Summer Collegiate Wooden Bat Leagues-Recruting well underway

Thanks for the great insight and good luck in your new venture. Let us all know how the Express make progress this year.

Hokieone,
Appreciate the informative post. This will be our son's first year in this type of league so any info is helpful.

I have Question is Summer Collegiate only for College Players? or can you be a out going senior.

Do you mean a graduated high school senior? If so, yes, some summer teams do take rising college freshman. Many teams have a relationship with some colleges and will take the rising college freshman from some programs. It's a great way for the incoming freshman to get used to the higher level of baseball.

If you mean a college senior that has graduated I think most summer teams require that the player have NCAA eligibility remaining.

Yes I mean a graduated high school senior!

Hokieone- Questions:

From what you have seen and learned which is more important when recruiting summer players; the school they are coming from (Name school vs Lesser known) or the recomendation of the college coach (Name school or not)?

Which is the easier player to make an offer to a freshman with no track record out of a major D1 program or a rising senior with a good track record coming out of a school which is not a well known program?

It probably varies from team to team;we're a new team, still building relationships with college coaches, and we'll learn who we can trust and who we can't. College coaches seem to generally shoot pretty straight with us, and as we go on, the college coach's opinion will count for more. Some teams in the Valley League get players from the same schools every year as they've learned they can trust the college coaches. One VBL head coach told me they tell a couple schools to just send them 2-3 guys, and they don't even specify positions, but they know they will get quality players, based upon years of experience. Coming from a "name" school helps some...but the big dog schools also normally go deep into the NCAA tournament, and you may not get those kids until the summer season is half over. For us, the "perfect source school" is a school that has a reputation for being a quality program, but not one that is always in the top 3 in the ACC or SEC. A lot of very good programs don't routinely make it to the World Series. At this point, we go a lot on the coach's opinion, whether a name or no name school, but as time passes, we'll see who we can trust. We've really only been "played" by one school so far. (Offered us a true stud and a young untested but promising guy, we accepted both, and then golly gee whiz, the coach didn't know the stud had agreed to play elsewhere. We still took the untested guy-it wasn't his fault- but we're a little leery of that school now.)

We like young players out of well-regarded programs-especially pitchers. Pitchers that throw lots of spring innings get shut down in the summer. We like younger guys, with good upside talent, that just need mound time to develop. The coach's opinion on those pitchers is very important as we like guys with control, and the kid may not have enough stats for us to get a good read. A rising senior that has put up good numbers is certainly attractive, and as few players repeat (normally maybe 4-6 annually) summers, getting the younger guy, thinking you'll see him for 3 years, really doesn't play out.

Bottom line is we need to have some source upon which to make a judgment call-it could be statistics showing a kid can play, or it could be the coach's opinion, but we need one or the other. We also want guys that will be able to conduct themselves honorably off the field as we are a small sports crazy town, these guys truly will get rock star treatment, and anything a player does off the field will be widely known...and end up in my lap.

sounds like you need a hardworking young lefty pitcher!...i enjoy reading your input on these topics!

Why is it that so few Summerball Players return to the same team each year, the ones that are eligible I mean.

In our case my son has been playing on the same team for the past 2 years and has committed to play this year as well. Why is this unusual? Are we missing something? I know we would of course like an opportunity at the Cape (The Show) but other than that is there any reason to leave a CPL team for different pastures if you are happy and getting all the playing time you could hope for?

I just do not understand why returning players are the oddity and not the rule.

Players sometimes like to see a different part of the country so they play in a different league. The Valley League is pretty comparable to the CPL talent-wise so maybe my estimate of returners was a little low, but if a kid has a real good summer in the VBL, he's likely to got to the Cape the following summer. We have some pretty good players coming in this summer, and except for the freshmen, they all played somewhere else last summer. Some kids for example like that the CPL has some venues with bigger crowds than the Valley League (CPL is a for-profit beer league, VBL is non-alcohol, non-profit league), while some like the Valley's shorter travel times, and country settings. (31 of our 44 games are either at home or within a 25 minute drive). Different strokes for different folks...

It's a good time of life for these guys, but they do get tired by summer's end...

I don't think that your estimates for returning players is low at all. Last year with the Swampdogs, my son was one of 3 returning players.

I guess looking to travel to a different part of the country could be a factor. Perhaps playing time did not pan out the way they liked, or the desire to find a program with a better winning record. All could be factors.

I believe that for those attending JUCO's it is much more difficult to find a spot on a summer roster, and with the new rule changes continues to get harder, just about all have a penchant for wanting D-1 players. I believe that the further up the food chain you go the greater that reality becomes, rightly or wrongly.

I suppose that some players that have very good seasons in the Valley League, Coastal Plains or the Northwest League get opportunities to move up to The Cape, but of course the roster spots are coveted and extremely limited.

My son was 1 year Valley League and 2 years CPL. He had offers for Northwest League and Alaska League after his sophmore year. He chose to go back to the CPL out of convenience (two hours from his college) and they treated them first class (as did the Valley League). Ran their operations like a minor league team.

Fayatteville , which we visited, is one of the premier opportunities in college summer baseball imho and I am not surprised floridafan's son continues to return there. Tremendous fan support and atmosphere.

There are also some great venues in the CPL like Outer Banks which I am sure Coach May can provide commentary as his son played there.

Bumping this back up as 2012 summer league team recruiting is well under way so if you're a player looking to play in the summer, recruiting time is now.

Some college coaches are extremely active in placing their players, others are extremely inactive. I know some fine coaches that don't put a high priority on it, and others that do, but the bottom line is that if a player wants to play in the summer, things are happening now, and if your coach isn't real active, be pro-active yourself. (Some schools won't place pitchers until the spring, to see how many innings they throw so if you pitch, make sure you know your coach's preferences.)

Most teams get players from established relationships with college coaches, but players also get signed via their own contacts, and even parent contacts.

To gauge your prospects: Pitchers are the easiest to place as every team, every league, every day, needs pitching. Teams will generally keep 3 MIF types, at least 2 and perhaps 3 catchers, 4 outfielders, 3 1b/3b types, 10-15 pitchers, and then some utility types.

Summer teams will want something to gauge talent, which can be a player's prior college performance, a coach's recommendation, or even high school performances for freshmen. We've looked at lots of on line video of guys shot when they were in high school just to get a look at them, knowing they've normally grown and improved. A college coach's signature on the contract is normally needed so they will be involved at some point, even if they personally aren't real active. Summer teams will look closely at stats-for example, we've signed a soph that only hit .235 as a freshman in college, but we saw two things: His college coaches, in a good program, saw fit to start him in 44 of 50 games so they sure see something there, and while he ended at .235, over his last 20 games, he hit over .300.

Be aware that some leagues/teams have track records of "quick triggers"-meaning that if you sign a 10 day contract and don't produce, you're probably gone. The Cape is pretty well known for this. In many situations, 10 day contracts just fill holes until other guys arrive and no matter how one performs, 10 days will be it. Our team doesn't do 10 day contracts, but it is fairly common in some leagues.


Happy hunting!

Hokieone....sent you a PM

Son already knows he is playing in the NECBL. Recruiting is definitely underway!

Outfielder..back at you.

9/12 is first day of practice for freshman son...suggested he ask HC about next summer...just heard new asst coach is managing a team in the Ripken Collegiate league, but who knows where he'll end up.

My son is a college sophomore, was starting catcher for most of his freshman season last year for a D-1 (not big-time) program. He really wants to play summer ball, but doesn't know how to go about getting recruited. He was young enough to play one last season on his legion team last summer so he didn't pursue wood bat last summer. His head coach resigned after the season, his new head coach doesn't really know him--has only been on campus a couple of weeks. He doesn't really have any connections, so what does he need to do? He has filled out online applications for some leagues, sent emails, left phone messages...Advice/guidance would be greatly appreciated. He is an excellent receiver, great defensive catcher, and hits well, but not a power hitter. Thanks.

pudge- You have a PM

Son's coaches are trying to place him in the Prospect League. Does anyone here have any experience with the league? I'm looking to find out which organizations are well-run, have great host families, etc., and which organizations leave something to desire. Any information would be appreciated.

My Son played in the league in 2010 and 2011.

Pretty tough league to get into.

PM me if you find out which team is considering him.

I know that the Nashville team is for sale, and may not play next year if they don't get a new owner. The league took them over in 2011.

Best-run teams with the best facilities, based on what I've seen, would be:

West VA. Miners
Terre Haute Rex
Danville Dans
Quincy Gems
Hannibal Cavemen

I hear that Chilicothe is a good group, but haven't been there?

The only thing my Son didn't like about the league was the travel.
A lot of looooong overnight bus rides.

56 game schedule plus playoffs makes for a long Summer in some pretty hot areas.

But, it's a very good league, with several top players.


Great Lakes League would seem to be closer to you in Ohio? Less travel, for sure, and also a good league.

He has had interest from one of the Great Lakes League teams, but his coaches prefer that he plays in the Prospect League. Right now, we are just waiting to see what happens. The two Ohio teams (Chilicothe and Lorain) are not far from where we live, 2 to 2.5 hours away. His coaches have tried to get players onto the Chilicothe team in the past, but with no success. I noticed this year though that there are other players from their college league in the Prospect League, so maybe things are loosening up a bit. If I hear anything else, I will definitely PM you. Thanks for the info.

Good Luck!

I know that ,other than pitchers, most of the Prospect Legaue teams have their rosters pretty much set for next year.

Hokie,

I sent you a PM.

Thanks...Mad Dog

And one back at ya....

I have a lot of questions about the VBL. It sounds like a really good opportunity for the kids that are chosen. I would like to send Hokie a pm with my questions if that would be ok. Didn't want to go through the trouble of typing all that out if you are not interested in dumbing it down for an old ignorant fool like myself.

If you don't mind writing to an ignorant old fool, I don't mind responding... fire away with your questions!

My son as an incoming Freshman played in the MINK league. It was a great head start for his college career.The next season he returned to the same team, It was a bust.As a Sophomore he was placed with the New Market Rebels in the VBL. It was a great experience for him. He had a great summer, met some outstanding people that will be life long friends. As a JR he went to the Northwoods Madison Mallards. All I can say is WOW. The place and the baseball was amazing.Another great set of people. Each placement allowed him to play in front of different scouts in different parts of the country. He had the chance to stay with three different host families and a chance to grow as a person and a player. So I would say that playing for a different team each summer was a plus for my son.

Could anyone offer insight with the PGCBL? I am sophomore D3 player and have done a substantial amount of research on the league, teams, etc. I am hoping that an opportunity will come up, but seems much tougher for a D3 player to break in.

With a name like yours son, they should automatically allow you in any league out there!

Have to agree with Willie KC. The Madison Mallards of the Northwoods League are simply an amazing organization. 6,250 fans a game, over twice as much as any other summer team in the United States. Bum, Jr. loves that team.

Northwoods players play 70+ games. They play a schedule like the minor leagues with all the travel and such. I know the Cape is good competition, but from what I've heard they play on h.s.-like fields in front of a few hundred fans.

Northwoods rocks.

Any Insight with Alaska League?

Which leagues are more likely to take on freshman without the benefit of college stats?

Tough call. I've talked to a couple coaches that won't take a freshman position player from any school, believing that there's just too much risk: facing a higher level of pitching nightly, having played perhaps 50 games already, in the longest season of their young life, and then coming for 2 months of pretty much nightly baseball.

Everybody has good high school stats so they don't help much. If a freshman excelled on a high level travel team, that is helpful but there is a general "uneasiness" as it's hard to project. The biggest thing that can help a freshman is the coach's recommendation-we've signed a number of freshmen, but in every case but one, their college coach has had a detailed discussion with our Director of Player Personnel before we offered. So far, we've found the coaches to shoot very straight with us. (We've had coaches actually tell us they have nobody ready for our league.) Placing a freshman without a coach's recommendation can be tough.

Even pitchers, and everybody is always looking for pitching, aren't easy to project. Most likely every summer team has had the experience of being told a freshman pitcher "will be a weekday starter for us", and by late spring, the kid has thrown 6 innings total, so he comes to summer ball, facing an ACC #3 hitter, having thrown less than 10 college innings. Years ago, my older son was a freshman redshirt, signed to play in the Valley League, so he had no innings in the spring, and 3-4 days into summer ball he's facing Jon Jay. Yes, that Jon Jay. (And by the way, his claim to fame, he K'ed him on a changeup that almost got a delay of game penalty.)

One summer's experience can help the next: we've routinely looked at past summer wooden bat stats, no matter what league, and a good performance is surely helpful. The problem we encounter is that while many leagues, like the Valley League, Coastal Plains, NECBL, Northwoods, etc. keep very accurate and up to date stats, easily accessible, way too many leagues apparently rely on coaches to input the data...and it often is sporadic at best. I looked for a guy last week that I know played in at least 40 games and reportedly hit very well, but the on line stats showed his team only played 10 games and he hit .250...obviously, nobody put a premium on keeping stats up to date, which is unfortunate.

The best advice I can give is to be proactive, and sell whatever a player has to sell. We get an amazing number of inquiries-my DPP told me this morning that a day hasn't gone by recently when he hasn't heard from a coach or player looking for spot, although our roster is now 95% completed.

More and more leagues are charging fees, and an internet search will pop up a lot of summer leagues, so if you don't mind paying, I'm sure there are spots, but googling or posting questions on sites like this one would be a good idea to see how well things are run.

If you are patient, roster spots open up all through the spring season and beyond - even throughout the summer.

Patience may be the best path to follow because you want - in theory - to find the highest level of play consistent with getting lots of playing time.

Too many freshman players get placed in top leagues only to find that they get a handful of at-bats scattered over the season (while their teammates get several hundred). (Pitchers are different; they keep getting appearences because most staffs get worn down - which can be good or bad depending on their performance.)

If a freshman has a decent freshman college season, there will be spots for him in the right leagues. My son's team brought in players who were not on the original roster starting on the first day of the season and kept bringing in players until the last week of the season. Some brought in on temp contracts were offered season contracts when they performed adequately.

Our situation was very similar to the OP. I really had no idea about Collegiate Summer Ball before finding this site and reading a thread on posters experiences. I knew immediately that I wanted that opportunity for my son, who was a Junior in High School at the time.

Fast forward to the recruiting process, that was a conversation we had with the Head Coach...How successful is he at placing players in Summer Programs...they all said it would not be a problem, and we believed them.

The school my son ultimately decided on his first year of College was a JUCO that the coach indicated that he felt that he could get my son a spot in the Valley League. Around November or so with no word of placement I began to get my son to be proactive with the coach. He indicated that there may be an opening coming up in the Florida League, but was not yet sure...

I decided to take action myself and sent a Bio with assorted stats to every team from Wisconsin to the Cape to Georgia. The Florida program was just getting off the ground back then, so I wanted him out of state for the complete experience with a host family, etc.

I sent at least 100 e-mails out to every coach, assistant coach, every e-mail address I could find.

It worked out for my son as a previously committed player was injured early on and opened up a spot. If I had not been extremely proactive, I do not know if my son would have had any opportunities, especially since his first two years were at two separate JUCO's.

He enjoyed 3 consecutive years with an excellent program in Fayetteville with the Swampdogs. Some of the best baseball he has ever had the opportunity to participate in.

Don't be afraid to be unorthodox, unless it will upset your existing College Coach.

floridafan, good advice but are you trying to bury my in box?



p.s. and Goosegg is correct, spots do open in the spring due to grades, girl friends, or injuries. It's not unusual in the VBL for a team to lose 6-7 guys for those reasons, which is why some teams will sign 34-35 guys in the fall, figuring they always lose some. I'm not that brave yet....

Hey hokieone! Heck No! Valley League was our first choice until my guys coaches failed to deliver!

My son (Freshman MIF @ D1 school in the Southeast) has agreed to play in the NECBL this coming summer. I haven't been able to hear any specifics on the league, just what I've been able to gather online. It looks like a well respected and well run league...any specific input from this well informed audience would be much appreciated.

My son played in NECBL last summer for Newport Gulls.Teams are ran differently, so can't comment on individual teams, but the Gulls were awesome.

quote:

Originally posted by doubleday:
My son (Freshman MIF @ D1 school in the Southeast) has agreed to play in the NECBL this coming summer. I haven't been able to hear any specifics on the league, just what I've been able to gather online. It looks like a well respected and well run league...any specific input from this well informed audience would be much appreciated.

The NECBL is a very good league. They always have a good crop of freshman D1 players in the league.

Son is a D1 frosh catcher who was offered a slot on an ACBL team, but I haven't seen the "contract". Good news...it would be close to home.

Son received his contract for the Prospect League today. Guess it's official now! I'm hoping he enjoys his summer away from home, and loves the day in and day out grind of the game.

Last week my son signed a contract with WoodStock in the Valley League. I'm looking forward to seeing that part of the country just up the road from hokieone and his team.

Awesome news for Jordan, congrats! Southwest Airlines from Houston-Hobby to Baltimore -BWI baby!

Let's go River Bandits.... unless playing the Express!

GED10DaD

GED10, I can hardly wait! I'm already trying to figure out the best way to get there. Hope to see you as well as hokieone in person.

Fly into Dulles and rent a car, but avoid arriving between 7:00-9:00 a.m. and 3:30-6:30 p.m. to avoid rush hour traffic. Dulles to Woodstock drive time is about 65-75 minutes, I-66 West, then I-81 South. If you time it right, one conference team is Haymarket, roughly 20 minutes from Dulles so you can catch a game upon arrival.

From Baltimore, I'd take 70 West to Frederick, then over to Harpers Ferry, then Route 7 to Winchester, then I-81 South. From Baltimore to Strasburg is about 2 hours but not a bad drive at all. If you come via the Beltway, you'll hit a lot more traffic and won't get here any faster.

Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport at Staunton does have connecting flights from Dulles, and Staunton is about 45 minutes from Woodstock. The airport is no frills, but has rental car services and no crowds. (You'll walk from the plane into the terminal and your rental car will be just outside.) Staunton and Harrisonburg both have VBL teams so you can do the "land and catch a game" there too, but they're southern division teams so they play Woodstock only once near the airport.

3bagger, hope to see you at some games!

Son plays for Hokie's team.

YGD

YoungGunDad,

Sounds like I'm outnumbered in this league!

Thanks for the directions hokieone, I'll certainly need them. Good luck to all you guys!

Hello All,

Make sure to check out the Myrtle Beach Collegiate Summer Baseball League (aka The Beach League). In our inaugural season this June, The Beach League will host over 250 players from more than 115 different colleges, 32 different states, and 4 countries.

Here is a commercial recently posted for the league, one of many videos to come on BeachLeagueTV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9HccNoCbak

Please feel free to reach out with any questions: nick@mbcsbl.org

Some summer league teams with long closed rosters are now experiencing some openings-this is the time of year where injuries, grades, or girls cause plans to change. In the Valley League, most teams lose 3-5 players right around now so players looking for last minute spots should be proactive. (We've lost 3, all due to injuries, but have filled them all before I get buried with e-mails...)

If you're a player sending last minute e-mails:

(1). Don't be modest-sell yourself. Sound like you're educated. Typos and misspellings start you off in a hole.

(2). One liner e-mails are not impressive.

(3). Take the time to learn the correct name of the coach or GM and get it right when you e-mail them. I've gotten e-mails asking for an opportunity but the name of the team and my name are both wrong... not good.

(4). Pitchers-give your stats and your attributes, and realize that the word of the day is often "control". "Velocity" will get you noticed and a combination of the two will catch the eyes of summer teams.

(5). Realize that if you are young and your PT at your college has been very limited, there's not much to analyze, especially for position players, and you have an uphill climb.

Just bumping this up-recruiting for summer ball 2013 is well underway.

A lot of schools are already actively seeking to place their players, and a lot of summer clubs are now contacting the college coaches. Most schools wait till their players are back on campus but it all happens pretty quickly-rosters in the "upper tier" leagues and others get relatively full by the end of September. The "Big Dog" schools (ACC, SEC, etc.) place their Cape Cod guys first, then the rest follow by mid to late September. These coaches get a lot of calls from summer clubs so they can be pretty selective.

As is said on here often, some programs are very active placing players and others not-so-much.

Easiest players to place: pitchers, especially starting pitchers with experience. Velocity can get younger guys placed-with teams carrying 12-15 pitchers, a chance can be taken on an unproven freshman that throws 92-93.

Hardest to place: freshman position players, especially from lesser known schools. With no track record against good pitching, it's hard to judge these guys and as most summer clubs carry the bare minimum number of position players needed, the willingness to gamble is much less than on pitchers.

My son played in 3 summer leagues, Northwoods, Valley and Coastal. He was always placed by mid-September.

Coach talked to my son today. His coach wants to put him in the Prospect or the Great lakes league.

He is a Sophomore Left handed pitcher. Freshman year he was one or two on the staff with a 1.86 ERA in 58 innings pitched. I know ERA is not the best indicator but it is what I have. My perception is that these two leagues are very similar talent wise depending on the team. The Great lakes has a shorter season so that is his coaches preference but he is leaving it up to my son.

What is others opinions? If it was your son what league would you prefer?

Perfect Game ranked the two leagues fairly close this summer (9th for Prospect and 12th for Great Lakes), so quality of baseball is probably comparable.

Looking at the geographic footprint of the two leagues, if I were a dad living in Ohio, I'd push for Great Lakes so I could see more games.

Best wishes,

quote:

Originally posted by Swampboy:
Perfect Game ranked the two leagues fairly close this summer (9th for Prospect and 12th for Great Lakes), so quality of baseball is probably comparable.

Looking at the geographic footprint of the two leagues, if I were a dad living in Ohio, I'd push for Great Lakes so I could see more games.

Best wishes,

Is that premium content. I went out to PG's site and could not find it. If it is not premium content could you include a link?

If you can send me the link too, that would be great...I looked around too but couldn't find it...

My Son played in the Prospect League in 2010 & 2011, and was invited to play on another team in that league last Summer. He decided to go to the Great Lakes League primarily for the shorter season and much less travel.

Prospect League just went to 60 games this last Summer, which IMO is too many. It was basically a move to increase revenue, as 2 teams folded the year before, and a couple others were hurting.

I might rank the Prospect League a bit higher maybe on overall talent? Great Lakes League was more balanced, though, and I think my Son only had 2 or 3 overnight trips.

If my Son was a pitcher and I lived in Columbus, Ohio, it would be a no-brainer for me. Great Lakes League.

PM me if you want more info.

Bishop,

My son is a pitcher and has played in both leagues, and if he was forced to choose, he would choose the Prospect League.
Talent wise, the leagues were very similar Both leagues had their share of MLB-prospect type players. A pitcher from my son's Prospect League team was drafted after the summer season started and left the team to sign. I can't speak to the quality of the coaches throughout each league, but I know that my son preferred his Prospect League coaches to the Great Lakes coaches. He just preferred their attitude about the game. GL coaches more or less had the attitude of "hey, this is summer, let's have some fun", while the PL coaches, while not pressuring the players, make it clear that they expected to win.

With the talent level being equal, the thing that really sold it for my son was the atmosphere. PL teams mostly play in stadiums, with a few teams using college facilities. GLL teams mostly use college facilities, with a few using high school fields. I think the difference mainly lies with the fact that you have to buy a ticket to see PL games, but not GLL games. My son's team's average attendance was just over 1,500. Not all teams in the league had attendance numbers that high. I would guess the league average was between 800-900.

Overall, I think the PL experience was much closer to a minor league experience than what you will find in the GLL. The other posters to this thread all had valid points, its just a matter of what you and your son expect from the summer. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

quote:

Originally posted by OH BBMom:
Bishop,

My son is a pitcher and has played in both leagues, and if he was forced to choose, he would choose the Prospect League.
Talent wise, the leagues were very similar Both leagues had their share of MLB-prospect type players. A pitcher from my son's Prospect League team was drafted after the summer season started and left the team to sign. I can't speak to the quality of the coaches throughout each league, but I know that my son preferred his Prospect League coaches to the Great Lakes coaches. He just preferred their attitude about the game. GL coaches more or less had the attitude of "hey, this is summer, let's have some fun", while the PL coaches, while not pressuring the players, make it clear that they expected to win.

With the talent level being equal, the thing that really sold it for my son was the atmosphere. PL teams mostly play in stadiums, with a few teams using college facilities. GLL teams mostly use college facilities, with a few using high school fields. I think the difference mainly lies with the fact that you have to buy a ticket to see PL games, but not GLL games. My son's team's average attendance was just over 1,500. Not all teams in the league had attendance numbers that high. I would guess the league average was between 800-900.

Overall, I think the PL experience was much closer to a minor league experience than what you will find in the GLL. The other posters to this thread all had valid points, its just a matter of what you and your son expect from the summer. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

As mentioned in my previous post,my Son played in both leagues also.

First of all,the GLL Coach we had was super-competitive and played every game to win. Not sure I saw any opposing Coach who had the attitude you describe?

Actually, the PL Coach he had for 2 years was super laid-back.

Admission is charged at several GLL stadiums. S.Ohio Copperheads averaged over 800 fans, and play in a great facility.

Thanks to all who replied, I have reviewed these with my son. I would be happy if he plays in either league. Looks like more than likely that he will end up in the GLL. His coach prefers the shorter season. He is young for a sophomore, just turned 19 a few days ago. His coach wants the shorter season because he is a pitcher and he wants to make sure he does not over use his arm. He pitched a lot last spring and this summer and anticipates that he will pitch a lot this coming spring.

As I get more info I will most likely PM all of you.

My freshman son's coach has already talked to him about summer ball and he is already pretty certain where he will be playing. It seems so soon...school started just two weeks ago, but I understand that is they way it is!
I also appreciate all of the feedback from those of you who have been there.
Thank you!

News from the Great Lakes League, after 14 years, the Stark County Terriers are suspending operations in the GLL beginning with the 2013 season. Financial concerns were cited for the reason. They will still continue to field a team in the Tri-State Collegiate league, as well as 18U and 16U high school teams.

That puts the great lakes league at 10 teams.

Can anyone give us some insight into the PGCBL? Son, junior D1 catcher has an offer but we don't know much about the league. Thanks!

The PGCBL is a good league. There are about 5 or 6 leagues that I would consider "better" ones, but it's a good league.

Looks like son will be playing with the Licking County Settlers in the Great Lakes League. We are very excited for him.

Our son has signed his contract for the Fayetteville SwampDogs of the CPL for coming summer! East coast here we come!

Your son will love playing at the Swamp! My son spent 3 seasons there, I would have to say that those seasons were some of the most enjoyable. Make an effort to go. Their 4th of July event, usually the Friday before the 4th is huge with 6000 fans.

A great experience awaits your guy!

floridafan,

Thanks for the info! We intend to fly out for a few days this summer. This will be his last year of summer ball. It will be bittersweet, I'm sure.

Anyone know if the Cal Ripken League will be expanding again this year -- adding the Gaithersburg Giants to the League?

Im gonna go out on a limb here but, if you already know the name of a new team it would seem you know something already about an expansion team.

I a bumping this up. The summer leagues are coming to an end but will soon start looking for players for next year.People should realize that this process starts in the Fall, but players may be able to find a place as late as spring.

 

I know a pitcher that had a very successful summer in the Great lakes as a relief pitcher who was not placed till after the season started.

 

Good luck to all.

 

The process actually is already under way somewhat for 2014. We've had calls from 2-3 college coaches about placements for 2014.  And the Valley League 2013 season just ended last night...

Congratulations to the Express on making it to the championship, Hokie.

My son had a wonderful experience with the Florida Collegiate Summer League. It's a small league, six teams all relatively close to Orlando. Many of the coaches were scouts or had other MLB experience. The championship game was held at Tropicana Field.

Bumping this up. Recruiting is well under way most places. A number of schools, typically your "higher level" types such as ACC, SEC, etc. like to get their players in and have a couple weeks of practice before figuring out summer assignments. These schools are normally well known to have serious talent so they have the luxury of having summer teams "hold a spot", kind of like the college version of a "player to be named later". We're holding 4 spots for a couple top 20 programs and have no doubt they will be well filled.   For the players and parents, know that many schools are very active (some send a bulk e-mail with detailed write-ups on available players), while others literally do nothing.  Good pitchers can always find a spot-93 is 93 no matter where you play, but position players less so, and position players with no college track record (frosh) are the hardest to place. College Coach, and sometimes an MLB scout,  recommendations are huge.  If you are placing yourself, and some players have to do that, make your e-mails catchy and informative, and sell yourself a bit. I literally receive this in my morning e-mail:

 

"Interested in trying to find a place for summer ball for next year. I play at XXXXXX XXXXXXXXX University. I am a sophomore outfielder."

 

Describe your best tools and show a little personality, and put contact info for your coach. Most e-mails like this one get ignored. (FYI:  I'm not totally heartless-I am responding suggesting how this kid needs to jazz up his offering)

I have a question about this.  I know at my son's school - a D2, they don't really look into placing pitchers until the season is done or close to it.  I think they want to wait and see how many innings a pitcher pitches during the season.  If it's not a ton, they want the player in a summer league.  If they pitched a lot, I think they would rather have him rest.  Is this common?  Will some of the more premier leagues hold open spots for pitchers in this situation?  My son played this past summer in a local summer league and it wasn't a problem for him to hook up with a team, but I'm wondering about the more prestigious leagues and how they handle this.

Most pitchers with high inning counts are rested during the summer but some play with strict inning limits.  Pitchers are signed all year and as most teams care 12-17, a good pitcher can always find a spot. It is not unusual for a pitcher to sign but then be withdrawn if their spring innings are high. Summer teams watch the spring innings closely and if a signee starts looking iffy, you just adjust. More pitchers seems to cancel out in the late spring than any other position. We had 5 players come up lame last spring that had signed and 4 were pitchers. Many college coaches talk with the summer teams and get a clear understanding as to work load limits. (We've had coaches be so specific it almost wasn't worth signing a kid-for example, "No more than 65 pitches, at least 5 days between appearances" was one request.)     

Anyone have info on the Northwoods League

Very well regarded league. Most I would believe put it as the number 2 league in the country.

They play a lot of Game, in the 70's I believe. There is a lot of good talent playing in that league. Bum, a poster here had a son play in this league and he probably can give more detail, but every post I have seen on him about this topic, says it was a great experience for his son. 

If my son were to get an offer I am sure he would take it.

 

 

I heard that some teams use to be pretty hard on pitchers, lot of games and they had a rep of burning through pitchers, but heard the league started pitch count limits or inning limits to address that concern.

Could someone give me some general details about what is in a contract for a player in  a summer league.  I know leagues vary, but what are the player out of pocket costs involved.  I have not been able to find any info on the site that is very current.  If I have not been looking in the right place, please point me in the right direction.  Thanks.

It totally depends on the league, and the costs can vary greatly. Most, but not all, leagues now charge some sort of fee. At the Cape, players pay $800 for "housing", up front. And an extra $90 per week if the team makes the playoffs.  With a temporary contract, the player pays $90 per week, in advance. Host families at the Cape provide food I think as part of the deal. There are leagues where players pay in excess of $1000 to play. Some leagues require players to drive to their games while in others the teams provide transportation.   There are leagues that do not charge, such as our league, the Valley Baseball League, and players stay with host families.   Some teams provide post-game meals, some don't.

 

With NACSB Leagues  such as as the Cape Cod, Valley, NECBL, etc.(National Association of College Summer Baseball), the contract that you sign obligates you to that particular team for that year, and frequently the following year, if you are returning to that league.   The NACSB is all nonprofit leagues. Privately owned for profit teams-Coastal, Northwoods, etc. have their own contracts that generally require you to play for that particular team, for that summer. The Coastal Plains League has actually sued a player to prevent them from playing in another league (the suit was tossed out on a preliminary motion).

 

   As to any particular league, e-mail the League commissioner, or any team's GM if you are unsure. The things you really need to know: fees paid by player, what the fee covers, how transportation is handled, how housing is handled.

Thank you Hokieone.  Just the info I was looking for.

Bumping this up as Summer 2015 recruiting is now underway. A growing trend for colleges is to not place pitchers until the spring-most of the programs that would be considered "top tier" are doing this-they wait until spring as guys that throw a lot are shut down, and the staff sees how well guys have developed through the year.

Hey Hokie,

Heard anything on the Texas Collegiate League? My son is  freshman JUCO LHP, they are talking about sending him there for 2015 summer. Seems like a pretty good league from what I can find. Although not much outside their websites.

thanks in advance

Sorry, don't know much but I will check.

Solid league; if you can get a slot go for it.

Charlottesville, the newest franchise in the Valley Baseball League, has announced their team will be called the "Tom  Sox". They had a contest with 226 names suggested, and narrowed it to the Tom Sox, Sabres, Vines, or Presidents. The name is derived from that Jefferson guy that also found UVA.."Tom" as in Thomas Jefferson. Their logo design is underway, by a guy that previously designed logos for the Colorado Rockies.  Be thankful Mrs. Jefferson didn't name her son Mortimer...the "Mortimer Sox" would be a tough sell...   Looking like a very solid franchise, lots of C'Ville support.  With 12 teams, the VBL is back to 2 six team divisions and opens play on June 5, 2014.  

Wow, this thread started a long time ago...  bumping this up so that players/parents realize that summer team rosters, normally filled by mid-October (at least in our league) are now starting to develop openings due to grades, injuries, etc.  We've lost 3 in the past 2 weeks to injury, parental illness, and a need to earn serious money in a summer job. (We already filled the positions)  This is about the time of year that openings start to appear, with injuries and grades the normal culprits, although with pitchers, success can lead to a large number if spring innings which means summer shutdown.  Good D-2 and D-3 starting pitchers are well-received as a lot of the top D-1 programs shut down their starting pitchers arms for the summer. Good pitchers are always in demand. It's tougher to place position players as most teams carry as few position players as absolutely necessary so that playing time is maximized.  If you couldn't find a spot in the fall, now's the time to start checking again...especially pitchers.   (This was the first year I was brave enough to "over-sign" a little-but we've now added all of our "over-signs" to the roster.)

Hokie,

A year ago or so you announce that the Express was affiliating with a more local Woodbat team.

Is that affiliation still in place? How did it work out? I thought it was a great idea.

We have a "farm team", the Connecticut Titans, a pretty good wooden bat team in their own right, and if we have mid-season injuries, we contact them about prospects from their squad that may want to come fill our spot. We've pulled 3-4 players through the connection.

For next summer (2016)P

Any opinions on the Hamptons League?

Perfect Game College League?

 

Son is entering college (mid D1 ) this fall and have had discussions with a Hamptons contact.

realizing everything starts earlier nowadays.

I know that the Hamptons League is a spin off of the Atlantic. 2 years ago they were a division of the Atlantic. They Broke off because the Atlantic was having issues. I have heard good things about the league. They have 7 teams so you do not see as many different teams but that is not bad in and of itself. They are a part of the NACSB, if that means anything to you. 

The Perfect Game is a spin off of the NYCBL. The best teams left the NYCBL, because they felt the other members were more about the baseball part and were not into promotions or running their franchise like a minor league team. They wanted minimum requirements for stadiums etc. The other teams were happy to play on High School fields and recruit from smaller schools. Their was a pretty bitter split between the two. Neither to this day has anything nice to say about the other. 

Perfect Game wants to recruit from the big D1 conferences and compete with the Northwood's and Cape, Talent wise. They want to run their franchises like true minor league entities. Perfect games talent wise is very Good. I do not know enough abour the Hamptons to comment. 

When it comes down to it Go where his coach thinks he is the best fit and will get playing time.

 

Good luck.

Your college coach usually places his players.

 

Keewartson was supposed to play in the Hampton's league but had 2 hip labral surgeries this summer instead.  Games are fairly localized, the league provides host families, cost is minimal ($500 this summer), and what a terrific location!  

 

Looks like they had five 5 teams in 2009, so it is been around about 7 seasons.

 

I as looking forward to a vacation in the Hampton's this summer.  It pained me to delete my hotel reservations.

For several of those seasons they were a division of the Atlantic League. 

Thank you.

Hope Keewartson is all healed

 

The HC discussed this with my son and said he'd follow up early this fall. 

I am sure the Hamptons is not the worst way to spend a summer

 

Any opinions on the PG College league? 

Same story as Kewart but different league. Son was supposed to play in PGCBL but stayed home and had shoulder surgery.

We were favorably impressed by the quality of the team's communication and organization going into the season. They definitely had their act together and had worked to give the players a positive baseball experience at an affordable price.