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I'm new to this forum and have been learning alot from this website it is wonderful. My question is to get an honest opinion about my son. He is 16 and getting ready to start his Jr. year. He is a 6'5 225 RHP throwing probably a consistant 88 mph. He had a good year as a starter for varsity last year. People keep telling us that because of his size they will start watching him. How do you know when they are watching him? Is there anything we should be doing at this point? Should we send out letters now or wait till sometime in the fall?
I know this is alot of questions but we are kind of lost on what we should be doing? Thanks for any replies.
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Thanks for the replies. We will check out the different showcases but probably isn't in the budget. Hopefully we can do some of this on our own with the local fall, school and summer teams he is playing on. We have made a couple of connections, we just hope they pay off. We are just trying to find any and all information that will help him. Thanks again.
Communication is cheap. Go the baseball team websites of colleges your son is interested in and read the staff bios to find out the name of the recruiting coordinator (usually not the head coach). Have your son email or mail info about himself (stats, pitching velocity, height and weight, team and coach names, honors, etc.) and express interest in the college program. Good luck!
ltg25, there are some very good teams in Louisiana and I'd suggest you take a hard look at some of the top travel teams. With your son's size and velocity that you indicate, he'll be a player who's very much in demand for summer travel teams.

Keep in mind that everything he does can impact his chances to go somewhere. How he handles himself on and off the field, and especially, in the classroom, will have a great deal to do with the opportunities he might have presented to him. Encourage him to make wise choices and represent himself well. While velocity and throwing strikes are very important, so is being a good teammate, citizen and student, more important in some respects.
Lovethegame,
The two main ingredients for getting to the next level are talent and exposure. You have to have talent and that talent has to be seen (or heard) by college coaches and/or pro scouts. While we do know that exposure cost money (even a summer team) you don’t have to spend a ton of money --- but you will have to spend some. I would call or email Perfect Game and ask for their advice. They may have and event that could get your son on the radar. Just by calling them will give your son some exposure because they will ask around about his talent and any time your son’s name is mentioned he gets a little more exposure. No one can tell what your son’s talent level is over the internet but if you think he has the ability to play at the next level then you need to be pro active and start the ball rolling. Don’t wait till fall to start sending out letters. Start today. Pick up the phone and call some college coaches in your area and ask if they are familiar with your son and would they give you their opinion of his talent. Pro tryouts are also a good place (and free) to start the process. Don’t know anything about pro tryouts? Call the area college baseball coaches and pick their brain. ASK QUESTIONS! Again, talent cannot be judged over the phone or the internet but trust me if you pick up the phone and tell any college coach your son is 16 years old, 6’5”, throws a consistent 88 mph, they will be more than happy to talk to you.
Fungo

OLD SLUGGER, What do you mean by: Showcases serve a purpose, but talent usually wins out. Are you suggesting that talented players ignore showcases? Why do you think college coaches and pro scouts go to well run showcases? They know this is where they can find talented players. Talent is, and will ALWAYS be, the treasure coaches and scouts are looking for but they have to have someplace to look for that talent.
Last edited by Fungo
Most important time is summer after Junior year. Showcases and Scouting Combines are good exposure. There are also some good travel teams in Lousiana that Travel throughout SouthEast. Been removed for a couple of years so, best for you to research via internet and Google. Talk to other player parents, too. Your boy sounds like he's really talented, good luck to you! This website was most helpful to our son. Also tell him to keep his grades up, higher the grades the more college opportunities there are available to him.

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