Lost, 1-3 to Pomona Pitzer, very good offensive team.
Pomona gets ETBU now, with the number one D3 pitcher.
SCIAC conference has some really good teams, we played Cal Lutheren out of conference during the season and lost the series 1-2. Another really powerful offense.
My son's team made it to the D3 regionals as an at large team. They went to the world series two years ago as an at large team and were hopeful to repeat. Unfortunately, they lost the first game but won the next two. Their fourth game was against the team they had lost to on Friday. They were up by 2 runs, bottom of the ninth, two outs. Well, you can guess how it ended.
My son is now a rising senior. It's gone by so fast. He wants to teach high school math and coach baseball. He got his first experience in the classroom this school year and will be student teaching in the fall. He is an assistant coach for a 15U team this summer and the team had their first practice last night. He came home beaming from ear to ear.
@dverespey posted:Lost, 1-3 to Pomona Pitzer, very good offensive team.
Pomona gets ETBU now, with the number one D3 pitcher.
SCIAC conference has some really good teams, we played Cal Lutheren out of conference during the season and lost the series 1-2. Another really powerful offense.
I have seen ETBU and they are very good. Close to half the roster is made up of transfers. Mostly JuCo guys but some came from D1, D2, & D3.
Willamette has a roster of Northern California players. Will your son pitch this Summer in the Northern League?
Bob
@Consultant posted:Willamette has a roster of Northern California players. Will your son pitch this Summer in the Northern League?
Bob
Not this summer.
Will be home to work/workout.
Would really like to see him get good in depth pitching training this summer. (Video, metrics, etc) He's never had that on his journey.
Thank you. Have you knowledge of the "Prunepackers" ?
Healdsburg, CA near Santa Rosa.
Bob
Heard of the name, don't know anything else about them.
@Consultant posted:Thank you. Have you knowledge of the "Prunepackers" ?
Healdsburg, CA near Santa Rosa.
Bob
My son was supposed to play in that league with the Prunepackers this summer before he got hurt.
@dverespey posted:Pomona gets ETBU now, with the number one D3 pitcher.
And yet...
@anotherparent posted:And yet...
Yup, another why the games are played.
@dverespey posted:Yup, another why the games are played.
This was predicted by @TerribleBPthrower who is now be referred to as the Karnac of D3 baseball
@adbono posted:This was predicted by @TerribleBPthrower who is now be referred to as the Karnac of D3 baseball
Way too much time on my hands, lol
Son had a great sophomore baseball experience this year at Iowa Central Comm College in Ft Dodge, IA. ICCC is a D2 JUCO that finished 3rd in conference and set the JUCO D2 HR record this season (134 HR's). Team was ranked as high as 4th nationally before having a disappointing conference tournament and ending up 13th in final ranking.
Son was a D1 drop down (his choice for development purposes) and as he went to a place where nearly everybody was there to get better at baseball (JUCO) which was not the case at his prior D1. Facilities available for getting better were open almost 24/7 and with a turf field and decent weather in the fall and in Feb/March/April they were able to be on field a ton. Some cold days for sure but the combo of traveling south in Feb and decent weather allowed them to play 57 games.
Son ended up with over 200 ab's in 55 games. Hit .337 with a .1097 OPS with 14 HR and 14 SB. He faded a little late in season after batters eye blew down in the craziest, windiest day I have ever been a part of. Sustained 40 mph winds gusting over 50 for 5+ hours (was a double header) bent the brackets and tore the eye off. See videos attached...check out the 2nd baseman's initial read on the fly ball to the right center gap and then where the ball ends up for a ground rule double.
Recruiting stuff started early in the fall with a PBR day at school and showcase type games (different pitcher every inning and sometimes limited # of hitters per inning) in September. My son did some reaching out to schools he was interested in that might have been at upcoming games/events that were with background on him including all relevant metrics. I was amazed at the number of D1 schools from across the country that were in attendance in KC (several SEC, ACC, Big 10, Big 12, PAC 10 (rip), and bunches of mid majors from Virginia, North Carolina, Louisiana, Arizona, and across the middle of the country) and many of the same schools at a couple of other events the team attended. (At spring conference games there were recruiters seen from Iowa, Kansas, TCU, Troy, Minnesota, Penn State, Utah, several MLB scouts, and bunches of D2's.)
Son had several offers to make official visits starting in late September, made some visits and politely declined others. He made his last visit the first week of October and committed to Liberty 2 days later. He is very excited and appears to be the perfect fit for him from a baseball, faith, culture, and climate perspective. Incredible facilities to get work done to be the best player you can be, an awesome coaching staff, a way above average mid-major conference, and an awesome mid-week schedule every year.
Iowa Central has 10 kids committed to D1's (3 P5's) as of now with 2 more expected to commit in the next week or so. Several others will play for other 4 year schools next year. The conference player of the year (IF) and imo the 3 P's with the biggest upside are uncommitted at this time but that could change...
I would HIGHLY recommend the JUCO route for strong consideration for many kids. My son wishes he had done it his freshman year. Feel free to reach out with questions about his path.
Regionals day!!!!! Got my phone and ipad all ready to pop on the games at work. It's like March Madness for us baseball fans. Good luck to the teams playing today! GBO!
@used2lurk posted:......................
Son had several offers to make official visits starting in late September, made some visits and politely declined others. He made his last visit the first week of October and committed to Liberty 2 days later. He is very excited and appears to be the perfect fit for him from a baseball, faith, culture, and climate perspective. Incredible facilities to get work done to be the best player you can be, an awesome coaching staff, a way above average mid-major conference, and an awesome mid-week schedule every year.
........................
Congrats! Definitely some incredible facilities (new stadium is awesome) and better baseball weather than IA. I drive by Liberty all the the time, and they used to be a my customer many moons ago when they didn't have two nickels to rub together. That changed in the early 2000s, and the University has come a long way in 25 years. Liberty's founder almost ran me, and their CIO over in his GMC Suburban on a blind corner. It was pretty scary. He got out of the car to apologize, and we had a conversation that I'll never forget.
You're exactly right, there are great opportunities for mid-week games playing UVA, Virginia Tech, Radford, VCU, ODU, Richmond, etc... Conference USA is a pretty darn competitive conference, and Liberty will have to step up. This will be a great opportunity for your son to test his skills.
Best of luck!
Moved the boy to campus on Saturday and the school he's going to is still playing in the NCAA tourney. His first week sure will be memorable.
Edit: And....he just got his first parking ticket. He's officially a college student now.
900 players entered the transfer portal today alone. More will enter tomorrow as compliance officers process the mountain of paperwork that’s sitting in front of them. That’s more than enough players to staff 20 teams - which is more than most conferences have.
My son ended his undergraduate career with a loss, as happens to almost every team in post-season play. It was a thrilling run.
@anotherparent posted:My son ended his undergraduate career with a loss, as happens to almost every team in post-season play. It was a thrilling run.
sorry for the loss, but congrats on the journey! good stuff.
