Just returned from this event in Tampa and thought I'd offer my take on it.
Some details: two day event. 40 head coaches from "high" academic schools. 7/8 Ivies, several Patriot League schools, several A 10 schools, NESCAC, Centennial and other D3s as well.
We chose to go because of the saturation of schools on my 2019's list that were there. He's attended HF, Stanford, and AZ fall classic as well, so he has some experience to compare events.
SB divides the days into two parts. Half the kids go to the morning session, half go to the afternoon session, so while there are a lot of kids there it doesn't feel as crowded or intense as HF. The first day is devoted to typical showcase stuff: 60s, OF and IF defensive drills, bullpens for pitchers and catchers. BP (two rounds, one against a lefty). All drills in front of all coaches on Saturday. At the end of the day all coaches made themselves available to meet the kids. It was not rushed.
Sunday is scrimmage day. Each team plays two games. Coaches are divided between two fields. Kids hit in the order of their jersey #s. Counts start at 1-1. Each kid got to hit at least 3 times per game. Coaches umpire and bench and base coach. Other coaches sit behind a screen about ten feet behind home plate. Numerous radar guns, stop watches and notepads. Games moved along quickly. Panel Talks between games on the recruiting process by a nice cross section of coaches. Each kid gets a 1-1 verbal eval from one of the head coaches. My guy's evaluator was Yale head coach. That was nice.
This event was at IMG Academy so the facilities were beautiful. HF California could learn from this.
Other observations: The last game on Sunday saw some coaches leave early to catch flights. Not sure it mattered for my guy but that's a reality at these big national showcases on Sunday afternoons. Coaches want to get home.
Coach access is superior at HF, but it really helps at any event if a kid is an extrovert. My kid is okay at this stuff, but I wish I had had him basically memorize an introduction to the coaches, especially the ones he had contacted before attending.
Saw a few coaches talking to kids after the event, but not a lot.
In the recruiting talk for parents, coaches said Ivies want test scores by now, though they say they are not likely to commit to a prospect until they see the full jr. year transcript. The early test score, though, can help them keep a kid high on their list. I know it's been said here before but this is worth repeating: Getting recruited by an Ivy league school is a dance that's not for the faint of heart. They're generous with their time and emails, they're well-spoken, they make you feel like you’re the center of the room. And they’re doing the same thing with 100 kids like your boy. Because they HAVE to. With my older son, I resented this. With my 2019 I am more amused by it. It's just the way it is.
Hope this helps. If you're wondering what event to go for and money is limited, then I would make your first priority which coaches will be at the event. The costs are so similar that the differences in price are irrelevant.
