College Showcase Tournament at a college

I've thought the same thing and I'm only a parent, like you, who's eyes and brain glaze over after watching 10 batters take BP, and 10 pitchers throw bullpens. 

So, let's take this one step at a time:

1. They don't "watch ALL those players."   They can't.  They come to watch a list of guys they have already highlighted on their showcase supplied list of players.  Names get highlighted by said coach for various reasons: velocity, foot speed, power in bat, size.  Names get highlighted due to info they may have gathered from a spring combine where they saw with their own eyes, or read data generated by a scouting organization.  They may have seen a kid last summer as an RHP who was 80-82 as say a 2018.  But last month they read the kid's velo jumped to 86-88 at a May combine?  HIGHLIGHT.  Or a 2017 left-hitting MIF with a good bat who's 60-time last month at a combine was 6.7?  HIGHLIGHT.

2.  As far as 2 players having same jersey # and no name on back?  Non-Issue.  Most likely one will already be highlighted due to aforementioned skills, and the other won't.  Coach can easily detect within seconds which one he came to see (their instinct and gut will direct them).  DOES NOT MEAN THE NON-HIGHLIGHTED PLAYER CAN'T GET HIGHLIGHTED MIND YOU.  Anything is possible.  I've read countless stories on this site about a player being recruited by a school, due to the school going to watch another "highlighted" player play, but then another player grabs their attention and gets the offer.  Happens often.

3.  And then there's the black Sharpie Marker thru the name on roster due to bad attitude, poor body language, lack of hustle, etc. I tell my JV players that coaches love guys who demonstrate these "black line" behaviors.  By doing so, you are making their jobs that much easier!   Because you are correct, it is a "Sea of Players" and anyone who grabs coaches' attention (positive AND negative) helps him figure out who on the field he needs to focus on.  And who is a waste of his precious time and resources. 

RKBH, 

It's pretty simple they look for "tools".  For pitchers it's pretty basic: LH, size, mechanics and velocity. For position players it's ranked tools. Results mean very little in a small sample, but it certainly helps the cause if a player plays well. I am not a coach or a scout but have been to enough of these to know I could pick out the top players from each team. Also good recruiters are already in touch with the travel team coaches so there is usually some communication before an event so they already know what they are looking for. 

Tools make a player stand out. If a kid runs a fast sixty or flips a high velocity throw across the infield or from right to third the coach wants to see how he swings the bat.

When my son was fourteen I attended a college's sponsored showcase just to watch. They had 36 kids per day over four days. This is a small showcase. I watched one day. All thirty six were competent or better in the field. When they hit it was obvious only four were D1 prospects. I mentioned this to one of the players I knew in the program. He told me the four I identified had already stood out at a PG event. They were personally invited to the school's showcase.

Swinging the bat in a showcase isn't necessarily how far the ball goes. It's about having the reaction time and bat speed to compete at the level of play the program competes. In the case of this D1 the ball was zipped from about forty feet away.

The college coaches know the coaches of the better travel and high school teams. They're told who they should keep an eye on for what reasons. A former teammate/friend has been a college coach for thirty years. High school and travel coaches contact him. Watch this guy at this showcase.

Thank you all so much.  My son definitely has a great attitude...good kid...quiet though...sometimes coaches have mentioned how quiet he is.  But a college coach will never have any issues with him.  He is a hard worker on and off the field...and always willing to learn and do what he is told.  I think he does stand out from what I can see unless there is a player there who is 6'2" and HUGE...but for his size 5' 10", he is quick and still growing in stature and as a player.  We have contacted college coaches and informed them which showcases/tournaments he will be playing in, so he is on their list.  Oh and his GPA is just above 3.5, SAT scores good and is a very active member of the school community....hope a nice small D3 school will recruit him...but we will see.  Thank you again...I so appreciate all of the input and experience all of you have and are willing to share.

I see on your profile your son is a 2017.  This is an important summer for him if he wants to play ball in college.  Sounds like he has strong academics?  For many schools (D-1 thru D-3) that is sometimes the most important tool. 

Be sure your son is showcasing and getting exposure this summer and fall at the appropriate venues for his academic profile and baseball skill level.  Headfirst Camps might be a showcase to consider in August.  Plenty of info on this site about HF and other academic showcases. 

He is on a travel team.  They are playing twice @ PG in Georgia. He also has been invited to a PBR event.  To be honest, the price tag of the HF camps is very high.  We have been going to camps on college campuses, they are a little less expensive and he gets a more personalized view of the coaches and campus.   He has been told by college coaches to stick to the smaller venues.  He will get lost in the shuffle  at the 100+ player camps. 

 Yes, he has strong academics, probably not Ivy material but a strong D3 program would work well.  I am thinking of the Benchmark camp.  Do you know anything about those?  He has some interest from D3 but so far nothing concrete, I realize it is early.  We are sending transcripts, SAT scores and class selection for next year for those who have asked for it.  He is a young 2017, if the right college comes along, he is OK with sitting his Freshman year until he grows a little more.    Any more input would certainly be appreciated.

It's not the cost of the camp. It's the ROI on attending that matters. If your son is a good student missing Head First would be a mistake.

I agree with RJM, quality is better than quantity and it is particularly important to match the venue with his profile. Going to a bunch of smaller venues without a large number of D3 programs is a waste of money. The Stanford camps is too late for you and also would cost a lot with travel etc. I would give Headfirst serious consideration and reduce some of the other camps. He should also have a list of schools he is interested that fit his realistic skills and be emailing them, don't wait for the schools to find him, he (with your help) needs to be proactive. 

RKBH posted:

He is on a travel team.  They are playing twice @ PG in Georgia. He also has been invited to a PBR event.  To be honest, the price tag of the HF camps is very high.  We have been going to camps on college campuses, they are a little less expensive and he gets a more personalized view of the coaches and campus.   He has been told by college coaches to stick to the smaller venues.  He will get lost in the shuffle  at the 100+ player camps. 

 Yes, he has strong academics, probably not Ivy material but a strong D3 program would work well.  I am thinking of the Benchmark camp.  Do you know anything about those?  He has some interest from D3 but so far nothing concrete, I realize it is early.  We are sending transcripts, SAT scores and class selection for next year for those who have asked for it.  He is a young 2017, if the right college comes along, he is OK with sitting his Freshman year until he grows a little more.    Any more input would certainly be appreciated.

The issue is it's not early.  You're in the midst of his PRIME recruiting time.  Offers to 2017's are being made now if they haven't already....and the majority will be wrapped up by the end of July.  You need to make some quick decisions with regard to where you're going and when.  In my experience (son is at a D1), the smaller camps at individual colleges don't do much...even if they are only $75-100.  You're seen by coaches of one team.  If they don't need your son, you're wasting time.  PBR events worked well for my son (here in Ohio)...they are a good "bang for your buck" event, though I'm not sure how PBR is in every state (here in Ohio, it's very well respected and gets great turnouts). 

Headfirst is $1000 for 100 different colleges. I believe vast majority look for players much like your son. That's $10 per school exposure and two nights meals and hotels  

To get same exposure by going to one small camp at a time?  I don't even want to do the math.

Headfirst is a GREAT value for the $995.  Coaches will be looking to "finish" their 2017 class there this August. 

He has contacted about 8 colleges in our area and e-mailed his summer schedule.  Some have asked for transcripts, SAT and next year's class selection.  He really wants to stay within 2 hours of home, does not want to go south or midwest.  His 60 is a tiny bit over 7, he should be at below 7 shortly.  Working on that all the time.  We will have his video in a couple of weeks.  As soon as we have it we will e-mail it to coaches, along with his resume' and hopefully get some additional interest.   Thank you again to all of you for your help.  I enjoy reading your advice.  This site is wonderful...especially for someone like me who has NO clue...

Sounds like you're on the right track, especially considering he doesn't want to go far from home....but if he truly wants to play baseball, he may have to expand his search area a bit.  8 schools in a small area isn't much....especially for a 2017.  If you're within 2 hours of them, they've likely done some searching in your area already and if they haven't found him yet, they may not be interested.  As far as the video....that's great that you're getting it done, but at this point, if you don't get it out for another 2 or 3 weeks, it's likely going to be useless.  Coaches will want to see him in person....not on video.  We sent our video out in September after my son's sophomore year.  Actually started sending it out during the World Series (yes, actually during games...at 10pm at night).  Coaches must have been in baseball mode, because you'd be shocked at how many replied by the next morning.

You can send his resume now....without the video.  At this point, an email every week or 10 days to update schools on your sons' interest isn't a horrible thing.  We never had once coach tell us "hey, stop sending us stuff".   Every day you wait to make contact or additional contacts is one day too long.  Good luck, but things have got to get going really seriously right now.

Headfirst seems like a big pill to swallow but there is no place else to get the guaranteed number of schools that they get with a pre-published list of who will be there.  The D1s will be finishing their recruiting class (at HF on LI in August) and the D3s will be going all out to start/complete their lists as they get going right around the time the D1s are finishing up.  You have full access to the coaches on the field, between fields, etc.  If I had to do things over again I think I would have had 2016 attend 2-3 weeks of HF and cut back on his tournament schedule - it was that beneficial.  

There are lots of threads on here about the problems with attending individual showcases or small showcases on college campuses.  You really need to make sure son is in contact with those specific coaches and they are expressing interest - otherwise you run the risk of them just filling the camps.  He should be checking with these coaches about their needs at his position and where he ranks on their board.  At 2016s school (academic D3 that saw him at HF) we visited the weekend of their recruiting camp.  He was there Fri/Sat and had basically taken one of their available pitching spots for this fall.  He did not have to attend the camp on Sunday.  A good friend of his is a catcher and went to the camp - the coaches told us the only position they weren't seriously looking for at the camp was catcher because they had that spot set.   He wasted a day of travel and the cost of the camp (basically).  That's the problem with attending a camp at one school - where at HF you'll be seen by at least 20 coaches at every game.  You're just casting a wider net.  

So - it is OK to ask a coach where you are on their "board"?  I guess that makes sense, if he is not high up, he can move onto other schools.  Part of our problem is our son will turn 17 in a few weeks.  He is a very young Junior.  He could be a Sophomore but because he was ready academically, we sent him.  The kids who play baseball at the high school with him who are Juniors are already 18 or are turning 18 shortly. 

The other thing 2 college coaches told us is that because my son is a middle infielder, he is athletic and should be able to just about play anywhere, 2nd, SS , 3rd or outfield.  They look for kids like that because they are versatile.  So I am not sure I want to ask if they have a "spot" for him since he will play wherever they place him.  He is not a catcher...and is a little too short at the moment for 1st...he pitches but NOT fast - has good movement on his balls...but he is NOT good enough to pitch in college.

RKBH posted:

The other thing 2 college coaches told us is that because my son is a middle infielder, he is athletic and should be able to just about play anywhere, 2nd, SS , 3rd or outfield.  They look for kids like that because they are versatile.  So I am not sure I want to ask if they have a "spot" for him since he will play wherever they place him.  He is not a catcher...and is a little too short at the moment for 1st...he pitches but NOT fast - has good movement on his balls...but he is NOT good enough to pitch in college.

There are four kinds of recruits. There are pitchers, catchers and mashers. The fourth kind of player is everyone else. It's kids like your son who are shortstops and center fielders. Outside pitchers they are the majority of the players recruited.  An athletic infielder or outfielder with a good arm might even be converted to catcher in college.

OK, what is a masher?

Now I understand why they have been telling my son to do more long toss, to get his arm strength up.  Based on what you have said, it is all making sense now.

RKBH posted:

OK, what is a masher?

 

It's the big kid who can't play in the middle of the field. He doesn't have great speed. But he can drive the ball over the fence.

There is a boy like this in our area...he is in 10th grade and is being looked at by the MLB and some big name colleges!  Now I know what  a masher is!!!

He continually hits homeruns.  I don't think I have ever seen anything like it.

That boy I was just talking about...his Dad just texted me and said he was invited to the Area Code Games and something called East Coast Pro Showcase....I am SO happy for him!!!!