I am a 2023 left-handed pitcher, and I was wondering what my chances are of playing division1 baseball. I sit around 78 on the mound and top out at 80. I also throw a curve and changeup well and use a slider occasionally.
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And what is your size?
How much money do you have to spend?
Keep adding velo, you aren't far off with 3 years to go. Try for 84 this summer, 87/88 next. Be your own advocate, make contacts early, get SAT done early.
And get ready to outspend the competition so you can be at all the for profit recruiting events the gatekeepers have these days. Be sure and stay signed up with a 6k a year showcase team for next 3 years.
Brensdad posted:And what is your size?
6 foot 175
Showball$ posted:How much money do you have to spend?
Keep adding velo, you aren't far off with 3 years to go. Try for 84 this summer, 87/88 next. Be your own advocate, make contacts early, get SAT done early.
And get ready to outspend the competition so you can be at all the for profit recruiting events the gatekeepers have these days. Be sure and stay signed up with a 6k a year showcase team for next 3 years.
Is all of the snarky sarcasm really necessary? If you have something to say to the OP why not speak plainly for his benefit. He came here asking for honest feedback.
Nobody here can tell you yes or no. Just be a good player and try to get yourself on a team in a quality organization with a good track record for the summer heading into your junior year. If D1 schools like what they see then they'll be in contact. If they don't you won't ever hear from them. For now just get bigger, stronger and worry about making a varsity team before you worry about which D1 schools you can play at
22and25 posted:Showball$ posted:How much money do you have to spend?
Keep adding velo, you aren't far off with 3 years to go. Try for 84 this summer, 87/88 next. Be your own advocate, make contacts early, get SAT done early.
And get ready to outspend the competition so you can be at all the for profit recruiting events the gatekeepers have these days. Be sure and stay signed up with a 6k a year showcase team for next 3 years.
Is all of the snarky sarcasm really necessary? If you have something to say to the OP why not speak plainly for his benefit. He came here asking for honest feedback.
Let me see if I can rewrite Showball$'s last paragraph:
And get ready to OUTWORK the competition so you can be at all the BEST recruiting events the gatekeepers have these days. Be sure to be on the best showcase team you can be on and still play.
Yes, it will cost money for equipment, lessons, uniforms, and team fees for tournaments/showcases. Plus, your parents may need to pay for hotel rooms, if you can't stay with another family. We made tournaments/showcases family vacations for those few precious summers.
“Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.”
Showball$ posted:How much money do you have to spend?
Keep adding velo, you aren't far off with 3 years to go. Try for 84 this summer, 87/88 next. Be your own advocate, make contacts early, get SAT done early.
And get ready to outspend the competition so you can be at all the for profit recruiting events the gatekeepers have these days. Be sure and stay signed up with a 6k a year showcase team for next 3 years.
This is pretty clearly a kid looking for some advice, so you can probably lay off the sarcasm. Your second paragraph is valid, everything else, whether I agree or not, is really not called for and should be ignored by the poster.
Depends on geographic location. My son topped 78 after freshman year, 85 after soph, and 90 (was sitting 87-88) after junior. In the northeast this worked an he is committed to a D1. Other places, not so much. Good luck, you're definitely on the right track IMO.
keewart posted:22and25 posted:Showball$ posted:How much money do you have to spend?
Keep adding velo, you aren't far off with 3 years to go. Try for 84 this summer, 87/88 next. Be your own advocate, make contacts early, get SAT done early.
And get ready to outspend the competition so you can be at all the for profit recruiting events the gatekeepers have these days. Be sure and stay signed up with a 6k a year showcase team for next 3 years.
Is all of the snarky sarcasm really necessary? If you have something to say to the OP why not speak plainly for his benefit. He came here asking for honest feedback.
Let me see if I can rewrite Showball$'s last paragraph:
And get ready to OUTWORK the competition so you can be at all the BEST recruiting events the gatekeepers have these days. Be sure to be on the best showcase team you can be on and still play.
Yes, it will cost money for equipment, lessons, uniforms, and team fees for tournaments/showcases. Plus, your parents may need to pay for hotel rooms, if you can't stay with another family. We made tournaments/showcases family vacations for those few precious summers.
“Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.”
Who are “the gatekeepers”?
As a lefty your size and velo are on the right path. Don't get outworked, and that applies to the class room, the field and the weight room.
There are never have too many southpaws, huh!
K9 posted:As a lefty your size and velo are on the right path. Don't get outworked, and that applies to the class room, the field and the weight room.
Lefties have something special. Make sure when you txt or email coaches you use LHP over and over. My son was a little bigger and threw a little harder than you and he is finishing his first semester of his freshman year at a D1. If I could stress anything to a young guy coming up, it’s the mental side of a pitcher that college coaches will look at. Not that size and velo aren’t important, but to get your foot in the door somewhere, you have to display a field presence that they don’t see from everyone...attitude and hard work matter!
My son was a LHP. He was about your velo as a freshman. He went on to be drafted out of HS, played D1, and was drafted again in college.
Here was what we did and didn't do:
• found a great PC who could teach and from whom he would accept the teaching. Up to that point, he had great PCs, but who focused on his age pitchers. The (then) new PC was a "develop velo" guy who focused on older HS, college, and pro guys. He went from your velo to sitting upper 80s, touching 90+ in his senior year. (Size may or not matter on velo development; son was 5'9" 135 lbs when he got his driver's license and 5' 11" 150 in his senior year.)
• played sparingly on travel teams. He played several years for a scout team. (Here is where his PC connections became important; and your PC should be well connected with teams and college coaches.) We also had a method of putting together pick-up games with other HS players (he had access to a great diamond) where he had live game action plus his PC ran a college team in the local league and where innings were given to HS pitchers (team played 10 games per week and had something like 50 pitchers). He never did a showcase, never traveled more than locally. (But getting live action is critical, so you'll need to figure that out in your area.)
• worked 360 days a year on baseball. That included hitting several hundred balls a day (turned out to be futile in making him a batter, but developed discipline). He threw virtually every day, rain and shine, cold or hot, home or on vacation; long toss, long toss, long toss.
• began working out with the PC and his (older) pitchers 3 times a week in 10th grade.
• focused on academics right out of the box in HS. Took the hardest curriculum, did his homework, was closely watched by us (parents) who accepted nothing less than his best efforts. (Academics opens as many college doors as baseball.)
• he sacrificed much of his HS leisure time to baseball and academics. For him that meant no video games or parties (until late in his senior year). (He made up for it in college.)
• did Headfirst and Stanford camps in his rising junior year. Did the same plus an additional HF camp in his rising senior year. Was available to the local D1 for their HS tournaments.
• parents began digging into the college process in his 9th grade so we could all be on the same college page when the time came.
• the baseball budget went into lots and lots of lessons (the wasted batting ones, and the successful pitching ones), gloves, bats, and physical training. For us, not much spent on travel type stuff; the camps were expensive.
Our theory was that baseball is an individual skill game masquerading as a team game, so until YOU have cleared the baseball skill hurdle (different with each college), there isnt anything to offer colleges; that concept drove our focus on developing his individual pitching skills.
• we also went to alot of college games - JUCO, D1, D3, NAIA - to see what skills levels were playing.
Every path is different, but there are similarities: work ethic is one. Nothing is a substitute for hard work. If you're not constantly working to improve, there are hundreds of players who are.
There are lots of good threads here which will speak about the relationship of velo, command and control and which factors are the most important in getting recruited. We believed - and nothing has since shown it to be wrong - that velo, velo, velo was the single most important piece to the puzzle. We put our chips on that theory, eschewing the traditional showcase and travel route.
Good luck, you've got plenty of time - if you have a plan.
The first advantage you have is you are a southpaw, second is you are at least 6'...will you get much taller? That could help. Get some advice or a plan for the weight room and put on some pounds and get stronger while also continuing to work on your velo, command and effectiveness of pitches. There are lots of D1 programs around that need good pitchers and most mid majors are high 80's guys but i imagine there are many with mid 80s guys who can pitch from the left side as well. Keep us updated on your progress, good luck to you.
Goosegg posted:My son was a LHP. He was about your velo as a freshman. He went on to be drafted out of HS, played D1, and was drafted again in college.
Here was what we did and didn't do:
• found a great PC who could teach and from whom he would accept the teaching. Up to that point, he had great PCs, but who focused on his age pitchers. The (then) new PC was a "develop velo" guy who focused on older HS, college, and pro guys. He went from your velo to sitting upper 80s, touching 90+ in his senior year. (Size may or not matter on velo development; son was 5'9" 135 lbs when he got his driver's license and 5' 11" 150 in his senior year.)
• played sparingly on travel teams. He played several years for a scout team. (Here is where his PC connections became important; and your PC should be well connected with teams and college coaches.) We also had a method of putting together pick-up games with other HS players (he had access to a great diamond) where he had live game action plus his PC ran a college team in the local league and where innings were given to HS pitchers (team played 10 games per week and had something like 50 pitchers). He never did a showcase, never traveled more than locally. (But getting live action is critical, so you'll need to figure that out in your area.)
• worked 360 days a year on baseball. That included hitting several hundred balls a day (turned out to be futile in making him a batter, but developed discipline). He threw virtually every day, rain and shine, cold or hot, home or on vacation; long toss, long toss, long toss.
• began working out with the PC and his (older) pitchers 3 times a week in 10th grade.
• focused on academics right out of the box in HS. Took the hardest curriculum, did his homework, was closely watched by us (parents) who accepted nothing less than his best efforts. (Academics opens as many college doors as baseball.)
• he sacrificed much of his HS leisure time to baseball and academics. For him that meant no video games or parties (until late in his senior year). (He made up for it in college.)
• did Headfirst and Stanford camps in his rising junior year. Did the same plus an additional HF camp in his rising senior year. Was available to the local D1 for their HS tournaments.
• parents began digging into the college process in his 9th grade so we could all be on the same college page when the time came.
• the baseball budget went into lots and lots of lessons (the wasted batting ones, and the successful pitching ones), gloves, bats, and physical training. For us, not much spent on travel type stuff; the camps were expensive.
Our theory was that baseball is an individual skill game masquerading as a team game, so until YOU have cleared the baseball skill hurdle (different with each college), there isnt anything to offer colleges; that concept drove our focus on developing his individual pitching skills.
• we also went to alot of college games - JUCO, D1, D3, NAIA - to see what skills levels were playing.
Every path is different, but there are similarities: work ethic is one. Nothing is a substitute for hard work. If you're not constantly working to improve, there are hundreds of players who are.
There are lots of good threads here which will speak about the relationship of velo, command and control and which factors are the most important in getting recruited. We believed - and nothing has since shown it to be wrong - that velo, velo, velo was the single most important piece to the puzzle. We put our chips on that theory, eschewing the traditional showcase and travel route.
Good luck, you've got plenty of time - if you have a plan.
Great insight! Very helpful, not just for him, but others. Thanks!
plherleth posted:I am a 2023 left-handed pitcher, and I was wondering what my chances are of playing division1 baseball. I sit around 78 on the mound and top out at 80. I also throw a curve and changeup well and use a slider occasionally.
Here is a website that you and your parents should review to help develop a plan to find the right college fit.
He got the best advice a normal college potential and desired goal player could get in todays environment. Plain and simple truth. Be physically prepared, and when that's NOT enough, get out the now required checkbook.
If you don't like the response and real world advice, then work to change the system that is 99% pay to play right now. IE stop the $1000 recruiting showcases, stop the paying college coaches to attend these events, stop the reliance on the high priced showcase orgs.
Talent matters most........ For the 1% tier level of players. For the other 2 to 4% ......money spent in right places greases the way and is the decision separator.
Nothing snarky about it. Its real world things he is going to experience or have to deal with.
Goosegg posted:My son was a LHP. He was about your velo as a freshman. He went on to be drafted out of HS, played D1, and was drafted again in college.
Here was what we did and didn't do:
• found a great PC who could teach and from whom he would accept the teaching. Up to that point, he had great PCs, but who focused on his age pitchers. The (then) new PC was a "develop velo" guy who focused on older HS, college, and pro guys. He went from your velo to sitting upper 80s, touching 90+ in his senior year. (Size may or not matter on velo development; son was 5'9" 135 lbs when he got his driver's license and 5' 11" 150 in his senior year.)
• played sparingly on travel teams. He played several years for a scout team. (Here is where his PC connections became important; and your PC should be well connected with teams and college coaches.) We also had a method of putting together pick-up games with other HS players (he had access to a great diamond) where he had live game action plus his PC ran a college team in the local league and where innings were given to HS pitchers (team played 10 games per week and had something like 50 pitchers). He never did a showcase, never traveled more than locally. (But getting live action is critical, so you'll need to figure that out in your area.)
• worked 360 days a year on baseball. That included hitting several hundred balls a day (turned out to be futile in making him a batter, but developed discipline). He threw virtually every day, rain and shine, cold or hot, home or on vacation; long toss, long toss, long toss.
• began working out with the PC and his (older) pitchers 3 times a week in 10th grade.
• focused on academics right out of the box in HS. Took the hardest curriculum, did his homework, was closely watched by us (parents) who accepted nothing less than his best efforts. (Academics opens as many college doors as baseball.)
• he sacrificed much of his HS leisure time to baseball and academics. For him that meant no video games or parties (until late in his senior year). (He made up for it in college.)
• did Headfirst and Stanford camps in his rising junior year. Did the same plus an additional HF camp in his rising senior year. Was available to the local D1 for their HS tournaments.
• parents began digging into the college process in his 9th grade so we could all be on the same college page when the time came.
• the baseball budget went into lots and lots of lessons (the wasted batting ones, and the successful pitching ones), gloves, bats, and physical training. For us, not much spent on travel type stuff; the camps were expensive.
Our theory was that baseball is an individual skill game masquerading as a team game, so until YOU have cleared the baseball skill hurdle (different with each college), there isnt anything to offer colleges; that concept drove our focus on developing his individual pitching skills.
• we also went to alot of college games - JUCO, D1, D3, NAIA - to see what skills levels were playing.
Every path is different, but there are similarities: work ethic is one. Nothing is a substitute for hard work. If you're not constantly working to improve, there are hundreds of players who are.
There are lots of good threads here which will speak about the relationship of velo, command and control and which factors are the most important in getting recruited. We believed - and nothing has since shown it to be wrong - that velo, velo, velo was the single most important piece to the puzzle. We put our chips on that theory, eschewing the traditional showcase and travel route.
Good luck, you've got plenty of time - if you have a plan.
Great post, Goosegg!
Seems like there are good opportunities for pitchers. Would you propose any changes for a position player?
Hey PLHERLETH, sure you can play D1 baseball! I think that you are aware enough at your age to seek out input from a well informed forum like this already puts you on your way. If that is your passion and goal, go for it. It is not easy. It is not easy to get a college degree. Playing college baseball is very hard. To do both is a very big challenge. To achieve in athletics, or really any worthwhile endeavor requires hard work. Very few people stumble into or slide into success. It is usually a tough uphill battle that requires dedication and perseverance.
If there are 100 boys in your class, I bet at least 10 of them could potentially throw a baseball 88-90 MPH. Few or none are probably willing to do what it takes to do that though. I bet 70 or 80 of them could be a lawyer or a doctor, but likely only a couple would be willing to do what it takes to do that. There are no huge secrets to achieving most big goals. It's easy. But you have to be willing to do what it takes.
I'd also say, most guys want to play D1. That is something to shoot for. But you can also be very successful and have a very fulfilling college career, and play pro ball, having played in another division. I would advise most guys your age to not limit your options
Good luck!
Just a slightly different take - Work hard to be the best player you can be and the Divisions will sort themselves out. Dont make it D1 or bust because you could overlook a lot of good opportunities that could come up at D2, D3, JUCO etc. because like most kids, they only want D1. This is not a knock on wanting to play D1, but as others have said, continue to work hard in the classroom, gym and on the field. The rest will take care of itself. Just dont rule out other options along the way.
Showball$ posted:How much money do you have to spend?
Keep adding velo, you aren't far off with 3 years to go. Try for 84 this summer, 87/88 next. Be your own advocate, make contacts early, get SAT done early.
And get ready to outspend the competition so you can be at all the for profit recruiting events the gatekeepers have these days. Be sure and stay signed up with a 6k a year showcase team for next 3 years.
Uncalled for. A freshman teenager asked a simple question to a bunch of adults for advice on whether he should be able to play at the D1 level with a beginning point of 78 mph as a freshman and you, the adult, went sarcastic and made fun of him. Not good.
Now to the OP. My son who is a freshman at P5 LHP was 80 going into freshman year, 84 going into sophomore, 87 going into junior, 89 going into senior year. Now 91. The key is to keep working on building up arm by weights, long toss, and good mechanics. Play at the highest level you can play. Being a LHP is a huge advantage. Just know that if you can't afford to play for the big organizations there are teams that will help a lhp with control all the time. If you need advice on how to get picked up by these tournaments, pm me and I will give you info. WWBA teams are always looking for LHP every age group. Son played 15,16,17, and 18U WWBA as a freshman. Paid little to nothing to play those tournaments and got great exposure. good luck.
Showball$ posted:He got the best advice a normal college potential and desired goal player could get in todays environment. Plain and simple truth. Be physically prepared, and when that's NOT enough, get out the now required checkbook.
If you don't like the response and real world advice, then work to change the system that is 99% pay to play right now. IE stop the $1000 recruiting showcases, stop the paying college coaches to attend these events, stop the reliance on the high priced showcase orgs.
Talent matters most........ For the 1% tier level of players. For the other 2 to 4% ......money spent in right places greases the way and is the decision separator.
Nothing snarky about it. Its real world things he is going to experience or have to deal with.
Not true. Son never paid to play on top level teams it just takes work to find the ones who are looking for the right player. Never went to the $1,000 showcase or any other than a couple of $150 ones. Played in over 30 PG events with 12 being WWBAs and several PBR events including futures games twice. Paid very little to play throughout entire career. Playing P5 baseball. You do not have to pay to play if you know how to work the system and who to contact. There are always teams looking for LHP's if you just get your name out there. I just don't understand the need to attack a 9th grader with your bad opinion of travel baseball. If it was an adult who made unrealistic statements, that is one thing, but this is just a kid seeking advice. I'm sure your kid must have been wronged by the system for you to have this much hatred. My sons had great travel ball experiences and didn't have to put a second mortgage on the house to do it.
nycdad posted:Depends on geographic location. My son topped 78 after freshman year, 85 after soph, and 90 (was sitting 87-88) after junior. In the northeast this worked an he is committed to a D1. Other places, not so much. Good luck, you're definitely on the right track IMO.
We are in Iowa and followed the same timeline, although RHP and slightly higher velocities at each of these points in time.. Son is now a sophomore at a D1 and got a decent amount of innings last year. Hard work and support from coaches will be key in the next couple of years.
2019Lefty21 posted:K9 posted:As a lefty your size and velo are on the right path. Don't get outworked, and that applies to the class room, the field and the weight room.
Lefties have something special. Make sure when you txt or email coaches you use LHP over and over. My son was a little bigger and threw a little harder than you and he is finishing his first semester of his freshman year at a D1. If I could stress anything to a young guy coming up, it’s the mental side of a pitcher that college coaches will look at. Not that size and velo aren’t important, but to get your foot in the door somewhere, you have to display a field presence that they don’t see from everyone...attitude and hard work matter!
You being a Lefty makes a huge difference. Plus your height at your age, all good. So you have two advantages right out of the gate, and hitting 80 as a Freshman LHP is a great place to be. As others have stated, keep working hard in the gym, give your arm proper rest in the offseason, make sure your grades are just as good as your velo, and get yourself on a travel team this summer. You're on pace for good things, but remember it's a marathon not a sprint. Maintaining focus and sustained commitment are where many talented young people fall off. Let us know about your progress!
johnlanza posted:Goosegg posted:My son was a LHP. He was about your velo as a freshman. He went on to be drafted out of HS, played D1, and was drafted again in college.
Here was what we did and didn't do:
• found a great PC who could teach and from whom he would accept the teaching. Up to that point, he had great PCs, but who focused on his age pitchers. The (then) new PC was a "develop velo" guy who focused on older HS, college, and pro guys. He went from your velo to sitting upper 80s, touching 90+ in his senior year. (Size may or not matter on velo development; son was 5'9" 135 lbs when he got his driver's license and 5' 11" 150 in his senior year.)
• played sparingly on travel teams. He played several years for a scout team. (Here is where his PC connections became important; and your PC should be well connected with teams and college coaches.) We also had a method of putting together pick-up games with other HS players (he had access to a great diamond) where he had live game action plus his PC ran a college team in the local league and where innings were given to HS pitchers (team played 10 games per week and had something like 50 pitchers). He never did a showcase, never traveled more than locally. (But getting live action is critical, so you'll need to figure that out in your area.)
• worked 360 days a year on baseball. That included hitting several hundred balls a day (turned out to be futile in making him a batter, but developed discipline). He threw virtually every day, rain and shine, cold or hot, home or on vacation; long toss, long toss, long toss.
• began working out with the PC and his (older) pitchers 3 times a week in 10th grade.
• focused on academics right out of the box in HS. Took the hardest curriculum, did his homework, was closely watched by us (parents) who accepted nothing less than his best efforts. (Academics opens as many college doors as baseball.)
• he sacrificed much of his HS leisure time to baseball and academics. For him that meant no video games or parties (until late in his senior year). (He made up for it in college.)
• did Headfirst and Stanford camps in his rising junior year. Did the same plus an additional HF camp in his rising senior year. Was available to the local D1 for their HS tournaments.
• parents began digging into the college process in his 9th grade so we could all be on the same college page when the time came.
• the baseball budget went into lots and lots of lessons (the wasted batting ones, and the successful pitching ones), gloves, bats, and physical training. For us, not much spent on travel type stuff; the camps were expensive.
Our theory was that baseball is an individual skill game masquerading as a team game, so until YOU have cleared the baseball skill hurdle (different with each college), there isnt anything to offer colleges; that concept drove our focus on developing his individual pitching skills.
• we also went to alot of college games - JUCO, D1, D3, NAIA - to see what skills levels were playing.
Every path is different, but there are similarities: work ethic is one. Nothing is a substitute for hard work. If you're not constantly working to improve, there are hundreds of players who are.
There are lots of good threads here which will speak about the relationship of velo, command and control and which factors are the most important in getting recruited. We believed - and nothing has since shown it to be wrong - that velo, velo, velo was the single most important piece to the puzzle. We put our chips on that theory, eschewing the traditional showcase and travel route.
Good luck, you've got plenty of time - if you have a plan.
Great post, Goosegg!
Seems like there are good opportunities for pitchers. Would you propose any changes for a position player?
Johnlanza,
Others will provide you with some important perspectives. Below are some of the demographics based on state participation. Please note there are nuances for every situation, some of the insights will help you understand where people from your particular state have played over the last 3 years.
Showball$ posted:He got the best advice a normal college potential and desired goal player could get in todays environment. Plain and simple truth. Be physically prepared, and when that's NOT enough, get out the now required checkbook.
If you don't like the response and real world advice, then work to change the system that is 99% pay to play right now. IE stop the $1000 recruiting showcases, stop the paying college coaches to attend these events, stop the reliance on the high priced showcase orgs.
Talent matters most........ For the 1% tier level of players. For the other 2 to 4% ......money spent in right places greases the way and is the decision separator.
Nothing snarky about it. Its real world things he is going to experience or have to deal with.
Snarky is your delivery. He is a 14 year old asking for advice. No need to leave him to interpret your sarcasm. If you have "real world things" to share for his benefit perhaps speaking them plainly would provide some benefit to him. Otherwise you are just crapping in his thread with your cryptic axe grinding about the cost of baseball. You could start your own thread for that.....
Showball$ posted:He got the best advice a normal college potential and desired goal player could get in todays environment. Plain and simple truth. Be physically prepared, and when that's NOT enough, get out the now required checkbook.
If you don't like the response and real world advice, then work to change the system that is 99% pay to play right now. IE stop the $1000 recruiting showcases, stop the paying college coaches to attend these events, stop the reliance on the high priced showcase orgs.
Talent matters most........ For the 1% tier level of players. For the other 2 to 4% ......money spent in right places greases the way and is the decision separator.
Nothing snarky about it. Its real world things he is going to experience or have to deal with.
What's often overlooked about today's kids is that they grew up with trolls, and can quickly weed out trash posters like above.
Go44dad posted:Showball$ posted:He got the best advice a normal college potential and desired goal player could get in todays environment. Plain and simple truth. Be physically prepared, and when that's NOT enough, get out the now required checkbook.
If you don't like the response and real world advice, then work to change the system that is 99% pay to play right now. IE stop the $1000 recruiting showcases, stop the paying college coaches to attend these events, stop the reliance on the high priced showcase orgs.
Talent matters most........ For the 1% tier level of players. For the other 2 to 4% ......money spent in right places greases the way and is the decision separator.
Nothing snarky about it. Its real world things he is going to experience or have to deal with.
What's often overlooked about today's kids is that they grew up with trolls, and can quickly weed out trash posters like above.
🤣🤣🤣 You even used the current lingo - "trash"!! Love it!!!
KD posted:
There are never have too many southpaws, huh!
To paraphrase a sportswriter several years ago .... Lefties have a shelf life that doesn’t expire until three years after their death certificate is filed. Look at Terry Mullholland (124-142 4.41)
plherleth posted:I am a 2023 left-handed pitcher, and I was wondering what my chances are of playing division1 baseball. I sit around 78 on the mound and top out at 80. I also throw a curve and changeup well and use a slider occasionally.
As a father of a highly recruited LHP, I will say that your already have a step up being Lefty. Your velo must be @ 88 with good command of changeup and curveball. The more you pound the strike zone the better you will succeed. The pitch that seems to get lost today is the changeup! Son had to throw it all fall to master it. Thought he didn't need it to be perfect. Well D1 baseball is another world. He's in the SEC and he has never worked so hard his entire life. So your velo should rise as you grow as long as you are in a strength and conditioning program, Keep pitches around the strike zone and learn to throw those pitches anytime. And unfortunately you need to be seen in tournament play in either PG or PBR type organizations. Good Luck.
plherleth posted:Brensdad posted:And what is your size?
6 foot 175
What is your parent's size? If mom and dad are 5' 11" and 6' 4" respectfully as opposed to 5' 1" and 5' 9" that's going to matter. Being a lefty is a big plus but puberity is going to have the most say going forward. My son took pitching lessons with a kid who was throwing 83 in the 6/7th grade. He was throwing 88 jr year. That said as a lefty 88 with control of offspeed/fastball will get you DI. 93 plus with little to no control will get you drafted.
So if its not real world reality................
I have been asked to lay out a plan and help a local 2023 pitcher. He's 6ft 148lbs, throws 79, and doesn't have a dime to spend. His high school has no recruiting contacts to assist. A/B student in college prep classes. PSAT indicates a future 1300+ score. Work ethic is out of the park.
Devise his plan to play D1, or D2, or D3 at under $1000 per year, All costs and travel included in budget.
Go.
1.) Work hard. Work harder. Work hardest.
2.)????
3.)????
Showball$ posted:So if its not real world reality................
I have been asked to lay out a plan and help a local 2023 pitcher. He's 6ft 148lbs, throws 79, and doesn't have a dime to spend. His high school has no recruiting contacts to assist. A/B student in college prep classes. PSAT indicates a future 1300+ score. Work ethic is out of the park.
Devise his plan to play D1, or D2, or D3 at under $1000 per year, All costs and travel included in budget.
Go.
1.) Work hard. Work harder. Work hardest.
2.)????
3.)????
1. Find someone new to lay out his plan.
2. See #1
A kid from our high school didn’t have any money. The kid could have picked from three sports to go D1. He loved baseball. It became a community effort. He played on a top 17u travel team starting at fifteen free of charge. Facilities helped him with training. They wanted his name on the wall under “alumni.”
He signed versus heading for a P5. Without the help he might have been a D1 shooting guard. There was a lot of basketball help volunteered he didn’t have time for. He quit football after being all conference soph year.
RJM,
But you just described the top tier .005/1% athlete. And that athlete is going to get trained and connected, because.....well because its advertising to the academy to put his plaque on the committed wall. You are 110% right on his path.
Hows that work for the rest of the 1 to 3%?
Nobody really wants to touch this real topic. Just bash the general thought that excess money to throw at this process matters a whole lot.. And throw bombs at those who can't keep up with the baseball showcase expense world or dare to call it what it is.
Showball$ posted:So if its not real world reality................
I have been asked to lay out a plan and help a local 2023 pitcher. He's 6ft 148lbs, throws 79, and doesn't have a dime to spend. His high school has no recruiting contacts to assist. A/B student in college prep classes. PSAT indicates a future 1300+ score. Work ethic is out of the park.
Devise his plan to play D1, or D2, or D3.
Go.
1.) Work hard. Work harder. Work hardest.
2.)????
3.)????
Well, it's hard to interpret your this latest post as anything other than still largely "snarky". And, while this is an open forum and you are, for the most part, welcome to continue expressing your opinion, I agree with others - it IS getting old and it is NOT an appropriate or responsible adult response in pretty much anyone's book when a young teen is looking to this resource for guidance.
I don't care how strong your background is or how well connected you are. If you aren't willing to think out of the box and help a kid like the the one looking for your help, then they came to the wrong guy.
In case there is any degree of seriousness to your question... there are several things a player and/or parent can do to for an aspiring player on a budget. I am not saying you are completely wrong... that things haven't shifted toward being a sport where there is typically a lot of spend, but there are still ways to overcome. I have helped several kids find those ways.
- Use some of many willing knowledgeable local resources who are willing to instruct for little or nothing... recent college players/grads, local reputable HS coaches & AC's, local alumni of the program, AC's of the local JC, retired ex-players, mentors, etc. If you dig deep enough, be respectful of their time and willing to put in the work, there are usually some really good versions of those folks to be found in just about every town.
- Take advantage of HS before/after school weight training, speed and agility programs. Ask local track coaches for guidance with running form, etc.
- Come up with a regionally targeted recruiting plan, limiting the need to go to distant events and making it more feasible to get in front of most RC's without big spends.
- Develop a network of local respected advocates to speak on your behalf to those targeted regional schools.
- Use the enormous surplus of available information, instruction, video etc., available for free online. Yes, you will need other guidance to sort the good from the bad, but I know a good resource for that 
- Take on a part time job to help cover some of the nominal costs that will still come up and ask parents to match your contribution.
- Once skills dictate, play for a Scout team. Many charge little or nothing, get good exposure, have limited travel and are very competitive.
- Find a reasonably priced "local" travel team that perhaps charges only raw costs and will allow selective participation. They typically don't go to the major events but if they are playing local tourneys and are decent, the player is getting in front of those local/regional RC's. Use your PT job and/or get a sponsor to cover your minimal fees.
- Develop dialog with those regional RC's and figure out if there is genuine interest. Give them your local summer and HS schedule and see if they will come out to take a look. If you get further down the road and agree to attend one of their prospect camps, those are usually quite affordable and you can prioritize your PT job money accordingly.
- Work harder than the other guys. This applies whether you have money or not. If you work harder and have a college level skill set, you will most likely see success that will be noticed by others. The local RC's will find out.
- Prioritize good grades through HS and choose a college major for which you can actually earn money upon graduation. This will afford significantly reduced tuitions at many if not most colleges and then having a decent job upon graduation will allow for you to cover any minimal student loans if necessary.
I have more but have rambled on enough... you get the idea. There are ways to overcome. If a player isn't going to be willing to work hard to overcome off-field challenges, he won't be able to overcome on-field either, with or without money.
No question that it's better to have disposable income and the more the better for baseball recruiting.
But, I know of several HS guys who parlayed work into all each needed. Several caught at our PCs BackYard; in exchange for all he offered (lessons, games, physical training, contacts) they caught the lessons. And they learned an awful lot about pitching in the process. Other guys worked at the local batting cage where they exchanged time for time, lessons, and connections. They learned alot about batting.
The HS working path isn't easy, but I know of more than a few who went that route.
Guest play on tourney teams, they always need pitchers. Post on flat ground. Talk to local college coaches, they usually pay it forward. Use the $ for training
Do you get outs? Always a roster spot in college baseball for a LHP that gets outs regardless of size or velo. D1 baseball? Sure. But focusing on D1 ball is the wrong approach to college baseball recruiting.
The trick to college baseball recruiting , if the there is any such trickery is that players need to cast a WIDE NET and most don't.
D1, D2, D3, JUCO.
All the above. Try to play in front of as many College coaches as you can. Coaches from all different levels. Players and parents are WAY too caught up in D1 ball. If you're a good fit for D1 ball you'll know. This whole thing is about finding the 'Right fit' on the field, the classroom, socially and economically. Some of the finest learning institutions in country field NCAA D3 baseball teams. While some of the worst diploma mill dumb bell colleges field NCAA D1 teams. I watched 9 players draft last year out of a JUCO conference and also watched as only 3 drafted out of a D1 conference.
For pitchers more than hitters , the Division isn't as important. If it's 98 mph on the left side from 60FT 6 Inches , it doesn't matter if it's on a HS mound a JUCO mound or a D1 mound. 98 is 98. Period. It's the same for Spin.
Important measurables for pitchers can be tracked regardless of competition.
I know countless parents and players that were 'D1 or bust' in the recruiting process and for some it worked out well. However, for more than I care to mention it didn't turn out well at all. Guys doing 4 yrs at the D1 level with a grand total of 12 AB's over 4 years. or pitchers graduating w/ a NCAA career total of 12 Innings pitched.
Do you wanna play baseball in College or do you want to be on a D1 roster? You need to think about that. Because they are not one in the same.
My son was a 2016 D1 LHP commit. I understand the recruiting process well. He was an early committ to school in the south. He was also obsessed with velocity and subsequently got hurt and had major shoulder surgery as a Freshman. His rehab was plagued w/ set backs and problems. After 2 years he left the D1 and came home to southern california and decided to reinvent himself as a hitter. He played at the JUCO level last year and was outstanding as a hitter. But most importantly , he was happy and healthy. JUCO ball was a blast. A lot of fun for him and me.
Now, as he's weighing transfer options, it's not about D1. It's about the right school from a social , academic, financial and baseball standpoint. He's spoken with coaches at the D1, D2, D3 and NAIA level and he'll make his decision based on the aforementioned criteria.
Back to you, right now, just get outs! do it w/ velo, Spin, Change. Whatever. As a 2023, That's all you need to focus on right now. And take care of your arm. Listen to it. If you're feeling sore, Don't throw. In the next year or two you'll get a good idea of where you fit in College baseball. Try not to worry about that right now. Just play the game. Focus on getting outs and helping your team win.