Two questions:
Did your son play in one in the summer after graduating High School and before he attended college?
When your son played in one, did he live with you or somewhere else?
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Son was due to play in Futures League in New England and stay with host family, but COVID scuttled that.
Son wasn't supposed to play in one. Plan for him and most incoming freshman to his school was to get to campus for the second summer session, get acclimated to school, get a couple credits and get into their workout program.
But Covid changed that. So he played in a local collegiate league.
My 2020 RHP was supposed to be on campus in the summer, take a class or two, and do strength training. Campus ended up being closed due to COVID so he played in a collegiate wood bat league here locally. The competition ended up being better than in a normal year because a lot of college players from CA - and even some minor leaguers - came out to play. Most of his incoming teammates played summer baseball as well.
It would be more beneficial for an incoming bat than an incoming arm. It takes longer to adjust to college pitching than it does to adjust to college hitting.
What would be even more beneficial would be living on campus taking a few classes, working out, and getting in a routine. I don't know if that will be possible with covid, but an online class and a local league would be a good second option.
Son played in Last Dance in the summer, but played in a local Collegiate league in the fall. It was great because he played with a lot of other local kids he knew so the isolation of remote college at our house wasn't as bad.
Most of the schools my son talked to before committing said they would want him on campus over the summer to take classes and work out. That changed a bit with Covid, but I think in a normal year, that is pretty standard.
18U is also a choice, for those whose colleges don't bring them in during the summer.
My son was going to play in a college league and live away, but he got mono. He played some 18U after he recovered, only had a few weeks left before school started.
Your son could ask the college coach what he recommends.
Son was all set to head to campus, got canceled. Offered a spot on Northwoods team, canceled because they play on a college campus. Played 18U with a club out of Texas and pitched a few frames for a local adult league.
Flexibility is the word of the year! Do the best with what you have available at the time.
Heres to hoping for a normal college season!!
Franny, did your kid talk to the college about starting classes in the summer and training at school? Maybe an academic head start could/should be done?
Son was scheduled to pitch in a collegiate league summer before freshman year but threw more innings than expected that spring and was a little sore/tired. Decided to not play that summer and went off to school early.