Good player - weak team

My son isn't a pitcher, but a catcher in a developing program. We KNEW from Jr Hi that his HS team would not be a scout-able powerhouse, but we do play some teams with that status and he has received some notice simply by doing his best when we played those teams. Part of the "you never know who's watching" mantra. Scouts go to watch one set of players, but notice others who weren't on the radar.

We also made sure he played very good, competitive summer-ball with a travel team that entered tournaments in which he had a good chance of being seen. That also has worked out. And of the colleges he has identified as being high on his list, we've made a point of getting him in front of them at a showcase or camp, and he has made certain he walked up to the coach and expressed his interest in their program. You can be proactive and overcome the weak HS program, IMO. A player (and his parents) just need to work harder and be more creative.

There are two pitchers on our summer team with so-so HS teams. In the last three days, they've had 6 scouts from large D-1 schools come to watch them. (One is a lefty throwing high 80's to low 90s... with a great bat. Gotta take a look at him! His HS team doesn't matter at all...)

Best luck!

Pitcher Dad - Welcome to the hsbaseballweb!

Your situation is not uncommon. Our older son who went on to play 4 years at a D1 power and is now in the minor leagues had a very similar one.

But first, I was amazed at how word of mouth travels. Really good pitchers stick out, coaches talk and strong summer ball programs and scouts find them.

But why wait? Ask around, do some research and figure out who the strong travel ball/summer programs are in your area...then ask for a tryout for one of them that fits your budget and location. Good programs are always on the lookout for good pitching.

If you believe your son to be a college or pro prospect, it is important to separate the summer programs. In our area, there are a lot of teams that call themselves "travel ball teams" but never venture outside a 50-100 mile radius. This will not fulfill what you're looking for in most cases. You should find a program that has been around for a few years or one that is stacked with a number of well-regarded players. You want to find a team that travels to meaningful events (e.g. tournaments in East Cobb, Georgia, Junior Olympics (if 16 or younger) and/or Perfect Game events, AAU National tournaments etc...).

Good luck! There are some good posters on here from your area and I'll bet they'll be around shortly to help with more details.