HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL SPRING 2015

Here's to all those and their parents about to start HS ball. Good luck as you take those first steps. Here is a good piece of advice. Read Coach Mays post on having an edge. That one post could be invaluable to you. Now go get em!

Stats - we are in Southern Section. We play from October-February as a "travel" team, cant use school logo or school uniform but the teams are our Frosh, JV & Varsity. We have played all over Orange County the past few months. 

Couldn't agree more......good luck with your son's HS baseball careers. 

2016 should be 1st or 2nd in the varsity rotation... 

 

2018 has been told he will pitch on varsity this season.... While he is throwing 85-87 , I hope he's not just a PO and can get some time in the field on either the JV or V..... 

 

Practice started last NOV,  getting on the dirt Feb 1st...

 

Trying to schedule college games, varsity and jv is tough , but it's also awesome too !

Got to see something that warmed my heart yesterday.  As some will remember, my kid was diagnosed with a serious shoulder issue about a year ago and we were told he might have to give up the game. He's kept playing and made good progress since then strengthening his rotator cuff and changing his throwing mechanics.

 

Yesterday he played in the first club game of the year. The other team was short a couple players and asked our guys to help cover. My son went out to play short, a position he's not played since his arm troubles began nearly 1.5 years ago. Oh gosh, I thought.  One of his teammates hit a slow grounder into the 5-6 hole and as my kid came up with it I figured that he'd go through the motions, but he didn't -- he gunned the ball to first and beat the batter by half a step.   Definitely the hardest I've seen him throw in over a year.  Better yet, he told me after the game and again this morning that  his shoulder feels fine.

So, for those of us fortunate enough to have already started tryouts...what are some of the good, and/or bad things, you are seeing?

Just got the word, 2017 made varsity. One of only two Sophomores. Excited and relieved. All his hard work in the off season payed off. I am one proud dad.

 

Lefty congrats to your son. Enjoy the ride, it really does go by fast!

Tryouts are always exciting, especially when there's good news at the end!  Good luck to all your boys.

So, our team made their cuts after practice yesterday and posted them today.  Was a little surprised by a cpl of the cuts.  But the big surprise was the infor that they will put 4 JR's on jv...not sure why

Wouldn't happen around here.  If a junior fails to make the varsity cut, he doesn't have the option to drop down to JV.

This is new.  I don't think they have ever done this before.  Knowing all of the players, I can't see why they would do it this year.  Guess we'll see

This is and should be a very exciting time as the season approaches especially if your son is looking at the "big time" with passage onto the Varsity team.  At the risk of being a downer I would offer this word of caution:

 

For those of you with precocious 14 an 15 year old freshman and sophomores be prepared and vigilant on watching your sons now more than ever.

 

They will be exposed to 17 and 18 year old young men and the things that come with it.  I will never forget walking into the local 7-11 and seeing the kid who was the star SR of the HS baseball team buying a blunt.  He was now part of my son's life and someone he looked up to. 

 

The fast forward process was startling on all kinds of things large and small. Attitude, Language (body and verbal), girls, schoolwork etc.  all came with lightening speed seemingly the day after he made the varsity baseball team the summer after his freshman year.  I was contending with a significantly different kid by September than I had in June. 

 

 

 

Congratulations to all. My 2017 son and two other sophemores were pretty much told by the V head coach at the end of the JV season in 2014 that they'd be playing V going forward. That has pretty much been the case through the optional fall and winter activities in terms of practicing with Jrs./Srs. vs Fr. and Soph.Of course, playing time is the issue...

The "self-editing" has started with the JR's placed on JV.  One of them "resigned" today. 

After a long discussion with the HC, my 2017 has opted to play JV this spring.

 

He missed last spring due to elbow tendonitis, did months of rehab, and changed his mechanics over the summer.  He pitched fairly well in the fall, but still thinks he needs more innings to really nail down everything.

 

On the V team there are a couple of pretty good seniors competing to be #1 and #2, along with a junior who can touch 90, but is really erratic - so the chances of getting significant innings is limited.

 

So the coach really put it in my son's hands - pick up a few random innings on the V level - or be the #1 starter on JV.  In addition to that, his bat was really coming along in the fall.  On JV he's going to DH when he isn't pitching - while on V he probably wouldn't get many at bats.  We don't know if his hitting will continue to progress - but it certainly won't happen if he doesn't get a chance to hit.

 

On the good side is the fact that the JV team last year carried 16 freshmen and 3 sophomores.  This year it is 13 sophomores and 6 freshmen.  It's a pretty talented group, and should win a lot of games - even if they don't really count for anything.

 

The coach is anticipating calling my son up for the playoff run at the end of the season, so hopefully he will still get some V mound time this year.

Rob T, playing is the key.  JV is the obvious choice.  He can compete against Varsity level talent during summer ball.

I wish our program would hold trouts for people/coaches that could throw BP.  I think it should become a mandatory requirement as a coach.  Only 2 out of 6 coaches can throw BP, the other 4 are running about about 25% accuracy for a hittable pitch....lol

You definitely hit on something.. this is an aspect that is so important but often overlooked.  It can make such a big difference.  I've seen very good older coaches who just can't do it any more physically.  I've seen guys with extensive baseball backgrounds and abilities but just can't throw accurately from a shorter distance, at the right BP velo, with a batter standing in the box.  I've seen pre-game on-field hitting become quite painful to watch when the BP coach is struggling.  It can be a difficult skill to master, even for those who are otherwise great all-around coaches.  I'm the last one to allow for excuses for players but this can really take the wind out of the sails for a productive hitting session.

 

We are fortunate to have three coaches who can all throw decent straight cage BP as well as live on-field simulation where we'll throw a mix of pitches to various count situations.  We'll even go lefty/righty depending on the projected opposing P the day before a game.  The HC was a college P and is still remarkably accurate at the appropriate 50' velo with an good assortment.  Makes a huge difference and also makes the rest of us coaches look bad.  I do fine but there are days when I just don't feel it and can't even throw an accurate underhand front-toss session.  The little things... 

 

Son's high school has a new coach this year. While i do not have a son on the team, I am excited to see any changes that are made and how the team does under new management. I am no longer involved, so I have not met the coach. I am sure he would not want to talk to an ex dad anyway. 

I still know quite a few boys in the program. I am interested to see how his line up compares to last year. 

 

Last couple of years they went to Tennessee and played Farrugut and some other teams. It looks like they are going to Cary NC this year. 

Lefthook, that brings back some hilarious memories. I haven't been to a practice since my son started driving. But when he was in 9th grade team, he had 2 of 3 coaches that were horrible. I mean if I had not witnessed it I would not believe it. We had a running joke as to the number of kids one of the coaches would hit. He was throwing from maybe 35-40 feet. The kids would get 3 rounds. (8-8-5). I promise, out of the 21 pitches, the kids would be lucky to get 10 to even swing at. I have watched kids jumping to avoid being hit in ankles and feet as well as balls going behind kids. It was hilarious. This guy played D1 baseball and was drafted, but he could not hit the broad side of a barn from 40 feet. Explain that!

Been there, done that.  My kids is an expert at taking one for the team.    

HC told 2016 he is either 1 or 2 on depth chart.  2018 was told he will pitch on the varsity....

This is my son's final HS season. Last 10+ years went by way too fast. Maybe 25 game total left, not including playoffs. He will, hopefully, pitch in about 8-10 of them. With my job, I "may" be able to see about 5-6 of those games.

Next year, he will be off to college, 8 hours away, and I may not get to see any in person except maybe late in the season. Hopefully, I can watch on the computer.

 

He's has been playing since TBall. We've done the travel team route which was loads of fun but didn't play much Fall ball except the Fall when his age went to Live Arm and boys started pitching.

 

Darn!  I sure am going to miss this feeling! I love watching my son play!!!!

 

+1 RFF. Maybe we will cross paths next year!!

HERE'S TO YOU MR HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL WATCHER!

 

OK, if you are a HS baseball parent and you haven't read this very entertaining Golden Thread about HS baseball parents, it is a MUST READ!!! 

 

Tip of the hat to LuvBaseball who referred to this in another topic.  With HS season about to get under way, I thought it would be a perfect time to add it here...

 

http://community.hsbaseballweb...ool-baseball-watcher

Great thread cabbagedad. Had never read and have been laughing out loud for the past 10 mins. 2018 Son trying out for HS ball this week for first time in Texas. Good luck to everyone this year!

First time poster, long time lurker. I have really enjoyed reading all the various threads and have learned so much.  GoodTimes, our 2018 is also trying out this week in Texas and my husband and I are a bag of nerves!  He goes to a very large highly competitive high school (both in academics and athletics) and his class is especially stacked with great athletes.  There are about 40-45 trying out for 15-16 spots on the Freshman team.  Keeping our fingers crossed.  I will say that I have come to terms with the fact that at some point you just have to let go and trust that your son will do what he has is capable of doing at tryouts and things will turn out how they are supposed to. In our case, our son has been given all the tools he needs to succeed and it is truly up to him to use those tools to the best of his abilities. After that, let the chips fall where they may and.  Good luck to all those

trying out and God bless!      

Season started last night... 

 

It was a circus atmosphere... 100+/- Scouts on hand for our on-field, pre-game BP at 5pm... 1 parking spot left when I arrived at 4:35pm (I felt lucky!)... 

 

Game-time 7pm... 500-600 people are in attendance for this 2015 opener... Easily doubled (or more?) the attendance of any game I've been to in the last 2 years...

Our #1 is on the Mound (LSU 2016) Vs. Their #1 (ECU 2015)... 

We plate 4 in the first, which turns out to be enough for the 7-3 victory...

 

Back at it on Wednesday...

100 scouts and 500-600 spectators?   For a HS game??!! 

 

That's crazy!

 

I hope your boosters know what they're doing... your snackbar should be making bank!

Absolutely nuts... I have never seen anything like it...

Video should work now... Sorry about that...

I dread the day I have to write post like this (5 years til youngest son is a Sr in HS)...already praying he developes enough to play in college somewhere.

 

I hope your golf game improves - don't have much else to offer!

 

My oldest is 2017, I have known the varsity coach for 20 years since we played against each other, actually had a huge rivalry, he told me the DH job is his to lose this spring but not to tell the boy that! Core returning Sr's in front of him in the field so innings will be hard to come by until summer but should get plenty of AB's.

First scrimmage of the season vs another school tonight.  It's a yearly thing played at the local college to give the umpires some practice and experience for the upcoming season.  This will be my 2018's first high school game.  The coach has had him practicing with the Varsity team, and it is looking like he will be the #2 catcher.  The #1 catcher is a Junior, and probably the best player on the team.  He will be the team's #1 pitcher, so 2018 shoiuld get some quality Varsity innings catching him.  I'm looking forward to seeing how he responds.

Shout-out to my new favorite pitch…..the change-up! Kid struggled to master it for years, but made it a point of emphasis in the off season and its rapidly becoming a plus pitch.

 
Watching their beastmode clean-up hitter swing a foot over the top of it to strand a runner at third…..priceless!

I good change-up will always make a batter slow that barrel down.

Reminds me of my son's senior year of HS.  Scouts were there to see our ace pitcher who was throwing 94-95 mph heaters (he was drafted in the 6th round).  Every game he was scheduled to pitch there were 15-20 pro scouts behind the backstop.  You're right about the "circus".  That's what we came to call the scouts when they showed up - "The Circus".

It wasn't until later in the season when the team was in a 3 way tie for first in the district that the crowds grew to 200+.  I don't think we ever had 500 - we are in a small rural county (pop 24,000 including dogs and horses....).

2018 just finished up indoor track to help with speed and is working hard towards tryouts which start in 3 weeks...no idea which level he will end up...I like to think he has the size speed and power to contribute on JV, but his 2018 counterparts are loaded with high quality talent and he is the youngest of the group (turns 15 after the school year).  Good luck to all the 2018's out there and in the hopes that everyone has a successful season no matter what level they play!

phillyinNJ, don't let your son get caught up in the age thing. Like your son, mine didn't turn 15 until right before his sophomore year started. In NJ and many other states you will see players in the same grade that are a year to 2 years older. It is what it is and why I'm glad my son always played against older kids. It hasn't effected him in HS at all. Just motor on as he'll be competing against these same kids for a roster spot in college, should he continue to play.

So you son is a freshman and turned 15 after September 2014 or after January 2015?

Good luck to everyone this season!!!!