If you were an uncommitted 2017, at this point, what would be your plan of attack to get in front of D-1 schools? Player is adamant about D-1.
R/R, 3rd/1st, has size and has made several All-Tourney teams at PG events, including Top Prospect list for a PG showcase
I realize I am omitting some major details which may help those suggesting options. Perhaps some general thoughts will suffice?
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Since there are no details it is hard to give concrete advice, but here goes since my son did not sign until May 1st of his Sr year.
I would have to assume he has programs following him so it will be important for him to figure out where he is on their "recruiting board" and what realistic options he has left with those programs. Communicate with them and then let them know he is still interested. He still has time if there is a pipeline of interested programs in place. My son had D1 schools coming out to his HS games during his Sr year and one was waiting to see what happened in the draft and said they could get him in as late as August. Just as a FYI he ended up going to a powerhouse D3 instead of the D1 options he had at the May 1st deadline.
If he does not have schools following him he is smoking something as there is very little chance of getting a "D1 offer" (which to me is a joke as I have doubts he would even make the travel squad from my son's former D3 program - most HS kids just don't get the level of competition of college baseball, but that is for another thread)
Again assuming he has a pipeline once his HS schedule comes out he can communicate with the programs where he will be and when it will fit their schedules. He will have to look at the college travel plans and help them determine when their recruiting coach can see him. Lots of communication is going to be required. Many HS have easter break tournaments and colleges get out to those to fill in any remaining slots they have left and to prep for losing players to the draft.
He also needs to start lining up his JC options as a fall back position.
If he does not have a pipeline of schools then he is delusional.
Lacking any details, my first thought was to determine where one might feasibly have a chance to play (I'm assuming Power 5 is out of the question given no offers to-date). Secondly, I'd list out any and all constraints, such as location (East coast versus West coast) and academics (I assume he simply cannot gain acceptance to some D1 schools that may make onto these initial lists. In summary, make a realistic effort to shrink the pool (maybe end up with only 40-50 schools) and then begin the process. The process one uses will be greatly dependent upon the list. Maybe do some analysis on the position. If he is a pitcher, then that greatly increases his chances. If he is purely a MIF, then he needs to get in front of programs that have a need or may soon have a need for a MIF.
I'll assume he is simply not a diamond in the rough waiting to be discovered.
Edit - Just saw the reference to JUCO - if the D1 train has already pulled out of the station, JUCO is an excellent route to take to work towards a second opportunity.
Is the player a pitcher or position player? Some D-1's will have pitching or hitting camps during December and early January. I also know of several travel\showcase organizations that have spring showcases. If he has a skill that can be highlighted in a video, have him get a quality video made and sent out.
Perhaps a HS post-grad program if money is not a constraint.
Goin_yard posted:Is the player a pitcher or position player? Some D-1's will have pitching or hitting camps during December and early January. I also know of several travel\showcase organizations that have spring showcases. If he has a skill that can be highlighted in a video, have him get a quality video made and sent out.
I am a few years out from this but are there sites to go to look at good examples of player videos or is it mostly on youtube, or both?
The first thing we would do is have a long talk about supply and demand in the college baseball marketplace. It is not necessarily where the player wants to play it is where the college needs/wants players that drives all their decisions especially with position players.
Then we'd talk about why D1 is a must in their decision making. If it truly is, he'd reach out to D1 programs that have previously contacted him to see if any recruits did not qualify for admissions (a real long shot effort although it does happen from time to time). After that, I'd discuss JUCO as a path to get to D1 (if needed) as well as any other door opening options they have related to academic money for D3. Where I live they are very few D2s so that would be a short conversation.
Just my thought process. I think he needs to think real hard about his D1 now or bust strategy. JUCO could be the answer as well as other possibilities. I wish him well.
Good posts by all... this player needs to access all viable advocates and connections who may have a pulse to specific D1 school needs or fits and put them to work. If he doesn't have any, that is probably an indication.
Things do happen late in the process but it is certainly not a desirable position to be in. Then again, if he is a bit of a late bloomer, he wouldn't be the first.
Thank you to all who have replied. Folks have contributed some great info I will share with the young man who is a current student of mine and a 4-year varsity starter at my HS.
I agree with others. If he doesn't have at least some "serious" interest from more than one or two D1's, the chance of him ending up at D1 at this point is probably pretty slim. He needs to be contacting schools TODAY whether he's heard from them or not. Time is running out really quickly.
I happened to be on the California JC baseball website today and looked at this page:
http://www.cccbca.com/information/2016_MLB_draft
It shows that nearly 50 current and former Cali JC baseball players were taken in the 2016 MLB draft, most of them after having transferred from JC to D1.
I know you're in a different state, and I don't know if this would pertain to this particular kid, but it's good for players to know that JC can be a viable option for high level players.
#1 Assistant Coach posted:If you were an uncommitted 2017, at this point, what would be your plan of attack to get in front of D-1 schools? Player is adamant about D-1.
R/R, 3rd/1st, has size and has made several All-Tourney teams at PG events, including Top Prospect list for a PG showcase
I realize I am omitting some major details which may help those suggesting options. Perhaps some general thoughts will suffice?
Reminds me of one of my son's best friends who did well enough in HS (school was a VERY competitive baseball school in a VERY competitive league). This player wasn't getting any real interest from any D1 schools and he really wanted D1 . . . any D1 for that matter (don't know if he ever really considered D2 or D3). There may have been some academic issues. But I was puzzled why he wasn't getting as much interest as I felt he should as a baseball player (he's a big strong 6'3 205lb OF R/R). He just wasn't getting any offers and decided to apply to a few lower level D1s just to get in on academics only and then try a walk on. In this case, I don't think he ever really considered a JC, which would have been a good viable option. He got accepted to a good local D1 and was in contact with the HC, but wasn't "feeling the love." But he really wanted to play baseball at college and it wasn't until virtually the last minute that he got the word from the HC that he could be on the team (no scholarship money and subject to tryout results of course). So, this was another case of a person I knew who through their determination and not giving up that got him through another door for another chance.
The school does not tend to have a great baseball program, but that really didn't matter to him. He just wanted to play ball, and that's what he did. Except for one season, he didn't do great (but not "bad" either) for the 4 years he went to school there and graduated.
Additionally, he had hopes of being drafted at the end of his Senior year. But just like with the college situation, he wasn't getting much interest and planned to play IndyBall. And then again, it was virtually at the very last minute he got signed as a free agent to play pro ball. He has blossomed as a baseball player and last year had a VERY good year playing up at AA. So far, it's a great baseball story of a guy who keeps trying hard and was able to find some success. Now, I continue to root for him that he'll make it to the MLB.
So, if I had any advice to give a 2017 at this point in time, I'd say . . . don't ever give up and persist until it's over. Because Yogi was right . . . it ain't over until it's over. 
