Frustration Building

Tdkb,

 

I'm in Texas too and no, it is not too late. My son's HS team had two Seniors commit late in the 2015 baseball season.

 

Target some Texas schools that he wants to attend. Go to their camp. Get his select team coach to contact the colleges or let your son do it himself.  Once you get an offer in hand then you may find other college willing to offer also. Don't rule out JUCO's. 

Just a thought, instead of saying "no offers", say "in conversations with several schools we are excited about."  

Just so you know what you are up against there are 21 D1 schools in Tx (I think all have baseball but not sure) If you are just focusing on D1 and Texas there are approximately 42 spots that will be filled as catchers in his recruiting year, many of these programs are the best in the country also. (see how many were in the Regionals this year)  Is he one of the top 50 catchers in the state? (or maybe less than this since the top baseball programs recruit outside of the state) 

 

What I am getting at is that he needs to expand search outside of TX and as well as the D1 level and look at JC's, D2's and D3's. What all of these schools are saying, politely, is that he is not quite good enough to play for them and they have or are going to fill it with some other player. 

 

The key is to not leave it to chance and have a plan and work the plan. If you have not done so immediately make a list of schools that fit his profile, do the research and send them an email with his profile and where he will be playing. This list should include a wide range of areas and levels, up to 50 as a start, but realistically more in the 30 range. If he starts with a plan and is working the plan you will likely have success, without one he will likely not.

 

Good luck.

 

 

No, not surprised we haven't heard from more schools. Just wondering why the schools that have contacted him, unsolicited, haven't pulled the trigger on an offer.  I believe he is on their board just not at the top. We have been on the offensive...emailed schools with is videos and the multiple newspaper clippings highlighting his performance in district/playoff action, attended camps, left voicemail messages. Some respond - most don't.  

 

Concerning baseball factory - the scale is 1-10 with 1 being the top.    

 

Happy to hear that most believe there are still opportunites.   

tdkb, it's definitely not too late to get a college offer, but could be getting late for the D1's in TX as has already been pointed out.  I agree that he needs to be marketing himself, and letting the coaches know that he's interested in their program.  I'm also curious about his size since you didn't mention that.

 

On another note, I share the following not to be discouraging, but to be honest and straightforward.  When I read your post, it reminded me immediately of a catcher that our son played with in HS.  Great defensive catcher, decent hitter, and good student.  But he and his Dad sat back and waited for schools to come to them.  He didn't attend as many showcases as he should have.

 

He ended up walking on to a D1 program, and did not see much playing time as his bat didn't measure up to the major D1 level, and he had just a bit of a hitch in his throws to second.  Make sure you and your son take steps so he's not in a similar situation.  Be proactive, and find a school where the coach really believes in your son!

Why would they offer if he isn't on top of their board?  When he is, they will try to determine if the interest is mutual and if so, they will offer.  They will certainly not be in any hurry to aggressively pursue #4 or #8 on the positional depth chart if they are still hopeful with #1,2 and 3.  If son has dialog, it is a good idea to ask exactly where he is on their board.

 

Regarding "most don't" reply, that is certainly the norm so don't sweat it. 

 

Thanks for the Baseball Factory rating info.  But to be clear, I made that statement to make a point to you that not all may recognize a BF rating whereas they will with PG ratings.  I think this varies by region with BF but is pretty universal with PG.

Hang in there dude.  Your kid sounds like a talented one.   He'll find a place.  Has he thought about options other than D1 or is it D1 or die?

 

There's a lot of very good college baseball being played at the D2, D3 levels I am told.

 

The PG site is a wealth of information.  You can go to each school, by year, and see who is committed (and what position).  Granted, this is self reported, and some commits are not on PG, but it is still a great source of info.

 

      Go to "HS" in the red bar at the top of the PG home page

      Then go to "College Commitments"

 

We still use it to see who is coming in the classes behind keewartson.

 

 

There is also Field Level which tracks commitments in a number of sports.  I just came across it recently.   Don't know if they are more or less reliable than Perfect Game.  Doesn't seem to be self-report.  But not clear how they get their info.

 

https://www.fieldlevel.com/view-commitments

Field Level doesn't have my son or the two other D1 commits from his HS team. May have to "join" and then list your son, etc, 

I'd have to say FAR less reliable than PG's list.  Pulled my my son's grad year (2017) and state and it shows 6 commits, all to the same school (some agriculture college I've never heard of).

 

PG shows 21 for the same filter, ironically, none of the six that field level has.  I looked up those six on PG and found 3 of the 6.  All three show a 2015 grad yr on PG.  PG shows one of them committed to a different college and no commitment on the other two.

 

 

Plenty of time. No reason to stress or freak out, just continue with the process. Keep in touch with schools you have formed relationships with, contact schools of interest at the D2, D3, NAIA level, and potentially look outside of TX. I know Texas plays good baseball at all the NCAA levels, so look into those schools. Division does not matter, once a player can look over that then the real fun begins. Find the best fit personally, academically, and athletically. Broaden your horizons and keep all lines of communication open.

"True Story"

a few ago while our American teams were playing in Adelaide, Australia. Dave La Roche, a former NY Yankee was coaching with Jim Lentine a former ST Cardinals OF. Adam La
Roche [not drafted out of HS]  was playing in the field with three other players who later played inn the ML.

 

While watching the game, I listen to the wood bat hitting a baseball with a strong impact.

Looking back to the batting cage, there was a player age 18 and a young lady throwing pitches. I asked where you from? He said Sweden. He and his girl friend traveled to Australia to play baseball on a local Club team. I recommend that Dave then a JC Coach at Ft Scott, KS see this player,  a LH hitting catcher.

 

Dave likes his talent and provided an opportunity to play at Ft. Scott and then two years later he has a scholarship at Central Carolina College and then signs a professional contract.

"You never know who is watching or listening".

Play the game to learn and to enjoy.

 

Bob

<www.goodwillseries.org>

BOF, I think you overstated for catchers, what I have seen is one catcher a years recruited per team, maybe 2 if a one of upper years catchers is gone. From what little  research I have done. basically 3 catchers on a college team, so one year there would be zero. Does that sound correct?

 

I know my son's team has 3 catchers on team, one left last year and one is coming this year. Last year in my son's class they did not bring in a catcher since they had 3 already.

 

So in OP case he would have to be in top 21 catchers in his class to secure a D! spot in Tx assuming no catchers come from out of state

Chefmike, you could be right, but a lot of times there are catchers who are not on the travel squad and are bullpen/scrimmage catchers working their way up. It is also not unusual for at the highest D1 levels for catchers to leave a program if they don't work their way into a starting spot, so there is also some turnover not seen on the rosters. But the point is the same, to get an offer from one of the top D1 Texas programs you would expect that player to be one of the top ones in the state.

 

Bombsquad is also correct there is plenty of time and there are very high levels of baseball played in TX at many other division levels, which really opens up the opportunities. 

While there is still time, I do not think that the OP actually understood the process. Now he does. Also, there is very little info given about the player, height weight, GPA and ACT or SAT.  

A call from a coach does not mean he will offer, it means a communication, if a major

D1 is interested they would be around to watch him play. Unless he was not visible this summer, where did he play?

What you did,it sounds to me, was to sit back and wait after you received those calls

Your son most likely is a C,  D1 recruit, meaning he gets the call after A or B says no. Its his bat that will sell him, not the position. Coaches will always find room for a good bat. How good is it?  Its very hard to form an opinion by what is stated by the parent.

What he needs to do is find a program that considers him the A recruit, in other words their guy.

 

Sorry, but I dont put much into a 2 by Baseball Factory, he needs a rating from PG. My son took his team to one of their tourneys, not for exposure but to play and get experience (2016 and 2017) and a good thing that they weren't expecting lots of college coaches, because there really wasn't.

 

For all the biching and moaning here about PG tourneys and showcases, it can make a difference. IMO, you guys in Texas need to get out and be seen, there isn't enough spots for every player who wants to play D1 baseball (just like there isn't here in FL).

 

JMO

D1 offers in Texas for catchers are not easy to come by. I know a 2014 kid who is a catcher, 6'3" 225 lbs solid muscle.  He was an All State catcher, perhaps a top 5 catcher in the state defensively, hit for power, decent on average.  No one runs on him.  He did not get a D1 offer last year.  He had good grades and no discipline issues. He went the JUCO route this year, hit above 340, was a defensive stud and now will be moving on to super regional qualifying Texas D1 for his sophmore year.  That should give you a perspective on how tough getting an offer from a D1 at catcher can be.  

Sometimes it is timing, sometimes it is just being in the right spot on the right day, but your son needs to decide what he is willing to do or not do.  While you may get a great D1 offer, you might not, then what? Consider all of the opportunities that are out there, the wider you cast your net, the better your chance of success.  I would say that chasing D1 at the expense of other things doesn't work out very often.  Will you play?  Is it the right school?  Does it fit financially?  There are so many other critical factors that will come into play before the process is done.  D1 is a very small part of the bigger picture.  Best of luck, it can be a frustrating ride. 

tdkb,

What part of Texas are you in? What summer team is your son on? Aren't those coaches offering help for their players? Where does he play HS? Is he in 5A or 1A? What kind of college atmosphere is your son wanting in relation to his degree program? 

BF carries no weight in Texas. PG is KING! (and then some!)

Agree that DI catcher spot are highly competitive...usually go to State ranked/Nationally ranked kids with big bat! However, there are some strong JUCO programs (San Jac, Weatherford, Blinn, etc) that have historically had typical D1 caliber players, that feed into the D1's...so don't discount this possibility. 

 

 

Son's 2016 teammate who is a catcher is ranked by PG as an overall top 50 player in TX so obviously one of the top catchers and only has one offer I am aware of. Third year D1 program and not as a catcher but basically a hitter. 

Son's team now has  7 commits.  5 pitchers, a two way who is basically a pitcher and a CF. the two other major clubs in our area have one commit a piece. One SS and another pitcher.

This is a tough process for any position player no matter the talent level IMO.

tbkb:

 

After reading your post, then the replies, I went back and re-read your post. I totally agree with several responses here (and I'm in Texas, too - with a 2016) but this two-word sentence you wrote jumped out at me:

 

"PG soon."

 

Has your son not attended any PG events? If not, why not? SOON -- as a rising senior ... is LATE!

 

Clearly you understand the value of third-party analysis ... evidenced by the fact that you shared your son's "2" score by Baseball Factory (Never heard of it).

 

Like many here, I live and breathe this stuff -- and I'm honestly left concluding one of two things:

 

- You chose this route 

- You are truly not up to speed

 

Either way, there's still time for your son to attend the PG Showcase in McKinney in August. If I were you, I'd sign him up tonight.

This is a fairly common problem in certain parts of the country.  There simply are too many capable players for the number of DI spots.  The amount of talent in Texas is astounding.  Often in areas where this issue exists you will find a lot of high level talent go the Junior College route.

 

To gain a DI offer at this time could be difficult.  Things are really changing as far as recruiting goes.  Years ago their would be a lot of DIs that would call us looking for a player or two.  We don't get as many of those type calls now.

 

However, it really depends on your son's ability.  And not how you perceive his ability.  I'm sure your son is a very good player, but that might not be good enough to get an offer.  Now if he were one of the best in the nation or even the state of Texas, someone will want him.  They will figure out how to make it work.

 

Whatever happens, don't blame yourself.  There is a lot of bad information being thrown around at times.  Most people lack experience when it comes to college recruiting.  That is what makes this site so great.  Lots of people that have lots of experience.

 

Why don't you do this, send us some video if you have any, give us your sons name and the teams he plays for (HS and other).  We have a very large network and can get good information about players from almost anywhere.  Then we can give you some honest feedback and tell you if we can help or not help.  We won't tell you we can help, unless we believe we can.  The last thing you need at this point is to spend money on something that is just a waste of time.  You can email the info to staff@perfectgame.org

don't forget the .org, we won't get it if it is .com

 

If you're uncomfortable doing that, I understand.  Most important is to know no matter what college your son ends up at, it is a new beginning.  Sooner or later the cream rises to the top.  All the best to your son.