A Recruiting Story

The Big12 offer came with no athletic scholarship money?

Good luck John. I hope you will continue to find safe crossings with the burned bridges you left behind.

@anotherparent posted:

The Big12 offer came with no athletic scholarship money?

Good question. I believe that some money was involved but I don’t know how much. I would guess no more than 25% this late in the game. But I’m sure that most of the 39 invites to “fall training camp” (and that’s exactly what it is) are not getting any money. The best 18 of the 39 will be kept regardless of who is on money and who isn’t. The rest will be shuttled out of town. The numbers are stacked against the players much more than most people realize. That’s the point I’m making.

@2022NYC posted:

Good luck John. I hope you will continue to find safe crossings with the burned bridges you left behind.

John is a good kid. I blame the parents for the burned bridges. But your point is well taken. Baseball is a small world and karma is real.

@adbono posted:

John is a good kid. I blame the parents for the burned bridges. But your point is well taken. Baseball is a small world and karma is real.

Those that don't listen must feel.   Hopefully it will work out for him.  Tough odds.

@adbono posted:

The best 18 of the 39 will be kept regardless of who is on money and who isn’t. The rest will be shuttled out of town.

I had always thought that getting athletic money meant that the coach was invested in you and thus was a signal you were more likely (at least) to to be kept.  So you're saying that is not the case?   I know that they can and do cut scholarship athletes, I just assumed it was less likely.

@anotherparent posted:

I had always thought that getting athletic money meant that the coach was invested in you and thus was a signal you were more likely (at least) to to be kept.  So you're saying that is not the case?   I know that they can and do cut scholarship athletes, I just assumed it was less likely.

Generally speaking you are correct. But the number of players in the transfer portal has changed a lot of things. Grad transfers often come in on no money and many of them are better than unproven freshmen on scholarship. When this happens the HC has a decision to make and it almost always goes in favor of the experienced player. This is what baseballhs alluded to in her post. Even if the younger players on scholarship don’t lose their roster spot they are very likely to lose their chance of playing time. This is an issue at all levels of NCAA baseball due to how many players have received extra years of eligibility.

Freshman team = development = team success

Bob

Adbono,

Two schools (a JUCO and a Big12) is a very small pool of potential offering schools especially for the baseball talent that he possesses.  Based on what you've shared (from the recruit's view) I think he sold himself way short.  Again, from the outside looking in it appears he didn't do his due diligence especially with his "minor learning disability".   I hope his parents were there to guide him in his decision and they accounted for his disability in their recruiting recommendation to his son. 

Everybody has a different story, background and requirements but in the end the recruit (and parents) is going to own the decision.  I realize it is extremely intoxicating to have that level of talent, and difficult for a 15, 16,17 year old kid to make the right choice.   A lot of us have never been in this position with elite talent.   

Sometimes, I think it is much more difficult on elite recruits as they don't have the luxury of more time and more experience in the recruiting process than someone who has D1 mid-major talent who has the benefit of being passed over by the D1 P5s or other D1 mid-majors.  My oldest son was approached and recruited by an SEC after one of their recruits had serious legal issues a year after the recruit had committed.   My son was in the middle of weeding through D1 mid-major schools at the time.    The SEC school was offering academic money, and admissions into the schools honor college.   My son saw this for exactly what it was (a sales tactic) as he had the "benefit" of a year of recruiting experience and rejection from a handful of schools.   In my way of thinking, rejection was a great learning experience for my son in this case.

Just my experience.......

Fenway, your posts always have meat on the bone. In John’s (not his real name btw) case he is somewhat of a late bloomer who is just starting to realize his potential. There is no question in my mind that he will be able to pitch in the Big12. But not yet.  Even with elite talent that doesn’t make him ready for it at 18 years old. One thing that most people don’t give enough consideration is the issue of confidence. Pitching in particular requires supreme confidence to be effective. Confidence is built bit by bit as small successes are stacked up over time. When that course gets abandoned (too soon) for a sink or swim proposition all the confidence gained can be lost in one fell swoop - and it can take a long time  to regain it. When that happens it’s a setback - and it interrupts the career progression. Some players never get back on track. I say why put yourself on a road full of potholes when there is a smooth road nearby that leads to the same destination. Top 25 D1 programs often don’t do much to develop their players. They expect them to show up on campus ready to help win ballgames. The ones that aren’t ready don’t get kept so they can develop. They get replaced post haste. John has tasted success this season at a different level than ever before. As a result he believes he is ready to fly right now. I think he will be ready to fly in 2 more years. I guess we will see who is right. But John is 18 years old and his parents have no prior experience with college recruiting - they just want to see their son play at their alma mater. I am 65 years old and have been around the game all my life. I have seen what has happened to highly recruited HS freshmen pitchers since Covid has changed the rules. They get warehoused, tinkered with, left to their own devices, and lose their confidence. I understand that it’s a decision left up to the player and their family but bad decisions have killed many a promising career. So my money is on me being right about where this is headed. I would love to be wrong but probability says I won’t be.

@adbono posted:

Fenway, your posts always have meat on the bone. In John’s (not his real name btw) case he is somewhat of a late bloomer who is just starting to realize his potential. There is no question in my mind that he will be able to pitch in the Big12. But not yet.  Even with elite talent that doesn’t make him ready for it at 18 years old. One thing that most people don’t give enough consideration is the issue of confidence. Pitching in particular requires supreme confidence to be effective. Confidence is built bit by bit as small successes are stacked up over time. When that course gets abandoned (too soon) for a sink or swim proposition all the confidence gained can be lost in one fell swoop - and it can take a long time  to regain it. When that happens it’s a setback - and it interrupts the career progression. Some players never get back on track. I say why put yourself on a road full of potholes when there is a smooth road nearby that leads to the same destination. Top 25 D1 programs often don’t do much to develop their players. They expect them to show up on campus ready to help win ballgames. The ones that aren’t ready don’t get kept so they can develop. They get replaced post haste. John has tasted success this season at a different level than ever before. As a result he believes he is ready to fly right now. I think he will be ready to fly in 2 more years. I guess we will see who is right. But John is 18 years old and his parents have no prior experience with college recruiting - they just want to see their son play at their alma mater. I am 65 years old and have been around the game all my life. I have seen what has happened to highly recruited HS freshmen pitchers since Covid has changed the rules. They get warehoused, tinkered with, left to their own devices, and lose their confidence. I understand that it’s a decision left up to the player and their family but bad decisions have killed many a promising career. So my money is on me being right about where this is headed. I would love to be wrong but probability says I won’t be.

@adbono  @fenway  when is the podcast coming.  Great, respectful dialog. Always providing sound advice.  Thanks at the insights.

Maybe I can take your threads and implement "AI" based what ifs in CBI.

I would have "no idea" who this is or "where" he is going.  Only team that has more players on the field in fall ball in the state of Texas than this university may be Southlake .

Can’t get anything past a guy from Cleburne!  But speaking of “this University”, I hope people are wising up.

@adbono Serious question - what do you recommend for those late bloomers who may be capable of playing at a high level at some point in the future but aren't there yet and don't come from a juco friendly area. Meaning the baseball isn't great or doesn't really offer a pathway to higher level baseball.

So a player who lives in CT or NY and has walk-on D1 offers or somebody who hit a late growth spurt and had a significant velo increase but has never really played higher level competition to be tested. I know in our area, there are some decent jucos, but none are really placing their kids well.

@PABaseball, that’s a good question and I think a lot of kids fall into that category regardless of where they live. There is no easy answer. My first suggestion would be to look farther south until you get to areas where JuCo baseball is more highly regarded. That might require an advocate that could make the initial contact. Post grad might be another option tho not my favorite route. I think times are tougher than ever for HS seniors but especially for late bloomers.

@PABaseball posted:

@adbono Serious question - what do you recommend for those late bloomers who may be capable of playing at a high level at some point in the future but aren't there yet and don't come from a juco friendly area. Meaning the baseball isn't great or doesn't really offer a pathway to higher level baseball.

So a player who lives in CT or NY and has walk-on D1 offers or somebody who hit a late growth spurt and had a significant velo increase but has never really played higher level competition to be tested. I know in our area, there are some decent jucos, but none are really placing their kids well.

Just like going D1 a player wants a 17u coaching staff with the right contacts. This was about ten years ago. My son’s Mid Atlantic travel team was placing everyone P5. Except one kid was dumber than a bag of rocks. He had the talent. He didn’t have the brains. The coaching staff placed him at a quality NC JuCo with several ACC programs into the area. The kid flunked out of the JuCo. End of story.

NYC has a couple of D1 JCs. Monroe College had some players who came from P5 and did the 4-2-4 thing. I imagine that roster is tough to crack.

@2022NYC posted:

NYC has a couple of D1 JCs. Monroe College had some players who came from P5 and did the 4-2-4 thing. I imagine that roster is tough to crack.

Yes, some in Pa/Nj as well. You get a decent amount of P5 dropdowns, but it doesn't appear they ever get back to a high level baseball program after the JC. They typically feed to the same 4-10 lower level D1 programs. I don't know if that is because they never belonged in the first place or the juco doesn't place well.

Every local P5-2-4 success story I've seen has involved the player in question heading to a southern juco.

@PABaseball posted:

Yes, some in Pa/Nj as well. You get a decent amount of P5 dropdowns, but it doesn't appear they ever get back to a high level baseball program after the JC. They typically feed to the same 4-10 lower level D1 programs. I don't know if that is because they never belonged in the first place or the juco doesn't place well.

Every local P5-2-4 success story I've seen has involved the player in question heading to a southern juco.

JuCo baseball in the sunshine states is different than in the NE. It’s just way better baseball. All you have to do is look at the results in the D1 & D2 JuCo World Series if you have any doubt. The teams from the NE regions never fare well against teams from Florida, Texas, Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, etc. in post season play. There are also some very strong programs in the Midwest but not nearly as many. The regional differences are huge. The 4-2-4 route is common in Texas. Every D1 in Texas over recruits to some extent. Only the very best HS seniors have a chance to stick in a D1 program as a freshman - but many that are not the very best (but still VERY good) show up to take their shot (or so they think) anyway. When they inevitably get shown the door they usually drop down to JuCo where they are welcomed b/c they are very good players. They often take a position away from another player who began at that JuCo and thought he had won a starting spot. But that is a different topic. After success at a Texas JuCo the players often transfer to a equal or better D1 than they started at. Or the JuCo experience has shown them that D2 is a better fit. There are too many players right now at every good D1 program which is why I push the JuCo route for 95% of HS seniors. That route makes sense in Texas. It may not in NY so if you are in that situation look outside your comfort zone. Head south young man!

PABaseball, in general, perhaps the player should research a school that they can get the best education for their desired field of study and also play baseball.  There is no guarantee they develop to the player they hope to be.  If the "late bloomer" would like to play at the next level or at a higher level of college then there may be an opportunity  during the various summer wood bat summer leagues to display their skills. 

No HC/RC can take an education opportunity away from a player but they can take away their baseball opportunity!

@JABMK posted:

No HC/RC can take an education opportunity away from a player but they can take away their baseball opportunity!

For many kids if they are getting athletic money and lose it, their families cannot afford the school they're at.

@adbono posted:

JuCo baseball in the sunshine states is different than in the NE. It’s just way better baseball. All you have to do is look at the results in the D1 & D2 JuCo World Series if you have any doubt. The teams from the NE regions never fare well against teams from Florida, Texas, Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, etc. in post season play. There are also some very strong programs in the Midwest but not nearly as many. The regional differences are huge. The 4-2-4 route is common in Texas. Every D1 in Texas over recruits to some extent. Only the very best HS seniors have a chance to stick in a D1 program as a freshman - but many that are not the very best (but still VERY good) show up to take their shot (or so they think) anyway. When they inevitably get shown the door they usually drop down to JuCo where they are welcomed b/c they are very good players. They often take a position away from another player who began at that JuCo and thought he had won a starting spot. But that is a different topic. After success at a Texas JuCo the players often transfer to a equal or better D1 than they started at. Or the JuCo experience has shown them that D2 is a better fit. There are too many players right now at every good D1 program which is why I push the JuCo route for 95% of HS seniors. That route makes sense in Texas. It may not in NY so if you are in that situation look outside your comfort zone. Head south young man!

@adbono

I agree with your points, with a slight nuance.

Note, there are no D1 Juco programs in NJ, very strong D2 and D3.  (Region 19). This is not due to lack of talent, especially in South Jersey, it is financials of how the community colleges want to be classified.

RCSJ Cumberland and Rowan @ Gloucester are D3 in name only, if they were to upgrade to D1, they would attract from South Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Eastern PA.  South Jersey by itself is has always had some of the better baseball, but I might be a little bias. (Gloucester Catholic, St Aug and Bishop Eustace),

Until a couple of years ago Mercer County (D2) was stacked,  In 2017, if it wasn't for mismanagement of pitchers in the final 2 games of the world series, they should have defeated Parkland, but you have to play the game.

Here are some of the JUCO Insights by State

PA

New York

@CollegebaseballInsights, I’m aware that there are good D3 JuCos in New Jersey and I alluded to huge regional differences. I will use Texas as an example. In Texas the only D3 JuCos are in the Dallas College Conference. Two of those schools (Eastfield & Richland) are ranked in the top 10 nationally right behind the NJ schools you mentioned. But they don’t get much respect locally. Eastfield & Richland couldn’t compete in D1 Region 5 (North and West Texas). They don’t have comparable pitching. There are also no D2 JuCos in Texas. But Region 2 (Oklahoma & Arkansas) plays good baseball and the better teams would compete well in Region 5. There are Texas kids all over Region 2 and there is crossover in talent in the 3 NJCAA divisions the same as there is in the NCAA. In 2019 D2 Western Oklahoma had their entire infield selected in the MLB draft. You think they were any good? It’s hard to speak in general terms about JuCo baseball because the regional differences are so big that there is an exception to almost anything you say. But it’s safe to say that there are only a few exceptional JuCo programs in the NE and in the states I mentioned in my previous post there are literally too many exceptional JuCo programs to count. One thing that’s universally true is that most people don’t know very much about JuCo baseball until they find themselves not being recruited by NCAA D1 schools. Then they want a crash course to learn everything in 15 minutes - and that just can’t be done.

@adbono posted:

@CollegebaseballInsights, I’m aware that there are good D3 JuCos in New Jersey and I alluded to huge regional differences. I will use Texas as an example. In Texas the only D3 JuCos are in the Dallas College Conference. Two of those schools (Eastfield & Richland) are ranked in the top 10 nationally right behind the NJ schools you mentioned. But they don’t get much respect locally. Eastfield & Richland couldn’t compete in D1 Region 5 (North and West Texas). They don’t have comparable pitching. There are also no D2 JuCos in Texas. But Region 2 (Oklahoma & Arkansas) plays good baseball and the better teams would compete well in Region 5. There are Texas kids all over Region 2 and there is crossover in talent in the 3 NJCAA divisions the same as there is in the NCAA. In 2019 D2 Western Oklahoma had their entire infield selected in the MLB draft. You think they were any good? It’s hard to speak in general terms about JuCo baseball because the regional differences are so big that there is an exception to almost anything you say. But it’s safe to say that there are only a few exceptional JuCo programs in the NE and in the states I mentioned in my previous post there are literally too many exceptional JuCo programs to count. One thing that’s universally true is that most people don’t know very much about JuCo baseball until they find themselves not being recruited by NCAA D1 schools. Then they want a crash course to learn everything in 15 minutes - and that just can’t be done.

@adbono I understand.  good point.

@adbono posted:

Generally speaking you are correct. But the number of players in the transfer portal has changed a lot of things. Grad transfers often come in on no money and many of them are better than unproven freshmen on scholarship. When this happens the HC has a decision to make and it almost always goes in favor of the experienced player. This is what baseballhs alluded to in her post. Even if the younger players on scholarship don’t lose their roster spot they are very likely to lose their chance of playing time. This is an issue at all levels of NCAA baseball due to how many players have received extra years of eligibility.

I’ll add that sometimes I think more than a 25% scholarship puts a target on your back. We know a kid who was getting draft attention, ask for more money and got it and then arrived in a huge slump.  He was in his head and could not hit. He did not make it past Christmas because they wanted that money back. There has always been a lack of patience and little development with some schools. Now they are being pretty transparent and just telling kids, this grad transfer (or portal transfer) has a resume…you don’t. They will get a longer leash and more opportunities.  No way to build a resume without opportunity so it’s a hamster wheel.  Even knowing a bunch of guys are going to graduate no longer means anything because a grad student can come in .  Tough climate.

@baseballhs posted:

I’ll add that sometimes I think more than a 25% scholarship puts a target on your back. We know a kid who was getting draft attention, ask for more money and got it and then arrived in a huge slump.  He was in his head and could not hit. He did not make it past Christmas because they wanted that money back. There has always been a lack of patience and little development with some schools. Now they are being pretty transparent and just telling kids, this grad transfer (or portal transfer) has a resume…you don’t. They will get a longer leash and more opportunities.  No way to build a resume without opportunity so it’s a hamster wheel.  Even knowing a bunch of guys are going to graduate no longer means anything because a grad student can come in .  Tough climate.

Excellent post!  This is what so many people don’t realize has changed b/c of NCAA rulings regarding Covid. There is no longer ANY development at most competitive D1 programs. Not only do D1 coaching staffs not want to spend their time developing young players, now they don’t have to. Much easier to comb the transfer portal and recruit Juco guys. Both already have experience. I can’t blame 4 year schools for taking advantage of this. But I do blame them for continuing to recruit HS grads that they don’t need and have no intention of developing. The entire situation is caveat emptor like never before.

Adbono;

what is the "motivation" of the "transfer" player; the "graduate transfer"; the JC transfer; and the "Freshman"

Is it a professional contract, a WS ring, the "pride of playing the game"

The wise College Coach will learn the motivation of his players and mold his team for success. Constant testing & teaching with practice games.

Bob

@Consultant posted:

Adbono;

what is the "motivation" of the "transfer" player; the "graduate transfer"; the JC transfer; and the "Freshman"

Is it a professional contract, a WS ring, the "pride of playing the game"

The wise College Coach will learn the motivation of his players and mold his team for success. Constant testing & teaching with practice games.

Bob

Bob, I hear you and (as always) you are right in theory. But theory is often different than reality. And the reality is, at the ranked D1 programs (and many others too), the “constant testing & teaching” is NOT happening. It has been lacking for some time but Covid has made it much worse.

Adbono

what are the answers? Personally I would involve the pro scouts and former pro players for weekly clinics for my College team which I did when I Coached College.

Bob

@Consultant posted:

Adbono

what are the answers? Personally I would involve the pro scouts and former pro players for weekly clinics for my College team which I did when I Coached College.

Bob

Excellent question. Here are some suggestions; 1) HS players & parents need to wise up about how 4 year schools are recruiting - look at what they are doing instead of listening to what they say, 2) after that they need to start making choices that give them a better chance of success - recruiting has turned into a probability assessment.  3) then they need to make a plan for their own development and not depend on someone else to do that for them. All of that would be a good start.

@adbono posted:

Excellent question. Here are some suggestions; 1) HS players & parents need to wise up about how 4 year schools are recruiting - look at what they are doing instead of listening to what they say, 2) after that they need to start making choices that give them a better chance of success - recruiting has turned into a probability assessment.  3) then they need to make a plan for their own development and not depend on someone else to do that for them. All of that would be a good start.

I wish there was a like x10 button

I'd be willing to follow John and see what happens if you have the time to update the board occasionally. Who knows how many of the 18 POs will stay healthy,? Will John? And if so would that help him get the mound time? Clemson has an outstanding academic support program with mandatory study hall hours for classwork...which is enforced by the HC and definitely helped my son along the way... Good post, @Adbono

@Shoveit4Ks, I will be happy to keep you posted as I will be following with great interest. I have 4 years invested in him.

@adbono posted:

Excellent question. Here are some suggestions; 1) HS players & parents need to wise up about how 4 year schools are recruiting - look at what they are doing instead of listening to what they say, 2) after that they need to start making choices that give them a better chance of success - recruiting has turned into a probability assessment.  3) then they need to make a plan for their own development and not depend on someone else to do that for them. All of that would be a good start.

@adbono the challenge is the college recruiting process is designed from the perspective of the schools acquiring resources, from the student athlete/family perspective most of the information is unstructured.

Note, there a books, websites, etc that outlines the general process, but when it comes to information about school roster management tendencies, that is hard to find.

Note, the system went from playing HS and American Legion, etc to the travel ball model (training 10 months out the year, weekly tournaments, showcase, etc)

Pure money trail on multiple levels.

Travel programs having 2 to 3 teams at every age group.  Attending tournaments in location that don't recruit players from their area.

Etc.

The model is not set up to inform, it is set up for the $$$.

IMHO

@CollegebaseballInsights posted:

@adbono the challenge is the college recruiting process is designed from the perspective of the schools acquiring resources, from the student athlete/family perspective most of the information is unstructured.

Note, there a books, websites, etc that outlines the general process, but when it comes to information about school roster management tendencies, that is hard to find.

Note, the system went from playing HS and American Legion, etc to the travel ball model (training 10 months out the year, weekly tournaments, showcase, etc)

Pure money trail on multiple levels.

Travel programs having 2 to 3 teams at every age group.  Attending tournaments in location that don't recruit players from their area.

Etc.

The model is not set up to inform, it is set up for the $$$.

IMHO

Most of what you stated is understood by people that have been thru the recruiting gauntlet. However it’s much better understood after the fact and not during the process. Regarding roster management history - a decent amount of information is available on most school websites. It takes some digging, and you have to go back a few years, but it’s not hard to figure out who is getting the ABs, who is getting the innings, and what roster turnover looks like. It just takes time. The fly in the ointment occurs when there is a coaching change as previous patterns are no longer relevant. But if you are an elite HS P being recruited by P5 schools and they are saying that “you are their guy and you will be a dude for us and you will be on the mound for us next year” (and that’s what they say to every recruit btw) the first thing I would do is look at the past 4 years of stats and see how many freshman pitchers got more than 8 innings.

@adbono posted:

Most of what you stated is understood by people that have been thru the recruiting gauntlet. However it’s much better understood after the fact and not during the process. Regarding roster management history - a decent amount of information is available on most school websites. It takes some digging, and you have to go back a few years, but it’s not hard to figure out who is getting the ABs, who is getting the innings, and what roster turnover looks like. It just takes time. The fly in the ointment occurs when there is a coaching change as previous patterns are no longer relevant. But if you are an elite HS P being recruited by P5 schools and they are saying that “you are their guy and you will be a dude for us and you will be on the mound for us next year” (and that’s what they say to every recruit btw) the first thing I would do is look at the past 4 years of stats and see how many freshman pitchers got more than 8 innings.

@adbono  your first sentence "Most of what you stated is understood by people that have been thru the recruiting gauntlet."

A person has to experience before understanding, thus it is the chicken or the egg.

With respects to school website, the data is raw and in certain cases corrupt, e.g  2021 Mississippi State had 46 players, they reported to Department of Ed. 48.

If you were to look at the 2021 roster as of today you will notice there are only 38 players listed.  What happened to the 10 players?

Note, overall the completeness of roster data has a direct correlation to who is maintaining the website and the budget.

Although "Rosters might be considered A Gold Mine",  there are different karats and some of the information is Fool's Gold"

A serious Question:  On average, How much time do you think is spent investigating schools?

Good stuff.  You are on point

Players are often removed from the school's web roster when they leave the team mid-season.Those who are injured and expected to return are usually kept on the on-line rosters, but anyone who enters the portal can expect to be vanished right away.

To get a better picture, look at the Season Stats page on the school's site - those will usually still contain information on the transferred players. It's still incomplete, though, because often the transferring players won't have any stats.

@T_Thomas posted:

Players are often removed from the school's web roster when they leave the team mid-season.Those who are injured and expected to return are usually kept on the on-line rosters, but anyone who enters the portal can expect to be vanished right away.

To get a better picture, look at the Season Stats page on the school's site - those will usually still contain information on the transferred players. It's still incomplete, though, because often the transferring players won't have any stats.

@t_thomas  here is the simple question that any student and parent would like to know in less than 5 mins

"How many players participated on the varsity team during the season?"

Participants

Students who, as of the day of a varsity team's first scheduled contest

(A) Are listed by the institution on the varsity team's roster;

(B) Receive athletically related student aid; or

(C) Practice with the varsity team and receive coaching from one or more varsity coaches. A student who satisfies one or more of these criteria is a participant, including a student on a team the institution designates or defines as junior varsity, freshman, or novice, or a student withheld from competition to preserve eligibility (i.e., a redshirt), or for academic, medical, or other reasons. This includes fifth-year team members who have already received a bachelor's degree.

I know this is the case at some schools but I must defend Tennessee who has been accused of it, not on here but in other circles.  Their starting lineup this year as the #1 team in the nation is

5th year new catcher who moved from LF and transformed himself, 6th year first baseman, new starting second baseman junior, new starting SS junior, new starting third baseman junior, LF is a mixed bag as no one has claimed that spot which includes juco transfer, freshman, sophomore, and junior.  CF and LF are three year starters.

Pitchers: Friday guy is freshman, Saturday guy is transfer sophomore from mid major, Sunday guy is freshman, first RHP out of bullpen is senior, second RHP is junior, closer is juco junior transfer who sat out last year due to TJ but was at UT, first LHP out of bullpen is junior who has played all three years, second is junior who really came on this year, and LHP closer is 5th year who has played four years.

DH role is mix with 2 juniors and 2 freshmen.

Our coaching staff has done a great job of keeping guys who were not getting playing time and recruiting high end guys.  Add in a small mix of transfers, juco and D1.  They have gotten guys to buy into the program and wait their turn and they are being rewarded by it and will be drafted for it.  Covid helped with the 2 fifth year and 1 sixth year guys.  I think they have strong mix of guys who played from day one to guys who waited and were developed.  Our pitching staff has been developed by one of the best in the nation at any level and hitters are incredible.