PG or College showcases

PG Showcases have a very good reputation and will, likely, have a number of scouts in attendence. They are expensive, however. As to college showcase camps; it depends. Some are only going to have coaches from their particular school. That's fine if you're interested in that school and have the ability to play there. However, if the answer is "no" to either of those questions, it may be of limited value. Some college showcase camps do have a number of coaches from different schools in attendence. That may be a good "low cost" option over a PG Showcase if you have to make a choice.

Hope that helps.

This is a no brainer--- you attend a PG event

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Originally posted by TRhit:
This is a no brainer--- you attend a PG event

I don't know if it is a complete "no brainer." A lot should be based on the players ability. If the player is capable of getting an 8 or above on the PG scoring scale, then I would call it a no brainer. For players of less ability a good D3 camp may prove more valuable. It all depends.

I agree with Birdman which should also include if the college is high on the STUDENTS list. Either way both are great experiences.

One thing that makes it hard to figure how he might be scored is that as a 2013 they will probably have projection enter into the equation. His present size or possible future size might or might not be a factor. Sometimes just how he performs at the event, mechanics, how hard he has to work to throw at his velocity, and numerous other factors that have to be seen will be big factors in how he is scored. For a 2010 mid 70's is not going to be as impressive as a 2013 or 2014 throwing with that same velocity. Even his demeanor or mound presence can make a difference and that has to be seen to be quantified. There are many variables but you can probably say safely that with just the very raw description you gave that he will be between a 5.0 and 9.0. I am sure you want a more accurate reading and the only way to do that is to go to the Perfect Game Showcase.

I see your from NC. Here is the deal. Its going to depend on what you want get out of the experience. Its going to depend on what you are expecting to gain from the showcase events your going to have an opportunity to go to or pass up to go to the PG event.

If your goal is to play in state and the schools you are interested in attending are at the in state showcase events by all means do them. If your a player that is looking for national exposure, if your a player looking to expand his options outside your own state and area of the country, if your a player that is looking to get evaluated by the PG staff and see what they think, ranking etc, then by all means do the PG event. The best scenario is you do in state showcase events and a PG event or two. But if you can only do college showcase events or PG events you have to first decide what your looking for.

If your from NC there are over 20 D1 programs in the state. There are a ton of D2 and some D3's. And of course many JUCO's. If these coaches are going to be present at these college showcase events and you want to play in state I would suggest you do these events if you can't do both.

If you want to see where you stack up on a national level and you want to get exposed to the college landscape on a national level do a PG event.

We've done them all and I would say that if you are a 2011 and have no activity then PG is the way to go. If you are a 2012 or later then I would recommend PG as well because you need the rating and the scouting report/evaluation. If you are a 2011 and have colleges that are asking you to small invite only camps, and you have interest in these schools then they are your best bet. If you are thinking about attending specific college camps (like the big D-1 camps) then definetly be talking to the coach to make sure you are on their radar or that there are other schools represented at the camp. IMHO

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If you had to have the choice between going to a Perfect Game or a couple of college showcase camps, which would be better?

My two cents...There is no overall right or wrong answer. Depends on your GOALS as Coach May and LovetheGame2 point out. The best answer is what fits your personal recruiting situation, playing ability, and end goal.

I would agree with most all the opinions above. In short would add... It depends on a players talent level and goals.

Edit... actually fenwaysouth already said the same thing.

I think the goal for most players is similiar - to put yourslf in the best position to demonstrate your talent to college recruiters and professional scouts. PG events meet that objective better than a college showcase camp simply because they attract more colleges and more scouts than any college showcase that I know of. Both of my sons connected with their (past and future) colleges at the PG U-17 tournament in Georgia.

Beg, borrow, steal, work overtime, have the kid work and pay for some of it......but do them both! You only get one crack at finding the right fit. Well, you could transfer after the freshman year but this is an aggravation. It's worth it to do both.

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Originally posted by fenwaysouth:

quote:

If you had to have the choice between going to a Perfect Game or a couple of college showcase camps, which would be better?

My two cents...There is no overall right or wrong answer. Depends on your GOALS as Coach May and LovetheGame2 point out. The best answer is what fits your personal recruiting situation, playing ability, and end goal.

That's a great answer Fenwaysouth!

It all depends really on your situation. The Big Advantage to attending a PG Showcase is the fact that they broaden your exposure level 10 fold, as opposed to just doing a few college showcase camps.

Just fresh from a college camp. Head coach in the meeting with parents said that PG was something he considered to be a very vaulable resource. He also stated that the college camps with multiple schools represented were a good value. Check with the hosting school to see if they would act as a reference for other schools to provide an evaluation of the player. This is the info that the head coach provided to the parents at the camp. His statement was that he needed 10 players a year, but everyone at the camp had the talent to play somewhere and they would provide an evaluation to other coaches that called.

All this has been said on here many times, but it was good to hear this from the head coach.

Thanks. That's very helpful feedback. I hope your son was one of the 10 he needed.

I just joined this website. This may be my only post. There have been many comments on this site about whether to go to Perfect Game and College Showcases and I would like to add my two cents. Please bear with me and I am leaving out a lot, believe me. I have been a visitor to this website ever since my son started playing high school baseball. He plays for a 4A school in Texas and will be a senior this year, 2011 graduate. He has started on Varsity since sophomore year as a pitcher and outfielder. He has played baseball since he was 5 yrs. old. One of those kids who slept with the ball, dreamed about it, bounced it off the garage wall and fielding it for hours on end, it seemed. He played on 4 different travel teams growing up and each one seemed to be better than the last.

Between his Sophomore and Junior year he started playing for a well known club/organization in the Dallas area. He performed well and was respected for his talent and attitude. He was invited to pitch for other teams in the organization to help with different tournaments. This past summer his club team traveled to several showcases at universities in Texas, Ohio and Arkansas. I saw many Division I, II, JUCO college scouts at each showcase. They would visit with our coach and get the team roster. We would see them in the stands making notes on our team. Earlier this summer he also went to a Perfect Game event in south Texas. As a result of attending these showcases and Perfect Game, so far my son has had 5 Division I colleges recruiting him. He actually had a call from a military college after the Perfect Game that afternoon when we returned and one of the Division I colleges a few weeks later.

My son’s club ball coach has given him great advice about the recruiting process and he feels there is more to come. We are in a situation we never dreamed would happen. I knew he would play college ball somewhere but never dreamed he would have the opportunities that are coming his way. I also know that if he had not played with a club of this caliber and coaches, he may not be in this situation. His club coach is committed to getting his team in quality showcases in front of as many scouts as possible. He has developed a lot of contacts with college and pro scouts over the years. I think the summer fees were ~$2000 plus our travel. The experience was great, enjoyed lots of one-on-one time with our teenager traveling and very much worth the money spent. Again, sorry for the novel.

Your story is like many others and I am glad your son is in this position. But the fact is the #1 factor in all of this is having the tools to actually play the game and showing those tools in game action. Being on a team that gets seen is not what gets a player opportunities. Being a player that has the ability and shows that ability in front of those that make the decisions is what does the trick.

There are many out there that think all they have to do is get their son on one of these teams and get him seen. The first thing you have to do is be a player that people want to see.

You are correct. I'm sorry it came off sounding that way. I have to admit not everyone player on his team had the same experience. Some were great players in their high school but when mixed in with the talent pool of this team, they did not stand out. I do believe they improved their game though - the competition for playing time motivated some. I'm not an expert, just a parent. If you truly feel your son has the skills to play at the next level then read the many links and advice columns on this website. They tend to cover all aspects of the recruiting/scouting scene.