Colleges in the Northeast

@HSDad22 posted:

Wow, where did you read nasty into any of that.  Just not blowing smoke, nor is anything mean.  The OP said baseball was the driving factor, the fact her son has great grades was not relevant to the discussion.  Everybody else went there with the quality of the school ignoring her request.

OP Quote:  "Haha, by great I probably should have specified GREAT BASEBALL PROGRAM. Academics aren’t a huge issue provided they have his major. Good academics are fine, elite not necessary if that makes sense."

Everyone jumped on the HA thing because reality check, Northeast D1 schools don't have "strong" baseball programs, they have strong Academic programs.  This is not a case of trying to get into a good school and using baseball to do so.

Travel programs up here pump up these schools baseball and talk about "if you don't believe how good the baseball is just go to a game" rhetoric, because they sell getting people's kids in college baseball, but know for 99% their only chance at placing them are D3 NE schools despite every kid listing Vandy on their Target school list.  The big thing now are D2's as the end all be all of most placement.

Nobody said it wasn't a great thing to get money to help go to school or even reaching to get into a better school because of baseball, nor would I ever want a program to fail.  That's an absurd comment.  Also a great player here or there that makes it doesn't necessarily mean the program is great, especially if the coaching staff is not the same.  Nor does my opinion of the program itself imply certain individual players there are not diamonds in the rough.

To the OP @Northeastmom:  if your son is pumping 90 as a sophomore and can spin the ball, every single one of these schools will have real interest.  Especially with the grades, it means more merit money and less scholly money required by the coach, and he can get you through admissions.  Do not agree to Early Decision because he will have options and you don't find out about FA support or merit academic money till after he is accepted by admissions (unless maybe coach spills the beans?).  If that's not an issue, then find the best fit and go ED.

I do think BC and Northeastern will come back down to the planet once they don't have 6 year seniors and hopeful grad transfers, both found their late bloomers from D3 programs pumping mid 90's to fill out their pitching rotations.

And based on all this harsh criticism, I still think Uconn is the best option.  And no I don't consider them a traditionally strong baseball program, they're more like a new really good program.

I think some examples you used to put down NE programs, (grad transfers, facility improvements) could be applied to many schools looking to improve their programs.

@Northeastmom posted:

Thanks everyone for the help with this. I also realized that looking at PG and PBR rankings for the class or two above helps. I can see where kids ranked around my kid landed. It is eye opening how few options there are in the Northeast at certain levels.

PG and PBR rankings mean zero, nothing, nada. Do not fixate on them. If you want eye opening - look how many highly ranked players are still with their original program 2-3 years after their grad year. See how many have thrown more than 20 innings a year or got 25+ ABs - to me those numbers are eye opening.

He needs the opinion of a trusted unbiased source who is familiar with his game. Unfortunately PBR and PG are not familiar with the games of players outside the top 10-15 in each state. This is typically where the travel coach comes in and says where would you like to go. Then he takes your list and says I see you playing here, here, and here - let's reach out and see what the feedback is, or let me make some calls and get some eyes on you. Then you either proceed with the original list or you broaden the search.

Do not look at the ranked players in your area. In my state, in just one year, excluding the kids who  drafted/signed - 6 out of the top 20 are still at their original school contributing valuable innings.

I've been to countless events where I've seen "highly ranked" players. And I think good, but I don't see them playing at Vanderbilt, UNC, Texas, etc. And it almost always works out that way.

Long story short. Forget the rankings, forget the commitments. Sit down with someone who knows his game well, evaluate, communicate, then get feedback from college coaches and not guys selling subscriptions and apparel.

@PABaseball posted:

PG and PBR rankings mean zero, nothing, nada. Do not fixate on them. If you want eye opening - look how many highly ranked players are still with their original program 2-3 years after their grad year. See how many have thrown more than 20 innings a year or got 25+ ABs - to me those numbers are eye opening.

He needs the opinion of a trusted unbiased source who is familiar with his game. Unfortunately PBR and PG are not familiar with the games of players outside the top 10-15 in each state. This is typically where the travel coach comes in and says where would you like to go. Then he takes your list and says I see you playing here, here, and here - let's reach out and see what the feedback is, or let me make some calls and get some eyes on you. Then you either proceed with the original list or you broaden the search.

Do not look at the ranked players in your area. In my state, in just one year, excluding the kids who  drafted/signed - 6 out of the top 20 are still at their original school contributing valuable innings.

I've been to countless events where I've seen "highly ranked" players. And I think good, but I don't see them playing at Vanderbilt, UNC, Texas, etc. And it almost always works out that way.

Long story short. Forget the rankings, forget the commitments. Sit down with someone who knows his game well, evaluate, communicate, then get feedback from college coaches and not guys selling subscriptions and apparel.

I hear what you are saying, but at the same time I would imagine the top 20 in 2024’s had AAU coach and recruiter opinions. If they all committed to top 100 d1 schools, but most won’t last two years at their college, that means over half were steered wrong right? Even if evaluator A, B, C, D says a player is the #2 SS in the state and a P5 school recruits him, it still feels like a huge roll of the dice as to whether the player pans out at that level. In my son’s case all evaluators agree on his level and I still feel like it’s 50-50 at best as to what happens. Recruiting for baseball feels pretty depressing in the world of NCAA transfers.

Here is why. If coaches could only recruit 7 guys a year - the recruiting landscape would change dramatically. They would be doing a ton of homework, they would be watching these kids play every week, they would be 100% sure this kid could make their program better. But they can take as many as they want. If you take 18 you keep the 9 best and get rid of the rest. This is the current model we're in. Turns out - the recruiters aren't all that great at recruiting. If you can't turn 90% of a recruiting class into contributors at some point during their four year tenure, you are not recruiting properly. But nobody does - or it's extremely rare. And it turns out that a good amount of the time that #2 SS P5 commit you were referring to - wasn't really the #2 shortstop in the state or was capable of playing at that P5, just not right away. And unfortunately there isn't a development period, you're either ready or you're not. Hence the juco players and 4 year transfers.

This is why you have to have somebody in your corner who is doing it for the right reasons and not just trying to get you to the most glamorous school possible. Somebody who can say yeah they want you here, but if you don't go in there and wow everybody in the first four weeks you will be gone in June.

Somebody who can say - you have 1 P5 offer for 30% and 6 mid major offers for 50-75%. It sounds like you'd fit best at the mid major. Somebody who can say you have one D1 showing interest here and there and you have 5 D3s with strong academics and quality baseball who would love to have you.

I have one who is a freshman. Similar numbers to yours. Two power 5s and 7 mid-lower level D1s offering him anywhere from 75-100%. One of the travel teams he played for was pushing non stop for one of the P5s because he knew the coach. 2 freshman have got on the mound at that P5 this year. His pitching instructor was the one on the phone for him, giving him advice, not the travel coach who knew what would look better on the instagram account.

It is depressing. Which is is why it is extremely important to make an educated, calculated decision, and not necessarily the sexy one. The oldest went the sexy route - it has worked out but it has been nothing but an uphill battle - every single day.

The no sit transfer rule has changed things. But JuCo transfers have always existed.

Halfway through freshman year my son won a starting position. It took two upperclassman failing first. He hit .300+ with speed and gap power (hit 3 homers in 120 AB’s). He returned soph year to find a JuCo All American at his position. He had to win another position, and did.

After essentially being the same player with full season stats soph year there was a Gatorade POY at his position the next fall. He won another position. Junior year he established this is where I bat and this is where I play.

The song “I never promised you a rose garden” was written for college recruiting.

@PABaseball posted:

Here is why. If coaches could only recruit 7 guys a year - the recruiting landscape would change dramatically. They would be doing a ton of homework, they would be watching these kids play every week, they would be 100% sure this kid could make their program better. But they can take as many as they want. If you take 18 you keep the 9 best and get rid of the rest. This is the current model we're in. Turns out - the recruiters aren't all that great at recruiting. If you can't turn 90% of a recruiting class into contributors at some point during their four year tenure, you are not recruiting properly. But nobody does - or it's extremely rare. And it turns out that a good amount of the time that #2 SS P5 commit you were referring to - wasn't really the #2 shortstop in the state or was capable of playing at that P5, just not right away. And unfortunately there isn't a development period, you're either ready or you're not. Hence the juco players and 4 year transfers.

This is why you have to have somebody in your corner who is doing it for the right reasons and not just trying to get you to the most glamorous school possible. Somebody who can say yeah they want you here, but if you don't go in there and wow everybody in the first four weeks you will be gone in June.

Somebody who can say - you have 1 P5 offer for 30% and 6 mid major offers for 50-75%. It sounds like you'd fit best at the mid major. Somebody who can say you have one D1 showing interest here and there and you have 5 D3s with strong academics and quality baseball who would love to have you.

I have one who is a freshman. Similar numbers to yours. Two power 5s and 7 mid-lower level D1s offering him anywhere from 75-100%. One of the travel teams he played for was pushing non stop for one of the P5s because he knew the coach. 2 freshman have got on the mound at that P5 this year. His pitching instructor was the one on the phone for him, giving him advice, not the travel coach who knew what would look better on the instagram account.

It is depressing. Which is is why it is extremely important to make an educated, calculated decision, and not necessarily the sexy one. The oldest went the sexy route - it has worked out but it has been nothing but an uphill battle - every single day.

@PABaseball very good assessment.  The biggest challenge in the process is the last paragraph.  There is so much information available, the question for most is where do I start and what is fact, fiction or somewhere in the middle.

@Northeastmom

According to what I see on the schedule BC won 1 midweek game in early March at an invitational.

It's not uncommon for that to happen.

With that being said, BC is certainly having a much better season under Gambino who hired new staff last year.

1.  BC plays in a better league.  Each week is a challenge to compete.  If you are successful in the ACC you will be drafted.

2.  He's a pitcher and if he throws 95 it doesn't really what league he plays in, he will be drafted.  Just find a coach he likes that won't ruin his arm and teaches him to pitch. i.e. even in the ACC 95 will get hit if you don't learn to pitch.

3.  My son played for Gambino at VT and has noting but good things to say about him.  He's been at BC for awhile, so he seems committed.

4. Had a friends son play at CT. They seem to be legit.  Didn't hear any complaints about the coaches, just the weather.