Summer after Senior Year?

Some go to college summer leagues, most play on a team of their choice.

I'll give you some anecdotal information on all of this...

* We had some discussion with our younger son's future college coach about this. His view was this is the last summer to be near home, have some fun with friends...enjoy baseball without a zillion evaluating eyes. He recommended he play for a competitive locally-based team.

* A former HS teammate of our younger son (now a freshman D1 pitcher) went to a summer college league this past summer...came back and didn't fully endorse it. He threw 13 innings all summer. 'HS kids aren't treated the same,' was his observation.

* Our older son, now in pro ball...formerly a college pitcher and a veteran of a couple different college summer leagues highly recommended AGAINST sending the younger one to a college summer league after senior season. Said he wouldn't be treated well by his teammates and would be somewhat of a misfit.

But then...there have been a number of local kids who did play college summer ball before college and it seems to have gone well.

Different perspectives, all valid. Our younger son will almost surely be staying local, playing for a good team with friends. In the Fall, he'll be off to college many miles away and with the schedule of a college baseball player (including summers) likely won't be home much at all over those 3-4 years.

Let me start with "what does he need to accomplish?"

Assuming that he knows where he is going to school and the coaches have not told him that he needs to "play here." What does he need to accomplish?

1. Stay/get in good shape
2. Be prepared when he arrives at college
3. Maintain a good attitude toward the game
4. Enjoy the experience

This also maybe the last year for a "family vacation" once he enters college.

I would think this situation is different for pitchers than for position players. My son is a position player and was still 17U eligible after his senior year. He played with his travel team just like the 4 previous years. He did this because he could and he really enjoyed playing with the kids on that team. He had a blast this past summer.

There were several kids in the same situation. Pitchers and position players. Two of the pitchers who did this had some issues. One got hurt early in the summer and had to shut down to make sure he was ready for college fall practice.

The other had a great early summer, was actually recruited from the first month the summer. Because of injuries he was unsigned after graduation. But, by the end of the summer he was worn out. He lost a lot of speed on his FB and finished rather poorly. The school that signed him saw his last outing and decided then and there he should be shutdown for the summer and most of the fall.

Bottom line for me is play to have fun and stay sharp if you can but don't over do it if your a pitcher.

Our situation is similar to Swampboy. Junior is a pitcher has plans to go to East Cobb one more time..then off to campus Mid July. At OV coach said summer classes for week will end on Thursday so position players will go and play over the weekend either with own travel team or will get them on a team close to campus. As far as pitchers... might allow playing maybe one or two weekends but under very controlled circumstances. Would rather stay on campus and work under supervised weight room training.

Around here, Legion.

For pitchers regarding the injury possibilities. Younger son's future college pitching coach essentially said, 'Whatever you do, please try and minimize the risk of arriving on campus with a tender or tired arm.'

For pitchers, that aspect has gotta play into the decision. Several of the posts above make more or less the same point.

In the NJ shore area there is something called a Bridge League that is for committed incoming college freshmen and a handful of incoming sophomores. The league played about 25 games from the end of public school HS graduation - late June in NJ, until the first couple of days in August (2 weekday 9 inning games and a Saturday doubleheader). They had 25 on the roster, which at first I thought might be too many, but being it was the "last summer" the team averaged about 15 players showing per game. Pretty decent competition, no pressure, and if you missed to go to the shore it was ok. For those that wanted to do more, there was a way to play legion or in adult mens summer league.

East Cobb 18U team is where mine played, Coached by a pro Scout. All the kids where committed somewhere so the emphasis was on good, but local competition versus big tournaments, showcases etc.

His College Coaches were willing to set him up on a Summer college team if he wanted. But they practiced and or played virtually every day thru August and he really didn't want to go that route his last Summer home. His 18u team was done after 4th of July so he had six weeks to recoup a little, take a vacation and hang with friends before beginning classes. It was a WIN - WIN situation.

Echo justbaseball's comments....very valuable was the opportunity to be on the (very competive) local team without a lot of prying eyes....working on command....with (and against) several low round pick (out of college) players, some now MLB. It added to the confidence level in the fall.