Hello all,
My 2022 catcher has 4.0+ GPA and it trying to get in front of the some West Coast schools. We have a targeted list of about 4-5 in the West Coast based on major (aviation). The high academic showcases (Headfirst, Showball) are frankly a little expensive based on what we want. I am looking at the AZ Fall Academic classic or the PG Academic Showcase.
Thoughts on your preference?
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It's funny, but no-one on this site has ever had good words to say about the PG Academic Showcase, I think mainly because they don't publish a list of attending schools, and so the feeling has been that not many schools attend in person. Many here speak highly of AZ.
I remembered a fairly recent thread about aviation - that was your thread in January! The best would be for your son to email specific schools of interest, and ask them where they will be, or how they would like to see your son?
Our best experiences with HA showcases were Headfirst, Stanford showcase/camp & a local travel squad (Quakes Baseball) that puts on a HA showcase with all the Ivy's and some local HA D3's. The Quakes camp may have been the best if you're looking at Ivy. Smaller number of participants and the Ivy head coaches were all on the field talking and working with the players.
Skip the PG Academic....never a clue if the school you're interested in willl be attending (unless your son specifically asks the HC or RC, which I recommend doing before you sign up for any camp or showcase)
AZ Classic is excellent, but sells out early. Get on a team for the weekend, and play in the one day academic event, which all the Ivy's, and a lot of other HA's attend. Great experience for my HS Junior at the time.
While the Showball and HF Camps are expensive, they are the best bang for the buck. However: your son's interest in aviation is great, limited offerings though, and do your son's baseballl skills fit the profile of those schools??? (Navy, AF, UofIllinois, SIU, Purdue are schools that come to mind).
If your son is interested in the Naval or Air Force Academy he needs to get a jump on it...different positioning required to meet the timelines...independant of baseball. If your son has video and his club coaches think he's a minium Mid D1 player I can guide for Air Force. Send PM if you think he has the baseball skills and projects to have a min 29 ACT 30+ better, gpa if with strong curriculum is good.
Currently, neither is particularly valuable. I don’t know that the AZ Classic is going to be terribly useful this year as a Jr. Unless the dead period ends on Sep 30, only D2/D3s will be there. And those (per the majority of this board) aren’t recruiting yet. Son pulled out of it, and hopes to go as a Sr
PG Academic showcase isn’t any more useful either given the dead period. SB/HF will at least have all of their event streamed live to the D1 programs that were originally signed up to attend. But even then, the best advice is like what Gov said: find out where your target schools will be (virtual or not) and go there.
I can only speak for the All-Academic Senior Fall Classic but I would imagine the Jr is run the same. I highly recommend attending since many scouts are present, mostly D2/D3, NAIA, and some D1. As recommended above try to get on a team playing that week since the Academic game is a tryout, thus if not selected for the game that evening you are basically through unless playing with a team.
@Senna posted:Currently, neither is particularly valuable. I don’t know that the AZ Classic is going to be terribly useful this year as a Jr. Unless the dead period ends on Sep 30, only D2/D3s will be there. And those (per the majority of this board) aren’t recruiting yet. Son pulled out of it, and hopes to go as a Sr
PG Academic showcase isn’t any more useful either given the dead period. SB/HF will at least have all of their event streamed live to the D1 programs that were originally signed up to attend. But even then, the best advice is like what Gov said: find out where your target schools will be (virtual or not) and go there.
Good messaging about what is available and valuable this year, everyone is adjusting.
The Arizona Fall Classic Academic game (Jr and Sr) were the single best event(s) (in terms of value and exposure) that my son did. Full disclosure this was a 2011 and the landscape is shifting to earlier recruiting now, but the Sr Classic is when the phone started really ringing for him. (late Velo increase likely cause)
Anyone have an idea if the AZ Fall Classic is streaming anything? Or if they post measureables from the Academic game anywhere? Thank you!
