With many colleges starting the semester, it's time for the annual fall ball thread. So here it is. It's always especially rewarding to hear about frosh making the transition from HS to college and getting their first real taste of what the college grind is like. So fire away.
Replies sorted oldest to newest
My 8th grader is playing High School JV Fall Ball. Does that count? (Kidding. Looking forward to reading this thread)
Haven't heard a word from my guy. With him no news is good news. fingers crossed. I know they have MI state and bellarmine looking to add a couple more." official" 1st day of practice doesn't start till 9-7...........................
I always enjoyed the fall season. Not as much as spring 
It is always full of hope. New fresh faces, and old ones back from summer baseball. If you can get out and see your son, ask him about b school and friends. Do not let baseball monopolize the talk. He may be stressed enough, without us piling on. Let him know you are ptoud of the young man he is. Baseball will take careof itself. He has gotten this far. Of coarse if he wants to talk about it then feel free. Let him share what he wishes.
4:15 AM daily starting on the first day of school, Running followed by carrying logs up a hill and then finish with the weight room. Wash and repeat! Week one has been a ball buster. He says if is survives the first week he will be ok.
4:15 AM daily starting on the first day of school, Running followed by carrying logs up a hill and then finish with the weight room. Wash and repeat! Week one has been a ball buster. He says if is survives the first week he will be ok.
Saturday 7:00 AM Sharp = community service until noon. He thought he was going to college and playing baseball, not serving in the military! He is already making life long friends. This program is building strong minded, team first young men. I'm happy he chose a great university.
Last night on video chat:
Dad, I'm so tired... We had a long practice and then, lifted...
I'm SO busy... You wouldn't believe it...
ZZZZzzzzz...
Kid fell asleep while we were video chatting!! LOL!!
Had to bring our son his truck which just came out of the shop. He just said baseball is really hard. He's loving it and making lots of new friends but pretty wiped out.
First pens on Monday.
Excellent! Another one of my favorite threads of the year. We'll feature this in the forum.
One of the most exciting times in a young man's life and for his parents as well. You'll never forget when they call you about their first college base hit or striking someone out. All the best to your kids and families this year.
As part of our visit yesterday took about 7 of the first year guys to the local MLB game. Great to see how close their bond is already after 10 days!!
With the latest move further across the country for his senior year, so far, he has actually been quite communicative. So, while that lasts...
Lets see... first 10 days - Finished a cross-country five day drive, including three MLB ballpark/games. Moved into a house, orientation, dinner and ?? with a bunch of players (repeated for the next nine days), met some girls, team meeting, lost a RC/AC, first week of school, met with HC, Week of early a.m. workouts with first day being benchmark testing, field cleaning day, one day of on-field hitting followed by a day of inter-squad, narrowed the girl field 
, and, oh yeah, a little bit of school work.
Consistent with his historic patterns, a call shortly after inter-squad with an opening line about something other than how he did meant he had a good inter-squad.
For the first time in several years, he is not in a situation where he will fight for a roster spot and see dozens of teammates cut during the course of the fall. Good and bad.
This one's a little different in some other ways too.. no practices before first inter-squad, no workout sessions before benchmark testing... let the games begin.
Son is at D3, freshman year. Chose to not room with baseball player to broaden set of friends. Called Mom 2nd night and said he was really glad he was at smaller school. First meeting today. He is really nervous as he got hit with viral meningitus in early July and is not back to fitness level yet.
This is the time of year when there is practically zero media attention given to college baseball and very little news coming from the coaches or schools about their teams but it really is the time when starting positions, roster spots, roles and position in the lineup are won or lost. Best to all of our young players!
cabbagedad posted:This is the time of year when there is practically zero media attention given to college baseball and very little news coming from the coaches or schools about their teams but it really is the time when starting positions, roster spots, roles and position in the lineup are won or lost. Best to all of our young players!
Any of you checking website rosters every day yet? (Like I did last year.)
Looking forward to Fall 2016 with a completely different perspective than Fall 2015. Came into Fall 2015 wondering if son was healthy. He wasn't. TJ the first week of Nov 2015. Currently long tossing 100 + yards. Throwing 75% off mound. Nothing hurts. Low to mid 3 GPA. Looking forward to Nov, Dec, Jan.
"Stay healthy my friends"
RedFishFool posted:Looking forward to Fall 2016 with a completely different perspective than Fall 2015. Came into Fall 2015 wondering if son was healthy. He wasn't. TJ the first week of Nov 2015. Currently long tossing 100 + yards. Throwing 75% off mound. Nothing hurts. Low to mid 3 GPA. Looking forward to Nov, Dec, Jan.
"Stay healthy my friends"
Wishing the best. I will be watching.
MidAtlanticDad posted:cabbagedad posted:This is the time of year when there is practically zero media attention given to college baseball and very little news coming from the coaches or schools about their teams but it really is the time when starting positions, roster spots, roles and position in the lineup are won or lost. Best to all of our young players!
Any of you checking website rosters every day yet? (Like I did last year.)
That would be rather nerve racking, I would think.
LHP redshirt sophomore just celebrated his 2-year post-TJ surgery today. Stepping on campus more confident and feeling 100% healthy. Had good summer pitching...developed a slider, velo came back ( last fall inconsistent and dipped to low 80,s...this summer sat 87-90/t91). In addition to confidence, he has an edge to him. One never knows at this level, but just great watching him fight back, persevere and want to compete.
Good luck to all this Fall. We are blessed to have these times to go through with our kids!
RedFish- Excited to hear your son is feeling good and making progress! Keep us updated!
I love this thread! I remember those days. Wanting to talk to him to see how school, baseball, roommates, and everything else was going and of course he was so buy he could/would never call.
Mom and Dad, it's not you it just he has NO TIME.
Best of luck to the student athletes and more importantly the parents missing their kids!
BOF posted:I love this thread! I remember those days. Wanting to talk to him to see how school, baseball, roommates, and everything else was going and of course he was so buy he could/would never call.
Mom and Dad, it's not you it just he has NO TIME.
Best of luck to the student athletes and more importantly the parents missing their kids!
I keep thinking it is me or that my son doesn't want to talk. He says "Dad, you just don't realize the time issue" . Thanks for the reminder that we are not alone on a solitary island.
HawkeyeNation1 posted:LHP redshirt sophomore just celebrated his 2-year post-TJ surgery today. Stepping on campus more confident and feeling 100% healthy. Had good summer pitching...developed a slider, velo came back ( last fall inconsistent and dipped to low 80,s...this summer sat 87-90/t91). In addition to confidence, he has an edge to him. One never knows at this level, but just great watching him fight back, persevere and want to compete.
Good luck to all this Fall. We are blessed to have these times to go through with our kids!
Quite a jump. and love the mental attitude! RFF
I keep thinking it is me or that my son doesn't want to talk. He says "Dad, you just don't realize the time issue" . Thanks for the reminder that we are not alone on a solitary island.
Our son is freshman at a D3 Centennial Conference school. From the min we moved him in last Wed he has been going pretty much non-stop. He called us Thurs evening last week because he didn't like the blanket his mom bought him and he said his mattress stinks and then he called me Sun to ask me where to put the laundry detergent pods in the washing machine - he had to face time me so I could see what it looked like. I'm pretty sure it was the first time in his life he's operated a washer/dryer. That call was about 30 secs long. Other than that we've gotten texts like this: "fine, fine" "good", "yeah, I got it", "I need you to sign this and send it back". That's pretty much it.
Practices don't start until Sept 12th (I think) but the freshman started workouts at 6am last Thurs - first full day on campus.
Hawk, Really happy to hear things are going real good. Best of luck. Except for 3 games of coarse.
Does this count? My son is now coaching in college. He called me to tell me that he and 2 other assistants were playing in their first "Church" softball game last night. I said well you guys ought to be pretty good with 3 former college players on the team. He said yeah we should smoke them.
Well he calls me last night after the game and I say "Hey how did it go?" "We got crushed!" The three of us were 9 for 9 with all HR's and Dbl's. But no one else on the team could even remotely play. I just had to bust out laughing. Good luck to all of your son's. The fall is a very exciting time for college players. Enjoy the stories and anticipation of another college baseball season. And just remember it is gone before you know it. Enjoy
Second time to this rodeo...2012 screwed up badly off the field...it was a slog from day one of that first fall. All the talent in the world ultimately doesn't save you. After a loooong layoff, he's back working out, throwing, and preparing to find a second college home for Spring 2017.
2016's transition has been smooth. Seeing an older brother unwilling or unable to successfully make the transition has been sobering to say the least. Fall practices don't start for two more weeks, but the team has already been hitting, throwing, lifting with the captains.
Bolts-Coach-PR posted:
Which one is yours?
chefmike7777 posted:Bolts-Coach-PR posted:Which one is yours?
Florida kid...
Nice! Hope he has a great season
Bolts-Coach-PR posted:
19 kids, wow.
Josh great coach, played in our Area Code games
Bob
Thanks Proudhesmine - just happy to see him healthy and enjoying his opportunity to compete. And the 3-game series should be fun! Go Hawks
I loved reading everyone's stories....thanks to all who shared!
Branson Baseball posted:Second time to this rodeo...2012 screwed up badly off the field...it was a slog from day one of that first fall. All the talent in the world ultimately doesn't save you. After a loooong layoff, he's back working out, throwing, and preparing to find a second college home for Spring 2017.
2016's transition has been smooth. Seeing an older brother unwilling or unable to successfully make the transition has been sobering to say the least. Fall practices don't start for two more weeks, but the team has already been hitting, throwing, lifting with the captains.
Branson, 2012 is going to start college and college ball again as a 23yo or so? If so that's really cool. Could be a great story. Good luck to both your sons.
...and to all the other sons. What the heck, to the daughters too. Just saw in the paper today that two of our better local s*cc*r players won starting positions as freshman on their D1 teams. Pretty cool.
Will be 23 and a still has a couple years to go! Should be working as an engineer for IBM right now...or maybe that was my dream for him. We're just ecstatic that he's healthy again and heading back to college after a long layoff. He's ecstatic that he's throwing 93-95. Hopefully we can meet in the middle and he can get a solid degree and a job and maybe play a little more baseball along the way :-)
Branson,
best of luck to your son. They all need to play until they are ready or told its over. The degree will come, the jobs will come and he will be fine. Breathe and understand as we all have to,they are becoming adults and start making decisions that they feel are right, at times its hard but its good because the possible mistakes they will probably make all are part of them becoming men and independent from us.
Enjoy watching them this season
Kidzilla seems to be handling this year pretty well so far, considering that it will be his first year without baseball since 2001.
Had TJ August 16. When everyone else goes to practice, he goes to the training room for rehab. When he's done he comes out to the field for the remainder of practice. Says he's caught up on all his school work from the week he missed having surgery. Just trying to be ready for Spring 2018.
Kid had 1st practice this morning. He hasn't picked up a bat since last spring. Trying to rehab shoulder all summer. His answer to my question about how practice was "Good" that's it.
Coach must really want to keep the kids from getting in trouble on the weekends. They have practice at 7pm on Friday's and 6am on Saturdays thru the fall!
