Class or League age?

If you're playing in a 16u tourney, it's very unlikely that your teams grade level is otherwise given away anywhere. I doubt many recruiters watching a 16u tournament game have gone to the trouble of researching individual teams to determine their actual age bracket unless they do so by looking at the roster and at that point they've seen actual classifications. Plus, are you really implying that if a recruiter sees a hot Junior prospect he's going to pass or otherwise discount what he just saw on the field based on the fact that other kids on his team are sophomores?

Yeah, I noticed my mistake. My kid recently garnered a few D1 inquiries while pitching as a guest player on a 14u team at a showcase tourney in Lincoln. It was an 18u event and it certainly didn't cause any misconceptions.

What I'm suggesting is that he is going to put that player on his list, but on the back burner for next summer because he may not KNOW that one player is a junior and not a sophomore because he is playing on a team that is primarily sophomores.  This coach may not be recruiting sophomores at all, he is recruiting juniors.  How does he know that one kid's status without specifically asking the coach about him?  It could happen, but what if he doesn't bother asking?  Conversely, if that kid is playing on a team with primarily juniors and that's what he is looking for, he'll jump on it because he is looking for juniors to recruit.

How/why does a 14u team play in an 18u event?  That is literally men vs. boys.  Around my parts, even if they were 14u studs, they would be absolutely overwhelmed and crushed like grapes by 18u players.   

Mainly because they didn't know it was a 14u team. It does occur to me, though, that if it's USSSA, that would make a difference as the age classification is right there on the schedule. I guess we don't really have USSSA in this area after 15u so most tourneys don't have an age classification by the team unless it's part of the organization's team name (e,g, Batter's Box 17).

Your comments are based on your opinion while mine are based on facts from talking to college coaches.  The college coaches DO research what teams are playing in the tourney and plan their schedules accordingly.  If they see a 15U or 14U team on the schedule, they typically avoid it given that they have at least another year to start looking at those grads.

As for your scenario outlined above...no, they wouldn't pass on him but they would certainly discount it, even if slightly.  They will also ask the questions as to why this stud is playing with a team of younger kids.  

Those are facts, not opinions of mine.

Sorry, I posted my response while others were responding.  I realized after it posted that you already knew.

Keep in mind, D1s are recruiting earlier.  They get the pick of the litter.  But not every kid is a D1 prospect.  D2s, D3s and JUCOs recruit later in the game and their timetables are usually much shorter.  Their needs are more immediate.  A D2 school  does not really need to be thinking about that big stud player that is a sophomore right now.  They realize those kids are going to be scooped up by the big D1s.  The D2 school is looking for players in their summer after junior year to sign for next year.  They need players for the upcoming year, not guys for 2 or 3 years out.  That's why the timetables are important.  The big D1/MLB draft prospect guys don't have much to worry about.  But that is a pretty small percentage of the population.  For the rest, that perception of grad year vs age can become a very important one.  JMHO.

The team is mainly incoming sophs. It's an exceptional group. They split 2-2. Three pitchers throwing mid-80's and a catcher with a sub 1.9 pop time. They truly don't find much competition outside of the top national tourneys at 14u and, around here, there is pretty much nothing at 15u. Additionally, the 16u isn't very good. So, outside of major events, they play 17u and 18u because that's the level where they end up being about a .500 team. Seven kids on the roster started varsity last season as freshmen, most on the highest classification in the state. They don't really play much 14u. I think this year, maybe just the Perfect game 14u championships. The coach of that team plays some of these showcase events to get his kids on the radar early because he knows they won't be at 14u and 15u events. So, in a way, he's done the opposite of what the fear is in this thread. He's gotten them to look at his kids because they think they're older. The, they're on the radar.

By the way, my kid isn't a regular on this team. He's played with them twice when he had a break and needed to see some live time on the mound and they were playing where there would be exposure.

And if the coach of that team has a good relationship with RCs out there, he can communicate with the RCs which kids are in which grad class.  Maybe before the tournament or before each game that RCs are present, he hands the RC a roster with grad class listed.  This way that RC will know who he wants to focus on.  If so, that is a good coach who will help the kids.

However, many coaches don't go that far.  They just show up and play and hope their kids stand out enough for RCs to approach them.

Of course there are exceptions to the rule.  But, generally speaking, for most kids, playing with your grad year is much more beneficial than playing with your age.

On that end, yes. We ran into that last month while playing with his 18u team. He had an outstanding performance against a very good team in AZ. Between tourneys they had a workout in front of some JC teams and an  NAIA team who were excited about the fact he was uncommitted until they found out he was a 2018. "Sorry," he was told, "we don't look that far ahead." He'll be pitching Tuesday in the opening round of the South Plains Connie Mack tourney and he's one of only two 2018's rostered in the tourney. I can almost guarantee there will be some DII or JC that doesn't even bother looking at the roster and inquires about him anyway.

On that, I agree. There just are some exceptions and the OP's sounds like it could fall into that area.

No. I spent many years as a pitching coach for a powerhouse high school team. I took inquiries all the time. You shouldn't assume I have no credentials. I also currently have a decent size stable of pitchers I help through the process and some pitch at levels lower than their grade level and have not once been questioned as to why. Normally, they don't even realize it's a grade level lower, for the reasons I listed above.

Let me backtrack a little on my last response. I think you're right about the scheduling in larger PG-type events. In fact, I know you're right. However, I'm in no way saying that playing down is normally the correct thing to do. I was more responding to a situation that I think I'm reading in the OP - that the older team might be a waste of time and that the younger team, in this case, might actually offer better exposure.

In this day and age of the smart phones are you guys telling me the coaches don't go to the PG website and look up the profile of a player they see on the field, if they like him? 

I wonder if this little tiff is old school vs new school?  Since the inception of the smart phone hasn't recruiting changed?

For the most part, college coaches carry paper rosters.

Sure they can do that.  But, if a coach thinks that a kid is a 2019 and he's looking for 2018's, he may not bother to take the time.  On the other hand, later that night, back at the hotel, he may look up all the 2018's he's interested in.  

From what I have seen, particularly at PG events, those guys are running around like chickens with their heads cut off.  They generally have a list of guys they want to see and have their schedules with them.  They go to one field to see a guy.  Before the game is over, they have gotten their impression and they are off to catch the next game.  Just like the players, these guys are all over the place as the games are held all over the place.  They may have to go to 5 different fields during the same day.  I'm not sure they really have the time to be checking every kid for his grad year at the field.

Again, I speak with college coaches often.  My posts are a direct reflection of their thought process.  We even had this exact same discussion at the PG Jr. National showcase with several major D1 coaches.  Not one coach that was involved in the discussion said playing down was a good thing.  Surely, we can all construct a scenario in which this is an exception, however, in almost every case, playing with your class is the correct move.

I've found this to be true.  Now that I think of it, every coach we saw this summer stopped by our teams dugout and asked the coaches for a roster if they did not already have one.  Every one of them then proceeded to write notes on the paper.  They did all have iphones or androids that they looked at but from the amount of time they spent on them I seriously doubt they were doing any significant research.

When it comes down to it, anything can happen.  A kid can play on a team below his grade and still get recruited.  What a lot of younger players and parents of younger players don't always realize is just how competitive things really are out there.  I heard there were over 300 teams at the 16u WWBA recently.  Say the average roster is 18 players, that's 5400 kids at that one tournament looking to get recruited.  Then you have the 15u, 17u and 18u tournaments as well.  Yes, some teams go to multiple tournaments, but there are a lot that don't.  That's a TON of good ballplayers out there trying to find their way onto a college roster.

Why take the chance?  It's hard enough as it is already.  Try to make every variable work to your advantage.  One of those variables is being in the class that the RCs are looking for.  That is something totally in control of the player.  Make it work to your advantage.

So it is really a 15u team. 

As mentioned my son played up a year to his grade in 7th and 8th grade. In 9th grade our team of 15s played all 16u tournaments except for the 15u USSSA Super NIT qualifier. So my son was playing up two years. The year of 16u ball he saw the kind of pitching he would see for the next three years of varsity (with a handful of exceptions). It was great preparation for high school. Playing 16u also got him on the radar screen for several 17u/18u showcase teams for his post soph year summer.

New around here but have a similar question. I have a rising May-birthday incoming HS freshman (2019) this fall. He is torn between playing on his rising 14u team that looks to be very competitive this fall and next spring or trying out for 15u/showcase teams. He will be trying out for his HS team next spring which he should make.  He knows that NEXT year once he's made his HS team he needs to move up to play with his class if he wants to get on a college recruiting path. . But does is any of this matter yet as a freshman?

One thought I had is that as the kids get older its harder and harder to get on a good exposure team.  Many of them have tryouts but for the most part the kids that played last year will make up the majority of the team.  It usually takes a very good tryout to get on one of these teams.  If you have the opportunity to get on one early on in your HS career it would probably be worth it to take the opportunity now versus waiting another year or two.

On another note I am going to post a link to a thread I started a few weeks back.  It talks about showcase/exposure programs.  If you are looking at a program I highly suggest you do your research.  There is a world of difference between them.  Many many programs call themselves exposure programs when in fact they are just a glorified travel program.  If the team is playing mostly local tourneys and then playing a PG event or two during the year they most likely are not a true exposure program.  Instead of rehashing my thoughts please see:

http://community.hsbaseballweb...xposure-teams?page=1