Fall priority for 2016: Showcase team or Individual Showcases

Unless it happens to be a showcase team with contacts that can help your son advance, I think individual events where you know the coaches from schools he is interested in will be in attendance is the path to take.

In my admittedly limited experience, it's really a crapshoot to get attention in a typical game setting - even in a "showcase" tournament. Pitchers of course having a little better chance...  There are just too many things the player can't control.

A situation where you are in front of the coaches you want to play for with an extended opportunity for them to see your skills would be ideal.  That could be either a camp or individual showcase depending on the particular schools you are targeting.

Doesn't have to be one or other. My son played w Summer team in one PG tourn in fall and was seen by college coaches. One asked him to come to their showcase(which was held a few wks later), and after doing well there was given nice offer. He took third offer that came his way because it was best fit for him.

son needs to narrow down colleges he's interested in going, and do what it takes to be seen by those coaches. Some schools travel to watch players in Fall, they like seeing them in real games. Once u get interest from that or at showcases, they will usually like to see them play in HS games if local, or if they think your a good fit u will be an early Nov sign. Still time to be seen in Spring if contact/interest is made after Nov. 

Find a few good college fits-academic and baseball and concentrate on them. 

First ? Every college coach asked my son involved his grades. Academic money is a big factor in the process. 

Good luck, keep posting on how it's going.

Targeting schools. Start with a few that will work for him. As in: I think I can play there, I think I can get accepted there, I think we can afford it, and I would probably say "yes" to an offer. Work hard to eliminate the schools on that list. Send personalized e-mail (not boilerplate) and include video. Most of these guys have very limited recruiting budgets, so they do watch video. Call the RC and ask him to come see you. Find out where he's recruiting and go there. If it's a tournament, try to find a guest spot on a team that will be there. Maybe he's working another college's camp. Go there.

Make the coach tell you "no", then move on to the next school. As schools tell you "no", add new ones to your list using what you've learned from the first ones. There are dozens of D2/D3 baseball schools in the Mid-Atlantic. Don't use a shotgun approach. Pick your schools and go after them. The coaches know the difference.

MidAtlantic is spot on. 

A player should always target their vetted list of schools.  Ideally that vetting is with the help of some third parties, e.g., for baseball fit perhaps a scout or a college coach; for academic fit perhaps a college counselor.

Once that vetted list is put together, then the player targets those schools.  Sending video, emails, personal mail, phone calls, camps, showcases, etc.  

Regarding camps or tourneys or showcases this Fall for your player, he should go where the coaches from schools on his list will be.  As discussed, he should contact the Head Coach (most of the time at D3) or Recruiting Coordinator (most of the time at D2) to find out where they will be.  That's where your son goes.

It is certainly not too late for D3 at this point.  There are still a lot of Summer events where college coaches will be attending.  If "academic" schools are a priority, take a look at the list of schools going to Headfirst on Long Island in August (or Jupiter in November for that matter).

Good luck!

Priority is learning the game.

can you read the bat? The pitcher? The runner? The field?

Bob

This feedback is very helpful.  Thanks everyone!