Question for Board

Is he interested in High Academic schools?  If so, I strongly recommend Headfirst instead of the PG Academic Showcase, he'll likely generate much more interest at Headfirst

https://www.headfirsthonorroll...ball-showcase-camps/

To answer your question specifically, no it is not too late to gain D1 interest, provided he is healthy and back to throwing at the velocity you stated.

Showball is another opportunity to get in front of college coaches.  https://showballbaseball.com/c...ge-ca-november-2018/

3and2Fastball posted:

Is he interested in High Academic schools?  If so, I strongly recommend Headfirst instead of the PG Academic Showcase, he'll likely generate much more interest at Headfirst

https://www.headfirsthonorroll...ball-showcase-camps/

3and2FB beat me to it.  The HF fall showcase in Florida is not cheap, but it should be full of mid to high academic D3s and maybe even some mid-major D1s (maybe).  My gut says the fall HF will be a better place to fish than the PG Academic, although to be fair I'm not too familiar with PG Academic fall showcase.

The JUCO route is obviously a viable option and many on here I'm sure will encourage that option over the D3 route.  

If he wants D3?  Look into Headfirst.  The link 3and2 gave you should show exactly what schools will be attending.  Your son should send them recent video and an intro email to begin a relationship, so they'll know to look for him there.  

Good luck.

Not sure about HA D3 and a 3.5/26 ACT.  Also, his velo likely isn't enough to get him to D1.  My son's mid-major isn't great, but almost every guy was 88+ by the time they were offered....with more than half having been up to 90. Sitting 83-84 at a showcase likely won't do much for the coaches watching him.  If he's just gotten cleared, maybe work on getting his velo back to the 87-88 range and consider winter camps at some of the schools he's interested in....especially if he contacts them ahead of time and explains the situation.  6'3, 195 should get some interest.   As others have said, JUCO is always an option...and you really wouldn't have to make a decision on that until late next summer

Buckeye 2015 posted:

Not sure about HA D3 and a 3.5/26 ACT.  Also, his velo likely isn't enough to get him to D1.  My son's mid-major isn't great, but almost every guy was 88+ by the time they were offered....with more than half having been up to 90. Sitting 83-84 at a showcase likely won't do much for the coaches watching him.  If he's just gotten cleared, maybe work on getting his velo back to the 87-88 range and consider winter camps at some of the schools he's interested in....especially if he contacts them ahead of time and explains the situation.  6'3, 195 should get some interest.   As others have said, JUCO is always an option...and you really wouldn't have to make a decision on that until late next summer

The early signing date has accelerated the JUCO recruiting timetable. Top JUCO programs are already getting commitments from 2019's.  Not saying that that nothing will be available next summer, but its not too early to cultivate a JUCO offer.....and if I were in your shoes (and I was exactly one year ago) that's exactly what I would do.  If you get a solid JUCO offer in your pocket it takes all the pressure off.  If your son has a great senior year and a good 4 year offer comes his way he could still take it if he wants to.

Whether a college is "HA"or not is somewhat in the eye of the beholder, but to me, your son's GPA and ACT are close enough to merit a try (especially if his HS is highly regarded and/or his course rigor is high with Honors and AP Courses).  Regardless, they are definitely in the range of other very good but perhaps not quite "HA" LACs.  DIII activity is really hot now.  My son is getting personal emails, texts, calls from a range of DIIIs from solid academic schools to true HAs -- so there is definitely time.  It can be somewhat surprising how these DIII coaches recruit - some have not (at least to our knowledge) seen my son much at all but all of the sudden are very interested lol.  It's as though they wait to see if a player is going DI then if not, they try to pounce.  So it is not too late - it actually could work to his advantage as someone who has been under the radar so far!!

As Fenwaysouth says - it comes down to the player's and his family's priority of three factors - academic, athletic, financial.  JUCO might not make much sense for your son academically.  If athletics is number one, JUCO may make sense as a springboard to DI or getting drafted but otherwise I would strongly consider DIII.

for my money playing baseball at high level D3 is a better option then playing at a low level D1 - the difference is in winning and losing, making playoffs and going to the NCAA or going 18 - 37 or something in that type of range. Also possibly being the stud of a staff if he settles into the upper 80's with command or working like a dog to get a shot as an occasional reliever on what is almost certain to be a poor team.

From the limited info we have to base things off of it seems he is going to be paying quite a bit of his tuition regardless where he goes...

I have read on this board many times "go where you are loved" I can guarantee you he will be loved at high level D3 much much more then a low level D1. Winning is a whole lot more fun then losing.

JMO

Curious if he's planning on taking the ACT again? My son is in a similar situation, with injury at a critical time, and he will be taking the ACT (one last time) on 9/8 in hopes of reaching the "magic number" of 32. He's scheduled for the HF camp in Phoenix in late October and we feel his chances for significant attention will be greater if he can achieve that score, given the schools listed in attendance and the ones he's expressed interest in and/or been in communication with. As Qhead mentioned above, not all D3s are created equal of course.

I think registration is still open for that ACT, though not without late fees, but it might be worth considering if HF camp is feasible. Good luck!

cutfb posted:

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I don’t want to discourage him at this point with reality, but want to be candid and realistic with him given his situation.  

My two cents....I'd encourage him to get the best education he can get in the field that he wants to study.  College baseball is a huge plus, and it may open some doors for him based on his current/future academics.  But professonal baseball is probably not going to be his livelihood in 5 years whether he plays low D1, high D3, Juco or anything else.   Reality is a tough pill to swallow but the sooner he realizes that baseball is fleeting (only 5.5% of high schoolers go onto play in college) the better off he'll be in the long run.     If somehow he is able to get his velocity, exposure and skill set up...I'd suggest the same thing....get the education and college baseball can be the cherry on top!  Good luck.

As always, JMO.

Look at NAIA schools also.  Some good academic schools and they can offer some scholarship money.

Before going the JuCo route so some research on the viability of ultimately getting accepted by the four year colleges he sees as potential future targets. 

Buckeye 2015 posted:

Not sure about HA D3 and a 3.5/26 ACT.  Also, his velo likely isn't enough to get him to D1.  My son's mid-major isn't great, but almost every guy was 88+ by the time they were offered....with more than half having been up to 90. Sitting 83-84 at a showcase likely won't do much for the coaches watching him.  If he's just gotten cleared, maybe work on getting his velo back to the 87-88 range and consider winter camps at some of the schools he's interested in....especially if he contacts them ahead of time and explains the situation.  6'3, 195 should get some interest.   As others have said, JUCO is always an option...and you really wouldn't have to make a decision on that until late next summer

I would have to agree with all of this. HA schools(especially D3's) won't offer on a 26 ACT, for the most part. Most HA d3's want to see a 30 on the ACT, or darn close.

Local 6'4" kid with terrific poise and stuff is going to a mid major (Summit league). He sits 86-88(has hit low 90's), and has three other good pitches he throws with authority. Another(6'3") is going to a Service academy, sits 84-87, good curve.  Another is going to Oklahoma...didn't even play Varsity HS till Senior year. Tall, lanky thing(6'5"). Fastball hit low 90's, with lots of movement. Unfortunately has reinjured himself.

 Your son's  height will give him some attention. As the father of a talented, but short guy, I'm somewhat envious.

Special jr.'s college team has a tall, lanky, guy who sits 88-89, and occasionally hits the low 90's, with a nasty breaking pitch. When he came to school as a Freshman, he could barely break 80mph. I don't know what that has to do with the price of fruit in Alaska, except that growth in baseball comes when it wants to, not when we want it to.

  I wish I could tell you more about JUCO's. Know a lot of kids who have gone to them, with varying degrees of success.

cutfb posted:

 

Trying to give appropriate advise to my son who is a 6-3 195, 2019 RHP High follow on PG topping there at 86 in the Memorial Classic this summer before olecron stress reaction shut down rest of summer.   He was gunned 87-88 several times during HS season this year but typically sits 83-84. 

Missed last summer with non throwing arm broken while sliding into base in Late May. So he’s missed rising junior and senior summers. 

He really wants to play baseball in college at a low D1 or solid D3.  Good student 3.5 with a 26ACT.

Has just cleared to begin throwing routine and we are scheduled to participate in the PG Academic showcase in mid October as this is really the only thing left on the showcase circuit for the year to try to get some exposure before senior HS Season begins.

My question for those with more knowledge than me, I think he should look at JUCO as his best bet at this point.  Is it too late to be seen by the right D3 with no summer exposure the last two seasons?

I don’t want to discourage him at this point with reality, but want to be candid and realistic with him given his situation.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To be fair to CutFB, he never said his son wanted HA D3, just D3 or JUCO, is what he stated in OP.  I concurred with 3and2FB when he suggested Headfirst.  They have a lot of D3s at HF, but they are not all at the academic level of say, NESCACs.  Whether or not those other D3s would be fine with a 26ACT, etc, I don't have a feel for that.  I know "HA D3s" would not.  HF routinely has some 75 D3s in attendance.  Question: are they ALL "HA"??  I don't believe so.  But I defer to others on that question.   And I definitely don't have a feel for the academic profile that the D3s at the PG Academic Showcase are looking for.  I'd be curious to hear others comment on that and if a 26 ACT would fly for those schools attending it.  I'd imagine it would work for many D3s at the PG Academic, but I defer. 

Also, CutFB seems to be leaning himself on the JUCO route in OP.  And many might question the point of spending the tuition dollars on a D3 whose name recognition may not be worth that initial outlay.  However, there's much more to the college experience than the name at the top of the degree; bottom being most important.  As you seem to be leaning, JUCO would buy him time to reassess and progress as a player over next two years.  

All I know is, if your son continues to "show up" this fall, at as many quality and bang for your buck events, whether PG Academic, HF AZ or FL, and keeps banging on doors, something will happen.  

Raising his ACT, at this point, may be too late.  Best thing for you guys to do is start pinpointing the short list schools and hammering them with transcripts, his PG profile page listing 86 as his top velo, and some recent video showing his 6-3 projectable frame and something will give.   A 26ACT will be fine for JUCO and many D3s.

Again, good luck.

It’s not too late at a D3 or JuCo for a student athlete with a 26 ACT and a 3.5 GPA in a college prep curriculum. 

Having recently been in this boat, schools that are in the ballpark that come to mind:  Beloit, Centre, Dickinson, Rhodes, DePauw...there are so many. 

While super HA schools like Amherst are out, most of the schools in the Colleges That Change Lives (ctcl.org) would fit. 

Your son’s academic credentials place him roughly in the top 20% of all college bound students. While that’s not Williams material, it is a fit at a top 100 NLA like Lawrence or St. Olaf. 

The key now, actually the key most of the time, is fishing in the right pond. Have a vetted list of schools. Express interest to those schools. Communicate with the baseball coaches and admissions reps of those schools. Visit those schools. Interview with admissions. Meet the coaches. Send video. And if possible, showcase at fall events like Headfirst. 

Good luck!

Trinity College in NESCAC is in your range as well - key number is ACT in bottom of middle 50 percentile to get HC support.  Strong baseball HC trying to build a program.

https://www.collegedata.com/cs...l.jhtml?schoolId=151

First, it is not to late to get your ACT Score up.  There are tests in Sept. & Oct.  A 2 pt. increase to a 28 could be huge.

Also, as a father who's son went the JUCO route, I wouldn't advise your son, who is obviously a good student, smart, etc. to go that route.  You really have to factor in the credits that will not transfer.  Overall it is going to work out well for Ryno, but it would have been much easier to just go to the same 4 year.  Since he is an Accounting Major, he will benefit some from the credits that do not transfer, since a CPA requires 150 credits.  He'll finish his degree, and then all the credits that aren't applied at Purdue, he can apply towards the extra 30 or so credits he needs to reach the 150 mark.  Where it is painful, is he will be a couple of classes short of graduation come May.  Not a big deal, but definitely something to consider if your kid is a high achiever in the class room.

My 2017 went to two camps at schools of interest in January of his senior year and got offers from both.  It can happen if you're realistic about the schools.

Lots of gems you can pull out and collect from several of these responses... I'll take a stab at combining and condensing along with my 2 cents... 

It's not too late, particularly if targeting D3 and low D1 and as a PG high follow along with verified mid-upper 80's -  he should be able to find a good home.  Don't panic and don't rush him back.  Do research and choose wisely on a few events once fully healthy.  Even if that doesn't pan out, many don't find a home until senior season, particularly if coming off injury.

Make sure he is healthy and properly ramped back up before he takes the bump in a competitive or showcase setting.

Put heavy priority on what his academic/career goals and best fit will be, along with all the other considerations for finding the right college.  Try to avoid it being all about baseball - keep both the 4 year plan and the 40 year plan in mind.

Do research on pro's and con's of the JC route... while it can reduce tuition layout, it can also result in extra college time due to credit transfer challenges.  There are also pro's and con's come time to go thru the recruiting process again after JC stint is completed.  The schools that are big on JC transfers tend to be a different type of school than the typical higher academic D3 (there are certainly exceptions but.. ).

Both my sons are position players and  did not begin looking at D3 until September early October of senior year. Older son went HA D3 and younger son to juco got his grades up and recently commited to strong NAIA but had offers from D2, D3 &NAIA. 

Thanks for all the great advice. Very helpful.