Have I ruined my chances?

Raceme117, having a bad season is no guarantee that you will have a bad season this coming summer or next year. Chin up!

You may be pressing. R-E-L-A-X! (I know -- easier said than done ) Do you have a hitting instructor? If so, make sure he is aware of how you are struggling. If not, find a good one pronto.

This summer is when things count, so try to take the pressure off of yourself in the meantime. You have NOT ruined your chances.

It may be time to make a small change. Get a new bat or tweak your pre-hitting routine. The change may be more psychological than anything, but hopefully it will help.

Meanwhile, if you haven't already, try confiding in a school counselor or clergyman about your personal problems. It may help to share your burdens with someone else.

Best wishes, and please let us know how things go!

Lighten up on yourself, first and foremost.

Statistics are just numbers; if you show well at a showcase/camp, the H.S. numbers won't mean much. Cut yourself some slack, remember it is a game, and have fun. It shouldn't be a chore when you're a junior in high school.

Enjoy the game. All of it. Baseball is the home of some of the greatest wisecrackers on the planet. At a college game last week ball, this one was fired, a "Major League" line, to a batter that missed a curve ball by a mile:

"Me like Fastball berry berry much. Curveball, not so much" (The player got a "fun demerit")

Watch Field of Dreams and Major League, get your juices flowing again and have fun. See what happens.

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have I severly hurt my chances of being looked at?

Not in the least bit Race!

Stats do not get you recruited. Performing well when a college coach is watching will. It is no more complicated than that. They will watch you at a showcase event, a college camp, or at a summer tournament. You can control your exposure to all three of these things and none of it has to do with your hs stats.

What will they be watching for? Not your stats for starters. They want to see the five tools.

1) How well do you throw - many coaches use radar guns to measure this.
2) How fast do you run - 60 yard dash speed.
3) How well do you field - they will watch you take infield or outfield and during games orchestrated by the repsective event.
4) How well do you hit - they will watch you take BP and watch you in games at the events.
5) Power - often determined during BP and during any games you might play.

If you show well in those categories or many of them, you will get offers and it is no more complicated than that.

Would you buy a car based solely off an ad in the paper? or Would you want to try it out first before you made an offer to buy it? Coaches need to inspect the merchandise before making an offer. Hope that helps.

BTW - I believe the hardest part about baseball is the mental game. The harder you try the worse it gets sometimes. Concentrate on helping your team win today and forget about the stats right now. It might mean getting hit by a pitch or drawing a walk or stealing a base and scoring the winning run. Focus externally on your team and let the stats worry about themselves.

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Watch Field of Dreams and Major League, get your juices flowing again and have fun.

Don't sacrifice a chicken. It's messy. Get one that's already been sacrificed at KFC.

As has been said here many times, hs stats are not all that important --- this summer will show much more about the player you are.

Remember, they're called 'averages' for a reason --- sometimes you're great, sometimes not so great.

You've been given some good advice here; baseball's a game and it's fun. Try to get yourself back to the pure enjoyment of the game. A full mind is an empty bat.

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A full mind is an empty bat.

Very well said, if I don't say so myself. I can only echo the wise hsbbw posters who've beat me to this post. It seems as though the game of baseball has a way of causing parents, fans, players, and YES, many coaches fixated on statistics. Although I have never played college baseball, I have spoken with a number of college coaches and parents of college players who all have a story of how a tough year in high school nearly proved catastrophic, as far as a specific player was concerned. But in the long run, the high school statistic sheet proves to be just a small piece of the puzzle in terms of getting to play the game on a college diamond.

No, you have not ruined your chances.

Relax, relax, relax.

It is hard to hit, when you press it. The best hitters have a cleared mind and are relaxed. Sometimes, it is easier to say be "relaxed" than to be it. Go easier on yourself, lighten that load and things will get better.

Smiles!

I was in a very similar situation as you in my previous season, except without the top flite sophomore and freshman seasons. I had an injury, tried to play through it, and my play suffered. The most important thing in the recruiting process is summerball and showcases. You can have great HS numbers, but if you don't get it done infront of the college coaches in the summer, they really don't matter that much. Also, if you think you can play, get into the school and walk on. DIII recruits are subject to being cut very easily since there is no financial commitment, the coaches will take the 35 best players available to them.

Relax, all these people have great advice. Figure out which schools you want to go to, call the coaches of those schools, talk to them, tell them where they can see you. Go to summer camps to the schools that you want to go too. Sign up for showcases, Headfirst has a great academic showcase. These coaches are looking at your athletic ability, they are looking at your mechanics. Do not let your head get in the way, tell yourself positive things all the time. If you had a bad at bat, say to yourself, I have another chance and I am going to hit that ball. If you had a bad game, tell yourself that is baseball, tomorrow is going to be another day and I am going to perform. AS I SAID EARLIER, DO NOT LET YOUR HEAD GET IN THE WAY!!!!! Good luck, I know you can do it!