2021 D3/HA D1 Check-In

Mine's a 2022, so it's too early. If you want info on the schools your 2021 is being looked at for, some us might have some experience. I know I got a crash course on HA's with my 2018.

Thanks LuckyCat for starting this thread.  I have a 2021, MIF/OF, and we are going to Dynamic Combine in VA on 7/7 and then HeadFirst Aug. 3-4.  Have read a lot on here about HF, but please message me with any info you can share on HF. We are planning a sort of family vacation around the trip.  Never been to Long Island, so any info on great places to eat, see or the beaches are appreciated.    

For those interested in HA D3, just saw this from NCAA.  Looks like minimum number of games has been reduced to 17 which is probably good for their finances and might help save several programs.  

www.ncaa.org/about/resources/m...er-required-contests

Hookslide:

There are your usual restaurants and fast food places near HF, with most in the vicinity of the hotels. I wish I remember the name of the diner I went to and got a nice steak.

Here is a tip: Bring $$ for the gasoline. I don't know if it's the same as a few years back but the price per gallon differed by about 60 cents more per gallon if you paid by credit card. I remember going inside (before I pumped) and asking if the two prices on the pumps were accurate and they were. I have never seen that (maybe a nickel difference here and there).

@Hookslide posted:

Thanks LuckyCat for starting this thread.  I have a 2021, MIF/OF, and we are going to Dynamic Combine in VA on 7/7 and then HeadFirst Aug. 3-4.  Have read a lot on here about HF, but please message me with any info you can share on HF. We are planning a sort of family vacation around the trip.  Never been to Long Island, so any info on great places to eat, see or the beaches are appreciated.     

Others here will know more about Long Island generally (I lived on the Connecticut side of the sound years ago, but haven't spend much time actually on the island), but I feel confident saying that greater Yaphank is really not a vacation destination.  Not busting on the place--I just mean it's an area where people live and work, not somewhere you travel for a getaway.  It's mostly standard strip mall-type shops and restaurants.  My advice is to stay near the fields for HF, but I'd head elsewhere to see the LI beaches.

Expect a lot of traffic.  There are 7.5+ million people on LI, plus many more who are trying to get to the Hamptons from NYC on the weekends.  Many beaches require town parking permits, but there are parks that are open to the public.  I hear there are some places that are still (relatively) uncrowded and unspoiled--if I were going to spend some time on LI, I'd find someone who knew the area to help me plan.  I'd expect lodging, etc. to be very expensive.  And speaking of expensive, you also could head into Manhattan, although this will be a strange summer there I imagine.

Final Long Island note:  If you are a geek like me, the Tesla museum in Shoreham is supposed to be very cool.  (That's Nikolai Tesla, not the car company.) 

As Chico says, the area around Baseball Heaven isn't particularly  a great place to visit.  But you can get to NYC easily, and that's still worth the trip without Broadway etc. going on, arguably even better since Times Square, Wall Street, and Central Park are almost devoid of tourists.  As for beaches, I'd avoid the Hamptons in summer unless you're a celebrity and/or have a few million to drop on a beach place and go instead to the North Fork. Cute towns, wineries, great farm stands, nice people and a slower pace of life.  Orient Point is beautiful. 

I never got there, but the beach at Smith Point looks really nice, and is very close to Yaphank. Joe's Pizza is always good for an inexpensive, good  meal...I wish i could remember the name of the local restaurant only a few miles away from Baseball heaven. Homey, inexpensive, really good. Not fancy.

Not too much to report. Even camp invites are extremely quiet. I’m not sure what we expected—maybe there is more to it that we are not seeing (budgets not released?). I haven’t seen a lot of commitments either

The Ivy commitments are starting to get posted. I know one that wasn't nailed down until after junior year transcripts we official.

It is still very early for HA D3s.  In a normal year, not much happens until very late summer and into fall.  And this isn't a normal year, of course.

My 2021 will be attending his second virtual prospect tour/visit at a HA D3 next week.  (He got a lot out of his first one, surprisingly, and came away liking the school and the coaches quite a bit.)  Neither of these schools has seen him play yet, but both will have an opportunity at either HF or SB (if they happen).  In addition to those two, a third HA D3 suddenly has started texting him after games to get a rundown on how it went. He had mixed results at his last tournament and it was a real life lesson for him figuring out how to be honest and yet still try to put his best foot forward!

A couple of other D3s that weren't on my son's list of schools have emailed his coach asking to have my son "reach out."  Each time, he has had to sit down and think about whether that school is one he would want to attend.  Mostly, he has said no thanks, primarily based on location or majors offered.

I'm struck by how many opportunities to grow and mature he is tackling right now with the coach interactions and the decisions he's making.

Although my son's games have been live-streamed, it doesn't appear most of the coaches he's communicating with are watching them.  We did see a few D3 coaches standing around behind home plate at LakePoint during the last PBR tournament.

So far, only one school he's interested in has said they plan on having a camp in the fall.  He will go if they hold it.

We have told our son we will do all we can to try to get him physically on campus of any school he is seriously entertaining an offer from.  It seems crazy to me that coaches would make offers, and players would accept them, without either having physically seen the other, but I think there's going to be more of that this year.  Talk about leaps of faith!

2021 received a transcript request with the note academic reads begin July 1. Oh, and the dead period was extended cancelling/postponing some important camps... 2021 has been playing pick up games with players from multiple high schools without coaches, parents or umpires and may be having more fun than the rest of us!

We watched the Showball Zoom meeting last night.  They say they are going ahead with their August showcases and that they will have live-streaming with real time stats for the D1 coaches to watch.  This is a step in the right direction I suppose, but I'm wondering why they didn't just move the whole thing away from Long Island months ago.  Now, with Gov. Cuomo's 14-day quarantine order, players and D2/D3 coaches from "hot spot" states won't be able to come.  Georgia doesn't meet the criteria for a hot spot yet, but at the rate its going, it may very well be there by August.

@Los Angeles 2021 Parent posted:

2021 received a transcript request with the note academic reads begin July 1. Oh, and the dead period was extended cancelling/postponing some important camps... 2021 has been playing pick up games with players from multiple high schools without coaches, parents or umpires and may be having more fun than the rest of us!

Getting a request for a pre-read is a great sign--congrats!  One word of advice (which you may already know):  Last summer, I thought that pre-reads were indicators that an offer was probably coming.  But my son got successful pre-reads from a number of schools that never offered him.  So again, a very good sign, but your son needs to keep working the process everywhere he's interested until he actually has an offer in hand that he wants to accept.  

@Chico Escuela posted:

Getting a request for a pre-read is a great sign--congrats!  One word of advice (which you may already know):  Last summer, I thought that pre-reads were indicators that an offer was probably coming.  But my son got successful pre-reads from a number of schools that never offered him.  So again, a very good sign, but your son needs to keep working the process everywhere he's interested until he actually has an offer in hand that he wants to accept.  

I thought this at first too, but then my son got a couple of requests for pre-read documents BEFORE the coach had even talked to him.  That's  when we knew it isn't always as much of a sign as we thought.  Schools that do it this way are really asking a lot of their admissions offices!

I'm glad that recruiting is now happening - out of curiosity, how is it being done?  Through video?  Showcases?  Tournaments?

@anotherparent posted:

I'm glad that recruiting is now happening - out of curiosity, how is it being done?  Through video?  Showcases?  Tournaments?

It is a mix so far.  Virtual prospect tours/visits via zoom, watching live-streamed tournament games, sending video from recent games at their request, followed up by personal zooms, phone calls, and texts.  We are set to go to Showball and HeadFirst in early-mid August, but things are moving so fast now that I wonder if that will be necessary.  I think this is earlier than a normal year, and that Covid probably has a lot to do with it.  

@LuckyCat posted:

It is a mix so far.  Virtual prospect tours/visits via zoom, watching live-streamed tournament games, sending video from recent games at their request, followed up by personal zooms, phone calls, and texts.  We are set to go to Showball and HeadFirst in early-mid August, but things are moving so fast now that I wonder if that will be necessary.  I think this is earlier than a normal year, and that Covid probably has a lot to do with it.  

When my son was going this route (D3-only, really) it started in earnest in July and he'd pretty much wrapped things up by September, other than waiting for the ED response deadline (coach wasn't worried about him getting accepted, but we were a little, though we know now there wasn't any reason to be).

Kind of amusing how much difference 4 years makes in the technology, he did everything by phone except for the occasional email and a video or two on youtube. I wonder if Zoom or the like will be standard going forward even once the immediate need for it now has passed.

HF has been really good at pivoting to a new location and it appears they added a lot of colleges that will hopefully be watching online. They have done a great job of explaining all the safety protocols too.  We are headed up there today.  Wondering what everyone's thoughts are on the online video format?  If you are headed to it, good luck to your son and feel free to DM me.  

@Hookslide Look forward to hearing how it went. Currently set for a Showball event in Oct in FL, but the Sept HF event may be more alluring.

Good luck to your son!

It's crunch time.    Best of luck to all the D1 HA and D3 HA recruits.   This isn't easy stuff given the academic and athletic requirements that coaches and admissions is looking for.   You're headed in uncharted territory with Covid-19 all around us.   If you have questions, please post and ask for help.   Somebody will help you.  Again, good luck! 

Quick Update- My 21' just returned from HF in VA.  Very organized even with buckets of rain. About 22 to 26 D3 coaches there.  Excellent PPE protocol all around. It was run very efficiently.  As everyone had said before, there was time built in to speak with the Coaches.  It will be interesting to see the feedback from the other Coaches watching on the live stream.  

Showball update from Vegas—maybe 12-15 coaches in attendance said 2021. 2021 liked the fact he was playing at Bryce Harper’s JC field. Everything was well run and on time. I watched the video—while I found it entertaining I really don’t know how it will impact recruiting. All interest came from coaches in attendance with the exception of one coach who watched the feed (and told us he would be watching). It was hot! The current Showball this weekend is now moved to the MiLB field in San Bernardino. 

It's a beautiful day for baseball!  Though it will be up to 110 degrees in San Bernardino today.  

BTW I heard the other day that CA coaches are unable to run their prospect camps this summer and fall. So HF etc. are likely to become even more important.

@JCG posted:

It's a beautiful day for baseball!  Though it will be up to 110 degrees in San Bernardino today.  

BTW I heard the other day that CA coaches are unable to run their prospect camps this summer and fall. So HF etc. are likely to become even more important.

This is interesting.  My 2021 just got an email from a CA school after going to Showball in Maryland.  Perhaps that's why!

Can someone comment on the ideal timetable for when to do Showball/Headfirst camps in the rising Senior summer?  I see that they still have camps in September/October.  Is that a little late?  If you can afford it, is there a strategy in terms of number of camps?  I know some people also recommend the Stanford camp.  Are there others in the niche of HA baseball? 

@Dadbelly2023 posted:

Can someone comment on the ideal timetable for when to do Showball/Headfirst camps in the rising Senior summer?  I see that they still have camps in September/October.  Is that a little late?  If you can afford it, is there a strategy in terms of number of camps?  I know some people also recommend the Stanford camp.  Are there others in the niche of HA baseball? 

This advice is based on our experience over the last year, the end of which has been affected by Covid and may not be typical.  If your son is getting objective feedback that he is D1 material, it is important to attend HA showcase events in the summer after sophomore year or fall /winter of junior year, if possible.  Personally, I would go as soon after the summer travel season ends as possible and not wait until October, so he's still in peak condition.   

If he is hearing he's D3 material, and you can afford it, then it's still good to go in the summer after sophomore year, but not imperative.  The point is to get on schools' radar by fall/winter of junior year so they are following your son and trying to watch him play over the upcoming spring and summer.  But, if you can't swing a sophomore summer showcase, you can get on their follow lists using emails and videos. 

For D3s, it is better to showcase in the summer before senior year than the fall of senior year not only for the reason already mentioned (he's still in game shape) but also because some of HA D3 schools start making offers in mid to late July.  It's mid-August and some (but not all) of the schools my son has been talking to already have all their offers out and are just waiting for acceptances.  If your son wants to be in that first round of offers, he needs to be seen early.

I agree with everything LuckyCat said, a couple of other points. 

First, if your son wants to stay local, then no need to go to a national recruiting showcase at all, stick with PBR or other local ones.  When you go to a showcase, you will be seen by schools you have never heard of, but it's still better to write to schools that are of interest, tell them about yourself, give them your summer schedule, and ask them where they will be able to see you (they may just say "come to our camp" which doesn't mean much).

In answer to your timing question, the most academically selective schools are working backwards from the Early Decision application deadline in early November.  If those are your targets, and you are hoping to get admissions support, then many decisions are taken after the August Headfirst/Showball showcases.  Yes, for those schools, the September/October showcases senior year are probably too late - but, schools whose top choices decide to go elsewhere may still be looking to fill slots in October.  On the other hand, if you are looking at schools where your son would probably be admitted without support (and many of those schools are also at Headfirst/Showball), then the whole schedule is more relaxed.

Partly it depends what else your son is doing for recruitment, and what his skill level (measurables) and academics are, and that pitchers are different from position players.  If he's playing high-level travel ball in major tournaments, then contacting target schools individually with his schedule will get HA D1 eyes on him, as will having his travel coaches contact schools, or attending individual camps.  If he's a position player who has the skills for D1 schools, then a HA showcase in the fall of junior year is a good idea.  If he's a D3 player, then plan on showcases in the summer before senior year; if his numbers stand out (i.e. has a very strong 60-time, inf velo, exit velo, pop time, fastball), then one showcase may be enough, if he needs to be seen playing (because his numbers don't stand out), then maybe more than one. 

In addition to Headfirst, Showball, and Stanford, the other major academic showcase is Arizona Fall Classic in October.

Dadbelly2023,

So, I think it is really important to understand there is a talent and timeline trickle down effect with college baseball recruiting.   It always depends on many things, and there is always many ways to get to the goal.   The bottom line is you need an exposure strategy to correspond with that timeline once you determine your son’s talent level.

Yes, I believe Sept/Oct is very late even for D3 recruiting since the Early Decision process is early October.   You would not be giving yourself much time to make one of the most important (and expensive) decisions of your son’s life.   It is best to get in front of recruiting to give yourself options not be told what your recruiting options are.  If your son is a D3 HA level recruit, I would begin attending local specific school camps in the Fall of junior year or earlier (to get a feel for showcasing), then attend HeadFirst or Showball to get national exposure in the spring/summer between junior and senior year.  Add additional camps or showcases plus coaches correspondences as necessary that meet your son’s academic goals.  Baseball is one hurdle.  The next hurdle is SAT/ACT.  The earlier the better because this gives you something (assuming he does well) concrete to share with coaches to open up the recruiting conversation. 

I would modify this strategy and timeline significantly if your son is focused on HA D1 Ivy, or HA D1 Patriot schools.

Good luck!

Did anyone else notice the female MIF at Headfirst last week?  I did not get to watch her, but I was very impressed that she was there and was quietly rooting for her.

Hello group. 2021 had an interesting conversation today that I had not even considered. HC said his slots were down because class of 2020 was deferring enrollment and the enrollment at the university will be limited for 2021 (not just baseball). Another wrinkle in these uncharted COVID waters! Anyone else hear something similar? Sounds like those who make it will be very fortunate!

Correct ! So when I said earlier there is a trickle down of all of this, even at the HA/D3 schools maybe there was just a little truth to it. It’s a jungle out there right now for the 21’s.

@Fmr coach now Dad posted:

Correct ! So when I said earlier there is a trickle down of all of this, even at the HA/D3 schools maybe there was just a little truth to it. It’s a jungle out there right now for the 21’s.

100% there’s a trickle down even at this level.  Other than my own son I personally know three players who went the HA/D3 route because the path to HA D1 was so limited this year.   

Wow, interesting to hear an actual, firsthand account of HA DI kids going DIII. That doesn't bode well for my 2021 who's struggling to get DIII traction. It looks to me like Ivies are filling up their 2021 classes from what I can see on PG. There's a couple of players from our neck of the woods that I'm watching to see where they land...both very good, highly-rated players that are HA kids. 

I've heard a lot about kids reclassing to 2022. That is crazy, IMO, and I'd never let my son do it, but put him in the 2022 classes velo context and his numbers would shoot up for sure! 

I really appreciate this board and the advice given. Frankly, I'm worn out by this stuff. Any other exhausted parents out there? I knew this would be challenging, but not like this...Maybe things will get active for my kid late, but at this point, not counting on it.  

@BaseballDad72 posted:

Wow, interesting to hear an actual, firsthand account of HA DI kids going DIII. That doesn't bode well for my 2021 who's struggling to get DIII traction. It looks to me like Ivies are filling up their 2021 classes from what I can see on PG. There's a couple of players from our neck of the woods that I'm watching to see where they land...both very good, highly-rated players that are HA kids. 

 

I've heard a lot about kids reclassing to 2022. That is crazy, IMO, and I'd never let my son do it, but put him in the 2022 classes velo context and his numbers would shoot up for sure! 

I really appreciate this board and the advice given. Frankly, I'm worn out by this stuff. Any other exhausted parents out there? I knew this would be challenging, but not like this...Maybe things will get active for my kid late, but at this point, not counting on it.  

Save for a few lucky ones, everyone hits a wall in this process.  And this year is just so unprecedented and has thrown up roadblocks and challenges that have made it even more frustrating.  Try to push through and see it through to the end.  I wish you and your son the best. 

It hasn’t been exhaustive for us, because we had our son evaluated by several former pros and they all said D3.  He has some skills that might make a non professional think he’s a “tweener” as a possible D1/D2 bubble player. There are a LOT of players from our area with a similar skillset as our son who are still shooting for D1 and are getting stressed out.

When you fish in the right pond, you know it.  He’s had several phone conversations with D3 schools, a visit set up for mid September with one school, and a few others have asked him to visit etc...

@Los Angeles 2021 Parent posted:

Hello group. 2021 had an interesting conversation today that I had not even considered. HC said his slots were down because class of 2020 was deferring enrollment and the enrollment at the university will be limited for 2021 (not just baseball). Another wrinkle in these uncharted COVID waters! Anyone else hear something similar? Sounds like those who make it will be very fortunate!

Yes, especially if you are looking at HA schools and possibly across the board. A fair amount of students are deferring because they are not able to be on campus. As an example, Harvard had 20% of their freshman class defer.

3and2, I am very realistic, trust me. My son is focused on DIII. The pond has changed for 2021s, I think. That’s all. Even for DIII possible kids. 

https://www.masslive.com/news/...efer-enrollment.html

You made me look! Here is an article about Harvard’s 20 per cent. Tough times!

Hang in there @BaseballDad72. It's exhausting under normal circumstances but this year is infinitely worse. We are pulling for your son.