Originally Posted by worrieddad:
I posted once before that panic was starting to creep in well now that has been replaced with total confusion. We made the mistake of focusing on one particular school that my son really liked and thought he a good shot of going to. In August he received the news that they were going with a left handed kid because of a shortage of lefties in the lineup. Coach sent long apologetic letter that was very nice but my son was very low for a few days. Once that subsided we started working some other contacts but D1 schools were a little hesitant at first. Now we have several wanting us to come to campus but none are really schools my son has ever considered. My question to you folks who have already traveled these roads is should we just hit the best JUCO's around closer to home that takes the game seriously and then hope he does well so he can go on to a D1 more to his liking in two years. Opinions are appreciated I have a 2019 as well I hope I will better prepared.
The D1 schools my son was interested in bring in 8-12 kids per year. They recruit nationally. Up to half of that number could be pitchers. The good news is that you had a good rapport with this coach, and he let you down easy. The bad news is that you didn't do the math a couple of years ago when you put all your eggs in one basket. I am reading between the lines here (helped by a sentence in your post that "none are really schools my son considered") and thinking you/he are opting for the JuCo route so that he can continue to keep his hopes up for this one school. I really hope that is not the case, and you have learned from this experience. Why did he not consider other D1's (or D2's, D3's)? Why didn't you research his college options further, do camps, visit other schools, and educate each other as to what else is out there?
You should have some conversations with your son and do some further research to identify your goals before you decide to go JuCo - that can be a good option for some, but it means he will have to go through all this again in a year or two.
If his goal is D1 or bust, if his grades need work, if he is not as interested in a 4 year full-on college experience, if you'd like to save money getting core classes out of the way, if he wants to get drafted - there are many reasons to go JuCo. But know that it isn't necessarily any easier to earn playing time or to stand out at a JC. The one up the road from us redshirts most all of the freshman and has 50-60 players show up in the fall. Do your due diligence.
For many areas of the country and many levels of baseball (particularly D3) it is not too late for him to find a good place to attend school and play ball.
I don't know where you live, what his academics are, what his baseball talent is, and what his goals are. But you have a little time to work it out, and I wish you the best of luck.
