Recruiting distance

The fact is that there are more high quality players in the West than there are roster spots, that is why you see so many all over the country. That said if you are a high quality player and can be seen by West Coast colleges than you have an opportunity.

How do you know you will like it on the west coast so far away from home? I lived in southern CA for twenty years. I knew several people from your area who did not like it. They either didn't have a choice due to work or looking back thought they made a bad decision. I'm not dissing California. But relocating that far from home and into another environment is an important consideration in your decision making process. Don't assume you saw something on tv you liked or it's all about the weather. It's about finding the right education and baseball fit.

my son came out of new york and went west-----ended up at newmexico state after turning down overtures from fresno state----if you want more info drop me a note at trhit@sn.com----he totally enjoyed his college time out west

RJM,
I have visited out there on vacation multiple times, just personally loved the area.

njbaseballkid2015,

To answer your original question:

You should not expect the coach to change his usual scouting, recruiting, travel routine.

You should not expect the distance or out-of-state status to increase the likelihood or amount of a scholarship offer.

Also, re-read BOF's comment. What he says is true and very important to your situation. Because California produces far more talent than its in-state rosters can accommodate, baseball players are an export commodity, not an import commodity.

I just checked the rosters of a dozen randomly selected California schools. (None of these were PAC12 or the other perennial postseason teams.) Among the rosters of these 12 mid-major D1 or below schools, I found a grand total of two East Coast players, which works out to about 0.5%. That should give you a sense of the difficulty of your task.

Even if, by "way out west" you mean some state other than California, you will still be competing against California talent that chooses or finds it necessary to play somewhere else in the region.

To get a California coach's attention, you will have to convince him you offer him something he can't get in his own backyard. That will be very hard to do.

If you want to make this happen, you are going to have to take the initiative to identify schools that are good academic/baseball matches, communicate your interest, and figure out a way to get in front of their coaches. It won't be easy, but if your grades and baseball are good enough, and you have an adequate travel budget, it is theoretically possible.

Best wishes,

njbaseballkid2015,

You've received great advice so far. I think it's normal for a college-bound athlete or non-athlete to initially want to go far away from home. I saw it in my own kids and the kids of others. My experience is that most of them work their way much closer to home.

Understand that if you play college ball far from home, family and friends are far less likely to see you play. And attending college and playing baseball somewhere is very different from vacationing there. Make sure you cast a wide net when considering and contacting colleges, both close to home and far away. The good thing is you have plenty of time and you've come to a good place for advice.

Good luck!

When my son was in 8th grade and wanted to go to *** University, I had him check the roster to see where the players came from. Almost all came from instate. The university didn't have to look far and wide to get players. You could do this for some of the west coast schools you are interested in.

My guess the way team budget are, a west coast recruiter would not come to the east coast to watch one player unless he is highly ranked nationally (ie. pitcher). From reading this site, there would be good coach attendance at the Stanford Camp and 17U WWBA in East Cobb, Ga. Maybe someone else can pipe in about coach attendance at the PG events in AZ.

From a parent perspective, we had a (non player) student locally go to Stanford. She got very ill and had to be hospitalized. It took the mom over 24 hours to secure flights and get to her. Sure, that can happen at any college, but check to see how easily you can get to the school. I had a friend drive their prospective student to Indiana to visit a school. After the long drive there and back, the student checked the school off the list.

quote:

Originally posted by keewart:
When my son was in 8th grade and wanted to go to *** University, I had him check the roster to see where the players came from. Almost all came from instate. The university didn't have to look far and wide to get players. You could do this for some of the west coast schools you are interested in.

My guess the way team budget are, a west coast recruiter would not come to the east coast to watch one player unless he is highly ranked nationally (ie. pitcher). From reading this site, there would be good coach attendance at the Stanford Camp and 17U WWBA in East Cobb, Ga. Maybe someone else can pipe in about coach attendance at the PG events in AZ.

From a parent perspective, we had a (non player) student locally to Stanford. She got very ill and had to be hospitalized. It took the mom over 24 hours to secure flights and get to her. Sure, that can happen at any college, but check to see how easily you can get to the school. I had a friend drive their prospective student to Indiana to visit a school. After the long drive there and back, the student checked the school off the list.

While I understand your point, I am baffled at how it would take anyone 24 hours to get a flight to Stanford when there are three major airports nearby: Oakland, San Francisco and San Jose. Stanford is as easy to get to as any school in the nation, no matter where your starting point. It ought to take about 10 minutes to make the arrangements.

It ain't easy njbbkid. My son played with or knew of many talented players. You have to be a top level player to be recruited by top west coast teams.

One player went to Stanford..he threw low 90's and a top student. Another was offered by UCLA..he was the 57th pick in the draft a couple of years ago. I'm sure Mike Trout had a couple west coast offers also.

My point is you gotta be the best of the best to get an offer from the west coast if you're from NJ.

quote:

Originally posted by jemaz

While I understand your point, I am baffled at how it would take anyone 24 hours to get a flight to Stanford when there are three major airports nearby: Oakland, San Francisco and San Jose. Stanford is as easy to get to as any school in the nation, no matter where your starting point. It ought to take about 10 minutes to make the arrangements.

The actual making the airline arrangements I'm sure took 10 minutes, but as I mentioned, GETTING TO HER took 24 hours. Flying out of city to the west coast is not cheap, quick or easy (I personally fly into SFO or SJC once a year), and if she made arrangement for the first available fight out, airlines could be booked for the better times.

For a reference point: I am planning to fly into SJC in April and can find a decent flight for $347. If I needed to fly out tomorrow, $722 - $1784, and I may have to change planes twice.

West is also a very ambiguous term. There are several major metro areas that are very different. Then there are less urban areas that are very different in another way. LA and Saint George, Utah are both out west.