My son has had both college baseball programs and college coaches follow him. When a coach follows, it seems like dm’ing the coach an introduction of what you might otherwise put in email is okay.
When the official baseball account of a current school follows, what is appropriate for communication in that situation? Asking before he signs up for camps and notifies coaches.
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Was he specifically invited to this camp by someone on the coaching staff having already vetted him? Or are you guys attending hoping to make an impression?
I wouldn't be attending any camps unless he is in midseason form. He should be gearing up for the spring season right now, I don't imagine he's in showcase form.
@PABaseball posted:Was he specifically invited to this camp by someone on the coaching staff having already vetted him? Or are you guys attending hoping to make an impression?
I wouldn't be attending any camps unless he is in midseason form. He should be gearing up for the spring season right now, I don't imagine he's in showcase form.
At one school the recruiting coordinator invited him. Camp is very cheap but they want to put eyes on him. He had the same thought about not being at full velo.
Let me say if he is not 84-87 he needs to find a reason not to be there. If he walks in at 81-83, it is a waste of time. They might write him off and never care to see him at full velo. We always were ready for full guns blazing the first games which here are in February. Only thing, sons ever did before that was an invite only pro day and he knew he was in full speed by then.
You do what it necessary to get where you want to be. My son played high school where the first day of practice was March 1. Sometimes there was snow on the ground on day one. Everyone was expected to be in mid season form day one. It meant starting to throw indoors on February 1st.
If these schools are in contention for what your son wants it’s time to start throwing and be prepared to produce at their camps.
@RJM posted:You do what it necessary to get where you want to be. My son played high school where the first day of practice was March 1. Sometimes there was snow on the ground on day one. Everyone was expected to be in mid season form day one. It meant starting to throw indoors on February 1st.
If these schools are in contention for what your son wants it’s time to start throwing and be prepared to produce at their camps.
Thanks.
@PitchingFan posted:Let me say if he is not 84-87 he needs to find a reason not to be there. If he walks in at 81-83, it is a waste of time. They might write him off and never care to see him at full velo. We always were ready for full guns blazing the first games which here are in February. Only thing, sons ever did before that was an invite only pro day and he knew he was in full speed by then.
Thanks. He is confident he’ll be where he was last summer by February. It’s the extra few miles he wants that he isn’t sure about. I may have him talk to his travel coach and see what he thinks before he signs up for anything.
@Northeastmom posted:At one school the recruiting coordinator invited him. Camp is very cheap but they want to put eyes on him. He had the same thought about not being at full velo, but the only camps his top 3 schools have are in Feb. All 3 schools initiated contact with him based on performances last summer they read about. His thought was to reach out and say after resting his arm this fall, he is still ramping up his pitching program. He won’t be at max velo until March/ April. A coach should understand this I would think and be able to project? They know his velo from last summer (84-87), so really they are just getting a chance to seem him live. If this isn’t a good idea I’m not sure why Northeast schools would hold Feb pitching camps. Kids up here aren’t at peak velo until later in the high school season. Let me know though, open to all ideas! Thanks!
Because it makes them money
What year is your son and what level are the schools?
@PABaseball posted:Because it makes them money
What year is your son and what level are the schools?
True 2025, high D1 but not SEC. He is looking closer to home. He is expecting to hit 88-90 this year but not sure when. Summer after freshman year 84-87.
Mom
question? 9th inning #4 hitter at bat, two two count. 2 outs, catcher calls the pitch.
what and where will you son throw on the next pitch? Runner on 3 base.
Bob
@Consultant posted:Mom
question? 9th inning #4 hitter at bat, two two count. 2 outs, catcher calls the pitch.
what and where will you son throw on the next pitch? Runner on 3 base.
Bob
I have no idea since pitching is his thing. My best guess? He’s smart and would know what that batter was doing earlier in the game. He’d know how well his off speed was working. He’d use the pitch he needs to get the kid out. Catcher calls the pitch but my son would shake him off he if he had another idea. All speculation though! If your point is about control and command, I would say this is why we’ve kept him focused on working hard. He has worked hard for control, and even harder to start to command. 16 year old kids are just past the awkward stage adjusting to a much larger body. A lot has gone right for him, but a lot still has to be seen.
Can’t remember what thread it was under so this is close enough to post. There were mentions of college coaches looking at PG profiles - this is a follow up to that.
Recently I was talking to a local travel coach and the name of a player we both know came up. The coach said this 2024 player around a year ago was being pursued hard by one of the highest ranking mid major programs in the country. Now however the school has showed him no interest.
The reason the initial interest was there came as a result of this player being ranked high at his position by PG. The school never saw him play but started communicating with him just based on the PG profile.
Once this school saw him over the summer, however, all interest disappeared.
This story was of interest to me since I have seen this kid play since he was young and I never thought he could fit the profile of this program. Clearly that was the case.
But somehow he got a very good PG grade.
The interest this school once showed this player is a sign that schools do in fact look at and prioritize some level of initial recruiting based on PG numbers.
But that interest can easily be changed once the eye test is involved.
Since your son is a 2025, keep in mind that technically the coachs can not reply to his DMs as I understand it (someone correct me if I am wrong). They can not directly contact back until Sept 1 Junior year. If you do reply, thank them for the follow and say something like. If you would like any additional information, please contact his travel coach and supply the contact information.
High D1 will probably not offer if he is touching 90. He will have to be touching 93 for a high D1 to offer as a RHP, if I remember correctly. Touching 90 will get you D3 and maybe a bad D1 but not a high D1. Most high D1's are not offering until 95 for RHP these days. Too many RHP's throwing upper 90's these days for a high D1 to offer below that. You are lucky if you get an offer as a LHP below 93 today for a high D1. I'm guessing my son would struggle getting recruited by a high D1 today even with his crazy location. Time are a changin'.
@Northeastmom posted:I may have him talk to his travel coach and see what he thinks before he signs up for anything.
It is always said on here that parents should not talk to coaches, and that is true when it has to do with playing a season of baseball (except for health/injury issues).
However, it would be fine, even expected, for YOU to talk to the travel coach about recruiting, with or without your son, to work out a recruiting plan for the upcoming year. You need to all be on the same page about this. Even if travel coach doesn't contact the college before the camp, he needs to know what your son is doing, in case the college contacts him.
@PitchingFan posted:High D1 will probably not offer if he is touching 90. He will have to be touching 93 for a high D1 to offer as a RHP, if I remember correctly. Touching 90 will get you D3 and maybe a bad D1 but not a high D1. Most high D1's are not offering until 95 for RHP these days. Too many RHP's throwing upper 90's these days for a high D1 to offer below that. You are lucky if you get an offer as a LHP below 93 today for a high D1. I'm guessing my son would struggle getting recruited by a high D1 today even with his crazy location. Time are a changin'.
Hmmm, by high d1 I mean top 100, not top 10. We do see sophomores sitting 88-90 committing to top 100 schools. Several freshman that I know of sitting 87-89 committed last summer/ fall. I assume they are projecting those kids to be 95+ by senior year of high school.
@TxballDad posted:Since your son is a 2025, keep in mind that technically the coachs can not reply to his DMs as I understand it (someone correct me if I am wrong). They can not directly contact back until Sept 1 Junior year. If you do reply, thank them for the follow and say something like. If you would like any additional information, please contact his travel coach and supply the contact information.
This is great advice, thank you.
@Somewhere in the USA posted:Can’t remember what thread it was under so this is close enough to post. There were mentions of college coaches looking at PG profiles - this is a follow up to that.
Recently I was talking to a local travel coach and the name of a player we both know came up. The coach said this 2024 player around a year ago was being pursued hard by one of the highest ranking mid major programs in the country. Now however the school has showed him no interest.
The reason the initial interest was there came as a result of this player being ranked high at his position by PG. The school never saw him play but started communicating with him just based on the PG profile.
Once this school saw him over the summer, however, all interest disappeared.
This story was of interest to me since I have seen this kid play since he was young and I never thought he could fit the profile of this program. Clearly that was the case.
But somehow he got a very good PG grade.
The interest this school once showed this player is a sign that schools do in fact look at and prioritize some level of initial recruiting based on PG numbers.
But that interest can easily be changed once the eye test is involved.
I have heard the same actually. Thanks.
I noticed the other day that a HS recruit posted his bio and video right on the programs twitter and to all the coaches twitter accounts as well.
Talk about trying to get attention!
During the 17 years of the Area Code games and tryouts, I depended on the Pro Scouts for the evaluation. We evaluated over 1,000 players each year for the tryouts and games at NO $ cost. The Scouts managed the tryouts and Coached the teams.
The Scouts and I did not desire to provide a "media" player evaluation. Because the "heart" and courage of a player cannot be measured until the game begins.
We had a Texas LHP who was NOT placed on the Rangers team because he throw 88mph in the bullpen. Six months later, as a Senior in HS he threw 95 mph and was a 1st round draft. His 88 mph was "effortless".
This is the 6th Tool.
Bob
