fit" at levels below D1 and have that option secured and let the Spring into the period just after graduation  determine if D1 options might open.