Perfect Game 2009 New Jersey Indoor State Showcase

If you attend the school your screen name reflects, a letter about you from your highly respected coach to the program might be the most effective marketing tool you have. From your post, you seem to have the mindset to become a successful walk-on at the right program. Congratulations on being accepted to the colleges of your choice and best of luck.

Pirate, there are "unsigned" showcases at PG specifically for people in your position; it sounds like one of those may be worth a try-Good Luck!

baseballdad1228,

I no longer attend SHP, and i doubt a letter from my current coach would make much of an impact.

Rocketmom,

Thanks for the info, much appreciated

You have a PM

shppirate09,

I agree with rocketmom, it sounds like the PG showcase is exactly what you may need. If a college coach is contacted by a HS or travel coach he does not know, the college coach will not know how much trust to put in that coach's evaluation of you. But if the college coach either sees you at a PG showcase, or reads a PG evaluation, he knows that he can trust the evaluation.

My son attended a similar Pitcher/Catcher Indoor event at Perfect Game in Iowa (way back when he was in high school - six years ago). It's a smaller event than the big Perfect Game showcases and tourneys, but every player gets a chance to be seen, and there were professional scouts at the one my son attended. He enjoyed the event and learned a lot about what level of college baseball to target in his contacts. The top prospect from that event is now playing MLB.

Good luck, and let us know how things go!

Julie

I have a few problems;

1. I am heading down to visit one of my school Thursday, Friday, and get back the Saturday before the showcase

2. I have not yet thrown off a mound this off-season. I have a workout tomorrow, so I am sure that I could get to throw a light bullpen

Do you think it would hurt me more if I were to go to the showcase and not perform well, or to not go at all. I am not sure that I will have the money by then, and if I don't I do not know if my parents would be able to come up with the money (with the times being what they are).

Would talking to the coach when I go down to the school do any good?

You have had a rough couple of years.

If you are going to a potential college you should contact then and ask them for an unofficial visit. Let them know what your background is and your desire to play for their program and want to get know their program and coaches better.

As for the showcase, try as much as possible to get into the showcase, if funds are a problem contact PG and see if they can work something out.

As for as not throwing a bullpen off a mound, you need to perform at a good level to make an impact on the coaches that will be there, if not, it could hurt you for future consideration.

Homerun04 that is my only concern. I do not want to rush into pitching because it would not be smart to rush to pitching after surgery (even though I am cleared and probly could pitch) or perhaps end up jeopardizing what a coach could think of me. I think that if I have waited this long...it couldn't hurt for me to wait until I am REALLY ready.

These past few years have been rough, but I have learned a lot from the experiences. I can only work harder, maybe really putting the pedal to the metal will be what it takes for my fortune to change, but who knows..only time will tell

You need to let everyone here know the facts for the right advice.
You had shoulder surgery last summer.
Have you been on a throwing program? You state you haven't thrown from a mound, you could reinjure yourself if your rehab is not done correctly.
Why attend a showcase if you are not ready?

I am not completely done with my rehab throwing, but I do not have access to a space that would allow me to throw 120 feet (it is WAY too cold to be throwing outside).
I feel that my time playing baseball could be winding down, that a showcase could be my last chance to continue playing, that is why I would consider this showcase

If you are not in condition to throw, you should not rush and hurt yourself in the long run.

The showcase is not going to benefit you if you can't perform well and even hurt yourself again, besides your concern about being able to afford it.

There are other options of possibly continuing playing baseball after high school such as looking for a showcase in the spring after you have totally rehabed or finding a program your skill set fits your academic and athletic skills; it may not be the level you originally hoped for.

Not knowing your educational goals, but how are the JC's in your area or the schools that you have been accepted to?

You and you alone have to decide what is best for you.
If it were my player, I would encourage him to continue rehab, and improve. There could be a chance that if he did, he could walk on and try out where he decided to go to school. You mihgt want to pm PGstaff for his take on this one as well. I am sure that the PG staff would never want a player to showcase while still under rehab instructions. The object is to be at your best.

Shoulder surgery (especially labrum) is very difficult to come back from. My son had arthoscopic late July, minor, and just got permission to move to the mound, but not until february and after given permission from the trainer.

I also think the showcase is not a good idea if you are not fully able to pitch safely and at your best at this point. There are other options. You mentioned that you will probably be walking on at a school you have already been accepted to and are looking for a way to get known by the coach(es) in advance. How about waiting until you are actually throwing this spring with your team and record a bullpen with a little game footage tacked on? Put it on a DVD and send that with a note to the coaches explaining your situation and your interest in their program. Be familiar with the programs so that if you get a call from one of the coaches you will be able to discuss his program with knowledge and enthusiasm. Better yet, follow up by phone yourself after you send the DVD, as coaches get a lot of unsolicited material, and you want to stand out.

As a pitcher, you probably have a better opportuntiy as a walk-on than other positions, due to the demand and the ability to show what you can do in a brief viewing.

Oh, I also meant to say I think that you should go ahead and see if you can meet the coach at the school you will be visiting this week. Explain that you are coming back from shoulder surgery, that you expect to be in good shape for this spring (I assume that is the case) and that you would be happy to send him some video. That way he would know your face and name and be expecting to hear from you.

FWIW,

If you don't have the coaches cell# chances are you will end up getting a recording. If this happens leave a message saying when exactly you will be calling again. If he knows who you are and has an interest, chances are he will make sure he is there to get the next call at the time you gave. Don't forget what that time was you gave him.

If the coach has no idea who you are, you will be one of the million players out there. They can't talk to everyone and still get there job done.

the sense that your baseball career is coming to an end is probably cause you know it will if you jump on a mound right now.. especially a showcase where guys think that it's all about velo! do your self a favor and figure out if baseball is really what you want to do. if it is then start contacting some junior colleges. keep in mind that rosters are limited now. DI schools can only have 7 walk-ons in their programs.

junior college i think would be a great tool for you. if you don't like it after a year or after a semester then transfer. but there are tons of great junior colleges out there. find one that wants to take you and seriously consider that option.

Whatever you do, don't jeapordize your career by jumping on a mound prematurely. there is absolutely nothing guaranteeing that anything will come out of your showcase effort anyway. coaches don't know that you're only 65 or 75%. they're leaving with the perception that was your best performance.

dannymac_18,

I have seriously thought about going the JUCO route and trying to extend my career that way, but I have transferred into schools numerous times and I just don't want that. I want to play baseball, but not at the expense of the college experience. Maybe when I look back I will regret that, but all I am going to do is work myself into the best shape I can so that I can be one of those 7 walk-ons that makes it.

If i don't make the team, I can always play club and go out for the team the nexr year

Casey75,
I would make an appointment or something along those lines with the coaches, but all I have gotten so far from any college are the emails they send about camps...being that I have not been in any shape to attend a camp where they could identify me as a prospect I do not know if they would just give an unofficial visit to some kid from Jersey with no varsity experience and thinks he can play for their school. I wish reality wasn't as harsh as it is, but I have learned to expect the worst.

PG,

No coaches know anything about me, my Junior year was supposed to be a time where I showed that I spent the offseason getting stronger, throw faster and that I am a clutch pitcher. My injury pretty much shot any chance of me making that impression on any coaches in the foot. As a senior who has 0innings pitched for the varsity career I would be another of millions trying to get a spot, and realistically speaking I know that in all likelihood I will not end up playing college baseball simply because I have had NO exposure. I wish I could be more optimistic about it, but if I don't really know if I am able to play baseball for the schools I have applied and been accepted to.

How accessable coaches are is likely to be related to the programs they are involved in. A coach at a top D1 program has to deal with the "millions of kids" you were referring to and has little time to spare. But are these the types of schools that you have applied to and been accepted by? You stated in this or other posts that you realized you were probably not a D1 prospect, and that you would be happy to play D2 or D3, so I hope you have applied to these types of schools as well. Coaches at these programs are also extremely busy, with lots of inquiries. But from my own son's experience, we found that they were definitely approachable. On all but one of my son's visits to D3 schools, we were able to sit down and talk with the head coach, or in one case, the pitching coach.

During his junior year, the only thing these coaches knew about my son was that he called and requested an appointment. During the summer after junior year and in his senior year, they had been sent a video of him pitching to view before we met with them. The coach of the school my son will be attending never saw him pitch live...only on the video we sent him. After all of your hard work over the last few years, do not let the concern that coaches will be unapproachable or unresponsive dissuade you from contacting them and putting yourself on their radar screens. Look at the websites for the schools you are interested in, get the coaches email and send him a note that you will be calling about the chance to visit or speak with them. Ask if there is a good time to call. If you do not get a response, then go ahead and call anyway. If you expect the worst, it may deter you from taking action that may help you reach your goal. You would not take that approach on the mound...you would have confidence and expect good results. Assume the same attitude in this endeavor. Good luck.

shppirate, I agree with others about not rushing back for a showcase. Continue your rehab and play the high school season.

For the summer call Jack Cust Academy and/or the Hit Doctor to see if you can get onto a Super17 team. Explain your situation about injuries that caused lack of exposure. There are many local college scouts at the Super 17 games at Cust. Some may still need a player or two.

fillsfan,

As much as I would like to play baseball in college, there is only one school I would even consider attending in NJ. Baseball is important, but not so important that I would sacrifice a real college experience.

I do not think I will be able to play in 2 leagues this summer...I need to get a job so I can earn some money that I can have during school next year. Would working out at Cust be able to get my name out to coaches?

shp, I didn't know you were already playing in another league this coming summer. Maybe I missed something. Working out at Cust might not get you name out but being there would allow you opportunities to talk to those guys about options for your baseball.

I also don't know where you want to play but I would guess that scouts from schools in PA and CT also attend Super 17 games. That would be something the Cust people could answer.

sorry fillsfan,

I didn't say I was playing in another league. I am playing for the senior legion team that my school has, usually we get pretty deep into the state tournament and in previous seasons when we have reached state tournament and state finals play there have been scouts