D1 Possibility?

Mallot's Dad,
Very impressive numbers. As you read through other threads on this board I think you'll find:
1) Many many DI coaches are looking for great students who are also very solid to exceptional baseball players. Let your son know that keeping his grades high and having solid sat/act scores will open lots of doors.
2) How he progresses in terms of velocity, speed, power, size will in many ways determine where he plays. There are DI schools that take pitchers that top out at 85 if they have command. Others won't look at at anyone under 90.
3) Exposure will be key. For academically focused players HeadFirst and Stanford are great. Perfect Game provides many avenues for great exposure as well.

Good luck with the process!

His game stats aren't as important as his mechanics, his upside and his sixty time and/or velocity whether he's a pitcher or a position player. Anything over 3.0 gpa isn't going to help him play D1. It will help him get into better schools.

Is the velocity stated max or cruise speed? Mid majors cruise in the mid 80's. Major D1's cruise from upper 80's into the 90's. He needs to get his sixty time down if he's an up the middle position player or outfielder.

Don't worry about whether he's a D1 candidate right now. After having been through the journey with two kids I've seen a lot change through four years of high school. I've seen questionable talent become studs. I've seen rising studs fall on their face. Most people on this site will say they have seen the same.

Entering high school and trying to make varsity your son should participate in every possible offseason "optional" workout. He should tryout and practice like every moment is bases loaded, two outs, seventh game of the World Series.

Along the way always ask, "Am I doing everything possible to be the best players I can be?" When the time is right get in front of the right college programs. With the exception of some loaded high school programs it will be after your son is making an impact on the varsity.

quote:

Anything over 3.0 gpa isn't going to help him play D1.

While I understand the thought behind this comment, I just don't agree that its true.

Think about it this way...there are a limited number of D1 roster spots in a region or across the nation. If you're grades are below 3.0, the limited number is even lower because a lot of those schools cannot admit you. If your grades are above 3.5, you have a shot at nearly all of the D1 roster spots out there.

In other words, each additional 1/10th of a point of GPA almost surely opens up more possibilities for you to play college ball at any level including D1.

quote:

Originally posted by justbaseball:

quote:

Anything over 3.0 gpa isn't going to help him play D1.

While I understand the thought behind this comment, I just don't agree that its true.

Think about it this way...there are a limited number of D1 roster spots in a region or across the nation. If you're grades are below 3.0, the limited number is even lower because a lot of those schools cannot admit you. If your grades are above 3.5, you have a shot at nearly all of the D1 roster spots out there.

In other words, each additional 1/10th of a point of GPA almost surely opens up more possibilities for you to play college ball at any level including D1.

I think there is merit on both quotes .... but IMHO the message to give to the son is the second one.....

The higher the GPA and test scores, the more attractive the prospect,As long as he ALSO has what they are looking for as an athlete. And if a coach sees that he "doesn't need to use a slot" because grades and scores will be OK with admissions, your son has a better shot at making the coach's follow list. The sooner a young man hears that (esp from a coach, not from us no-nothing parents) the more motivated he will be in the classroom!!

Certainly, a "stud" 3.0 will be recruited more than a less talented 3.8 because coaches want to win. But maybe that team also needs the 3.8 kid to bolster the roster's academic stats, and he is 'almost as good as' the 3.0 kid.

Or maybe, admissions is going to crack down on the number of lower academic recruits because of academic retention concerns. Or a new president decides to place more emphasis on academics. You never know!


Good questions / topic in general.

My son had an unweighted 3.6 with AP and gifted classes. I'm not putting down grades.

Yes 3.5 opens most doors. But at the D1 level most competitive programs are looking to win ball games not win a debate championship. A kid with a 3.0 and reasonable SAT's gets recruited.

After hearing the grades and SAT's of some of my son's travel teammates and where they got offers I was surprised. One failed the SAT test (by NCAA standards) three times. Once he passed he signed an NLI to a very highly regarded academic university.

That's where I thought my son or other kids like him that are doing well academically have the "tiebreaker" so to speak. That's why I added the GPA to the mix. I see him as more of a kid that will use baseball to get a degree and a career. D1 seems to be the goal with most people and I know there is a lot that can happen three whole seasons from now and I feel as a dad he has the right motivation to continue to improve. As far as his pitching to answer one of the questions, last spring/summer he was cruising at 79-80 and hitting 82 when he wanted to really turn it up. Has a 4 seam, 2 seam, CU, CB and working on a cutter. His mechanics got off through the season because of some back issues, so he has really focused on his core and back to strengthen that up and has really gotten more in shape overall. Liked the way his hitting turned around and he became the #3 hitter on his AA Legion summer team as well as their everyday 3rd. basemen when he wasn't pitching. I feel (dad speaking here!) that he can go as far as he wants to and hopefully college coaches will see that as well in a few years!

Something to look at now that your son is in high school is where is the best place to play in summer to develop and get exposure. A freshman usually isn't ready for a 17/18U showcase team. But he should be playing where he will get the exposure to get to this kind of team for the future. In your area that may be Legion. Where my son played it wasn't. You have to know your area.

Mallott's Dad,

Congrats! Your son is off to a great start. Exceptional academics will give your son the most baseball options. He'll need to keep up the great work in the classroom, and on the baseball field to get those options. His next hurdles will most likely be travel team exposure, showcases, learning the baseball recruiting process, PSATs, ACTs and SATs. All of these hurdles will have an influence on the academic, athletic and financial paths available to your son. You're just getting started, and you've come to the right place to learn more.

Recruited = passion + skill + persistence + luck.

Best of luck and let us know if you have any specific questions.

quote:

I see him as more of a kid that will use baseball to get a degree and a career. D1 seems to be the goal with most people

So your real question is 'Scholarship possibility'? With a 3.9 and good SAT's he really doesn't need baseball to get him a degree and career.

I'd open up my search and look at D2 and NAIA too since they also offer scholarships.

You can also look at D3 but there isn't any athletic money. However, there is academic money available and many schools offer automatic money for grades and scores. (e.g. Chapman has top flight baseball and 25,000/yr for 4.0+ GPA and 2000+ SAT)

Thanks guys! The area Legion Team will be where he will land for Summer Ball. He played on the AA Legion Team last summer which traditionally doesn't take Freshmen, but in this case my son was able to make the team and become a starter. This team is based on just his HS, so the thought process of many is that this team will be next spring's Varsity. Varsity is hurting for pitching so he will probably be brought up to pitch and hopefully his bat will make him an everyday starter. If he becomes a solid Varsity player he will probably try out for the AAA Legion team that takes in multiple schools and also travels. It should bring him some great exposure if he can get the playing time. It's really exciting if the plan works out because past players haven't moved up the ladder this fast, but the kids ahead of him aren't quite as talented as in years past so it might be a great time for him to take advantage of this. I've also never seen him this hungry to work toward both ends of being a great HS baseball player and get the great grades.

I agree with you Hawk, but I know he wants to play at the highest level he can. Of course if he can get 100% at a D2 and 50% at a D1, then the money side will definetly kick in and we will have to see what to do at that point. My niece has a full ride at a D2 for volleyball and it's really cool to see that my sister doesn't have to spend a dime for her to go to college, so whatever helps him use baseball to continue his education is fine with me - but the D1 is a pretty cool dream!

Before you get wrapped around how much scholarship money, do your homework. It's much harder to get a full ride in D1 and D2 programs. Sometimes academic money from a D3 equals less out of pocket than athletic money at a D1/D2. Also some D3 programs are just as strong as the other ie. UT Tyler last year riddling off 20 something straight to start the season. I don't care what level your program is that kind a streak only happens at good programs.

quote:

Also some D3 programs are just as strong as the other

That may very well be true, however if a position player is looking to go as far as he can (i.e. pro) he will greatly improve his chances by playing for a team that plays against top competition each week (i.e. SEC, Pac 12, ACC). Your kid doesn't have to play on a top team to be seen, he just needs to play (good) against top teams.

Needless to say if your kids a pitcher throwing 95 it doesn't really matter where he plays.

You are on the front end of this process, so don't overthink it. Your son sounds talented both academically and athletically. That is a huge plus.

But let the game come to him.

quote:

Originally posted by Mallot's Dad:
My 2014 is 6'0" RHP/3rd. Basemen - throws 82-83 as a freshmen, hit .407 in summer ball. He has a 7.1 60 time and a 3.9GPA taking AP Classes. This fall he has really stepped up his workouts and has been hitting once a week, taking infield lessons and will start pitching lesson again in a couple of days. I feel as a dad that he is in a good position, especially with his grades, but is this just a Dad thought?

dont kid yourself..you have a great prospect here..if he continues to project and isnt already physically mature i would say this kid has the right mix of grades and upside to be D1.

Mallot's Dad: Great to see another voice from the Great Northwest!

Lot's of good advice here, and clearly your son has talent. I don't mean for this to come off the wrong way (and please accept my apologies if it does), but here goes:

Have you considered having your son play for a select team rather than Legion? I know Legion is far stronger in Eastern Washington than it is on the west side, and I don't want to speak out of turn about something I don't know enough about, but at least on the west side, the competition level in Legion is significantly lower than it is in select ball. I think some of that can be made up by playing up (as your son apparently is), and there are definitely benefits to playing for his HS coach...just thinking that impressing the HS coach is not the be all-end all point for a kid with higher aspirations, and the coach isn't likely to turn a kid with this talent away just because he chose to play for something other than his Legion team.

Judging by regional tournament results, select ball in Eastern Washington is not yet on a par with the west side (probably because of the relative strength of Legion, and some splitting of the talent pool), but it is good and getting better. I know there are several programs in the Yakima area that would at least be worth checking out, even if it is only to confirm that your Legion choice is the right one.

The other thing I was wondering, have you had your son participate in Baseball Northwest events? My son is a year younger than yours (2015) but has benefitted greatly from doing so. They control access to a lot of the better showcase opportunities (their own, plus USA Baseball, Arizona Fall Classic, and many of the same folks also run teams that participate in PG events) around here. If you aren't doing that, I would strongly consider doing so to add to the opportunities your son may be afforded to go to good events and be seen by more college coaches.

Again, I'm sorry if this comes across as a knock on Legion ball - I don't mean it to be, as much as a question about making sure the baseball landscape isn't changing as much on the east side as it seems to be on the west side....

Don't want to steal Mallot's Dads thread, however wanted to ask similiar question and add a comment.

Lefty is a 2013 5'11" LHP
This past summer / fall sat low 80's (80-83) At two different events touched 85. This off season concetrated on pitcher only workouts for strength, size and velocity.

GPA (with AP / Honors) over 4.0.

D1 Potential?

He is under the magical 6' barrier - Will the grades help open doors that the 6' barrier might not have?

Since we don't know your son or how effective his pitches are there is no way we can answer these types of questions. I can tell you that my son has a very good friend who is no taller than 5'10" and has verbally committed to a CWS team. He is a 2013 LHP; sits 85-87, maxes around 88-89 with good location. My guess is he will be at 90 by the time he graduates. If not, this program presently thinks he's worth the risk.

Small Town Mom...

Thanks...Its good to know the 6' barrier can be overcome by ability.

You have some good points Edgar. I think the Legion stuff is slowly fading away in Washington and it's too bad. Central Washington has had a huge tradition in Legion Ball and it's kind of a right of passage around here, but the Western Washington teams are dwindling and the overall exposure seems less. My thought was to see where he ends up this year and if he is a solid Varsity player then he will try out for his Senior Legion Team this summer and see how that goes. There's a ton of competition in this area from the Tri-Cities teams but I'm not sure how the exposure is. After Summer he will also do some of the Camps of the schools he is interested in, in Washington and Oregon.

2013leftydad,
Grab a pair of these and your son will be 6'0"/6'1".


http://bestshoelifts.com/gel-heel-lifts/

quote:

Originally posted by Mallot's Dad:

"You have some good points Edgar. I think the Legion stuff is slowly fading away in Washington and it's too bad. ..."

It's too bad in a lot of ways, not the least of which is it is much cheaper to play Legion than it is to play in most select programs. But, everybody is in a rush to keep up with the next guy, especially when you even suspect that you aren't giving your kid as good an opportunity as the next guy's kid, and pretty soon you hit a tipping point. Next thing you know, what used to be THE thing to do is considered a second class option. I think that has already happened on the west side of the mountains. Not sure about the east side - sounds like not quite yet - but I would not be at all surprised if it is coming. And as parents, all we can do is react and do the best we can for our kids with what we can afford.

I hope that helps explain that I am not knocking Legion (or any of the other traditional, non-select, programs) but explaining the concern I might have. I do think playing up in Legion is probably a good and logical next step, and whatever (relative) lack of exposure comes from that choice can certainly be made up by a good player getting exposure through things like BBNW and PG, and the other opportunities those organizations foster.

quote:

Originally posted by 2013leftydad:
Don't want to steal Mallot's Dads thread, however wanted to ask similiar question and add a comment.

Lefty is a 2013 5'11" LHP
This past summer / fall sat low 80's (80-83) At two different events touched 85. This off season concetrated on pitcher only workouts for strength, size and velocity.

GPA (with AP / Honors) over 4.0.

D1 Potential?

He is under the magical 6' barrier - Will the grades help open doors that the 6' barrier might not have?

I dont think D1 coaches recruit grades but i may be wrong..I think a d1 coaxch looks at the talent,,if its there he HOPES the grades are there too..if the talent isnt d1 the grades wont make him take you..

quote:

Originally posted by Mallot's Dad:
You have some good points Edgar. I think the Legion stuff is slowly fading away in Washington and it's too bad. Central Washington has had a huge tradition in Legion Ball and it's kind of a right of passage around here, but the Western Washington teams are dwindling and the overall exposure seems less. My thought was to see where he ends up this year and if he is a solid Varsity player then he will try out for his Senior Legion Team this summer and see how that goes. There's a ton of competition in this area from the Tri-Cities teams but I'm not sure how the exposure is. After Summer he will also do some of the Camps of the schools he is interested in, in Washington and Oregon.

i dont think the legion club means much and i truly dont think a coach cares who you are playing for IF he's got you as a prospect.My son turned down a legion league spot and opted to play with his buddies instead..the coaches that were interested in him came to watch HIM play..didnt matter if it was legion or not..the legion tean mat be in tourneys that give him more exposre..?? which is good and usually the legion players play "cheap" thats big too..get him on pbr send him to a few showcases and let him have fun playing with the kids he wants to before they all move on..

Do the Legion teams play tournaments at Colleges? Legion went away years ago here in Texas.

Edgarfan

I fully understand and sympathize with you on Legion vs Select. In our area for Years it was Legion Ball was where the kids went. Slowly but surely Select teams came in and provided more promises (and training) then legion. The vast mjaority of the "in" kids went that route and everyone followed. Now with multiple select clubs, legion and other opportunities, the teams are getting spread pretty thin.

I can name several top players in the state, some from each club and some from legion or other programs. So like Wogdog said "if your already on a list" it won't matter where you play.

The two items I see where a select might benefit is as follows:

1 - Training. These clubs (at least in our areas) are run at club owned facilities that can provide year round training where our legion teams do not have their own facilities.

2 - Exposure. For those that need to get on a list, this route usually offers more torunaments at places where scouts are and have good connections (multiple coaches vs one or two) with in roads to recruiting coordinators.

On the down side these also come with pressure and the fact that they are a business...They market how many kids (15-20) each year they get committed to major baseball programs. However to get 20 out there you have to have 100's in the system to support. If they are not making money then they can't stay open.


With that I will say we went select route since we wanted more training and more exposure. "Everyone else was doing it and you had to keep up" was prevelent in our mind, however it was leftys decision.

will he be on the list of those in the program that made it - we want to hope so. But its up to him and his talent to make it. We just just want to say we did our part in getting him the oportunities. I'll let you know next year if we made the right decision....