60-yard dash speed, recruiting

joemktgson had a teammate in the same situation a few years ago: HS senior, tremendous speed, excellent contact hitter, excellent grades, etc., etc. Two factors assisted with his placement: (1) attended the year-end PG showcase, and that led to multiple conversations with multiple schools, all D1 mid-majors; and (2) based on those conversations, was able to use his network to vouch for his athletic and scholastic capabilities. 

 

It worked, and is now played with a strong D1 mid-Major that is an excellent academic institution.

Thank you for the advice. We may try that approach. He runs winter track and has occasional weekend meets, so timing may be tricky. 

Any D2, D3 interest? or are you just aiming for D1 schools... ?

I know size doesn't matter...(D1--maybe it does)

what position does your son play.?

He's primarily an outfielder but can play short and second very well. Good feedback from D1 and D3 coaches to his high school coach but nothing concrete being offered yet.  Had one D1 assistant ask why he wasn't committed yet!  But he was done with 2015 grads and did not have a spot

It is not panic time.  An OF that does't hit the ball out of the park is not usually on the top of the priority list.  That doesn't mean he's not good or won't find a spot.

 

Keep being proactive with communication.  Highlight the fact that he can run & is smart.

 

I'm having coaches ask me every day about who is still uncommitted.  So there are still spots.

 

Good luck

 

Rich

PlayInSchool.com 

Let me know if this is not true.. but from what I understand seniors can sign to play college ball up until Aug of his senior year.. 

My son has not signed and is still applying for schools, etc..he is still going to through the right fit for a school..  he has D2's, D3 and Juco interest right now.. 

 

Good Luck,

Joe

Just to bring up jlaro's question, is he interested only in DI, or is he open to JUCO or other levels?   DOes he have a profile on PG or any videos anywhere?  If he does could you send me a dialog please.

 

 

He is open to other levels, but really wants to see if D1 will work out first. He's had D1 coaches express surprise that he hasn't signed already,but they don't have spots. He's even had a D1 coach offer to make calls on his behalf. No PG profile and video is in process.

Son was quite the same. Heard a lot that he was a D1 talent, but the schools of the size and Academic offerings he was looking for were not interested. He wanted to play as a freshman. He did not think that was going to happen at the D1 level. He did not want to be just another guy on the team he wanted to be THE guyon a good competitive team. 

Some larger D1 schools came in late to the game to offer a walk on spot. The schools did not match the profile he wanted, so he thanked them for their interest and moved on. 

Agree w wanting to play as Freshman, but if they don't start doesn't mean they r not practicing, conditioning, and playing on Summer leagues in hopes to play So yr.

At bigger schools u can learn a lot and get better while u sit behind Sr. stud waiting  your turn. My son wanted  to play against higher competition and loved how his D1 school trained so he was willing to wait instead of playing at other school who wanted him. He went to their practice and players and practices were too much like HS. 

No matter where u play be prepared to take advantage of training, practices , and working on your own. You'll  get out of it what you put into it. 

I've always thought......recruited = passion + skill + exposure + persistence + luck. If your son son runs a 6.6 60yd which is pretty good (but not elite) he should get some attention from the coaches looking for that skill.  .  I question the exposure or showcases/camps/events that he attended as being the right fit for him based on your results.  .  Did he really stand out enough or did he pursue enough variety of showcases among the school types he is qualified for?  You mentioned your son is a National Honpr Society member.  You need to play that card ASAP in my honest opinion.  This may or may not be the case, but the thoughts that went through my head as I read your post.  Good luck!

 

Coachold,

 

Happy Thanksgiving!!  I think that your son's height will be an advantage to him.  Although we have read on here that height doesn't matter (and maybe in some parts of the country it doesn't), in our experience, it does.  In our area (southwest) all of the players on my son's 2014 travel team that are around his height ended up at JCs or D2s.  Only the guys 6'0 and above ended up at D1s.  On the 2015 team (same club) that took many big national tournaments (considered by many to be a dream team) there were two players around 5'8 that went D1 and the rest of the players that went D1 were 6'0 and above. 

 

A great academic/baseball D3 school to consider is Trinity Texas. 

 

Best luck to your son! 

Height is an advantage, but talent is first.

 

When I read about all the examples, not just thread, but over the years.  The first question that comes to mind is... Are those sub 6 foot tall kids going to DIII colleges more "talented" than those over 6 foot kids that are going DI?  Nobody wants tall kids unless they have talent.  Everyone wants the kids, any height, that have the most talent.

 

Is it possible that it is so simple that the overall group of 6 foot and above kids contain more talent?  Still that should never stop someone under 6 foot if they have the talent. That is why people might say size alone won't stop someone.  There are a ton of over 6 foot players that don't create any recruiting interest.  Guess those kids have no excuse.

 

Speed plays, at any size. Lack of power doesn't always play, no matter what size.  Every scout and recruiter is interested in how the ball jumps off the bat.  That is more important than a high school batting average.  To really impress a recruiter you need to show you can hit high level pitching.  In most places around the country the high school pitching is not a very high level.  Sometimes a hitter will only see one or two real talented pitchers during a high school season.  In other pockets in the country, the pitching is at a much higher level overall.  Recruiters and scouts know what those areas are.

PG,

 

Thanks for chiming in!  When you say speed plays, how fast does a player have to be before they have the advantage of speed?  What kind of power is necessary before a player is said to have power (singles in the gap? doubles? HRs?)

 

Obviously you are the expert when it comes to judging talent, and I respect your opinion.  I am not a scout or a recruiter, only the parent of a college baseball player, but from my limited experience height seemed to have an advantage. 

 

Thanks for any info that you can give!

I am just looking for perspective. I have done alot of research. Would some of you mind giving feedback on a kids 60 or just a general opinion, especially that are at or above 6'2", +/- 200lbs? I am trying to get bearing on my 2016, weakest tool.... footspeed, he is no burner. In his defense he is not going to play a position where speed will be the 1st, or 2nd tool. I also understand a lug clogs up basepaths. If he gets below 7.0 thats a huge plus, for him in particular. I understand speed less detriment for P/C. My 2016 can and does score from 2nd, but that has just developed in the last 18 months as he has grown mentally/physically. He can haul once he gets up to speed, but still is not a blazer.
This is certainly not a scientific study, but a decent sampling.......I have personal abundant knowledge/experience/education of kinetics, anatomical growth, anatomy and physiolgy, weight lifting, diet, nutrition. I just do not use my skillset for baseball application.
I looked at the PG website, the 1st 200 class of 2016's for 60. I only looked at 6'3" or above and around 200lbs. I also tried to focus on RHP,CIF, C, even 3B. Either there was no time listed(which helped nada) or times were 7.0-8.2 range. There were 1 or 2 below 7.0, but barely. I recall one at 6.99.
I also looked at some of the taller/bigger MIF kids.
That puts 2016 in the middle and it drives him to work on speed, in the free time he does not have.

I understand the coveted # is 7.0, but what is the age that number is applicable? By the end of Sr. Season? I understand the implication if he were already below 7.0.
Is speed a tool that coaches can project that will improve as the kid matures, gains strength, leans ojt and matures? My 2016 is still more Pillsbury Dough Boy than lean. He also won't be 17 for 6 months. I get the jest that is an asset with power and velocity for some baseball athletes.

Times do drop for runners and swimmers as they "come together" athletically, physically
and with training. That's why records get PR's, WR's are broken from the pool, weights, track, high jump, etc.

My general observations(I am not an expert) are that many of the kids that were speed demons before puberty are not blazinly faster after puberty(some have slowed down, in the case of my 2016 he has sped up and closed the gap (and his speed goes down as he matures) many of the speedsters, that is their best tool and most are not above 6'2"

2016: 6'4", +/- 205lbs best 60yd time 7.5 at a college prospect camp in Nov 2014. Never laser timed, just at a few dozen hand timed college camps and at HS.

Alot of this Q&A is b/c 2016 is now "on the market". I never really have been concerned with how fast, how far, how hard as it never seemed necessary before puberty, or even before varsity, Jr. Yr.

Thanks for your help!

A newbie

Hopefully PG will chime in again.  He is the person on this site that would have the best information on 60 times/size/powe/recruiting/playing/being projectable.