the junior showcase

Last year's was June 18th. You can find more information at the following website:

http://hfosterbaseball.com/

Good luck....

thanks bigMW,
That helped, however, on the website I noticed that it said if u did well u would be selected to play int he Jack Kaiser memorial all-star game. But then it started talking about the "Midwest Classic". Does anybody know the difference between the two if there is any and how is one selected for the "Midwest Classic"

Goose,

I'm not sure if you are asking the difference between the Midwest Classic and the Jack Kaiser Memorial All Star Game or between the MC and the Northwest Suburban Baseball Tournament.

I'm not familar with the MC but it sounds as if it is organized teams from various parts of the country (including IL) by invitation.

The NSBT is a Junior showcase where player representatives from the various conferences represent themselves and their conference before scouts and recruiters. It is heavily attended. Player selections are made by your coach. Some of the players present at this showcase will be selected to attend the Jack Kaiser All Star Game.

exactly bigMG,
if u look at that website that u gave it says that the most exceptional players at the junior showcase get selected to play in the jack kaiser all-star game(that I understand).
Than it starts talking about the "Midewest Classic" which involves two teams selected from Illinois that play against other all-star teams from the midwest.
Now here is my question. Are the players who do well at the junior showcase and are than selected for the all-star game the same players who play in the "Midwest Classic"?
In other words is there a direct coraltion between the "Midwest Classic" and the Junior Showcase in Stevenson?
Also does anybody know the players who were selected for the Jack Kaiser all-star game or the "Midwest Classic"?

Goose, I will try and shed some light on the Jack Kaiser all star game. I have been asked to take it over from Harvey Foster this year. I will talk to coaches about the top juniors they have on their team or have seen play. I will attend the Stevenson showcase to talk to the coaches representing the conferences about the players on each team. Selection will be made shortly after the showcase at stevenson high school. The game will be played under the lights at benedictine university around the third week in July. Hope this helps a little.

Goose, Last time I checked it is still January. Might you just be getting a little ahead of yourself here? It seems that your focus is on all-star teams and events when the job at hand is your HS season. Do well in the spring and you'll get noticed. Simple as that.

Rosy, first of all it is my business what i ask questions about not urs. What is ur deal?
I was just asking a few questions on something that I was unclear on. Don't tell me what my job is. You are the one who already knows that ur sending ur son to a camp in Stanford in July, so who is getting ahead of themselves. Why can't you just give me a break. I mean no harm with any of my posts on this web site. I usually am just seeking information. If u can ever contribute anything to my posts do so, if not than don't.
By the way I am a fast typer.
I am sorry I really don't want to have any beefs or problems with you at all. It just seems like I can never avoid you.
I understand that when I first came on this site I was saying things that I should not have been. I really did not understand what this site was and what its purpose was. But now I really mean no harm. I hope you understand.

thank u cubs2828.

I'm glad Goose asked the question. I was curious about it, too.

Can any high school baseball coach nominate any player? Do they nominate the players at the all-conference meetings, or is it at a particular meeting? I'm not real familiar with this event, but I know it is a good one.

I talked with coach Mackey last week. He told me that the showcase was on June 17 & 18 this year. Most nominations are done by coaches nominations of players. Usually Swingtown holds there showcase (used to be at UIC was at plainfield last year) the next weekend. I KNOW that weekend 24th and 25th the Sox a running a big showcase Silver & Black.

I know that we will be hosting two showcases for Jr.'s after the July 4th holiday. The first event will be a large open event at College of Dupage, and the next will be a selected event at either Andrew HS or North Park. I'm still working on dates but I will post when they become official.

Hope that helps.

Goose,

Sorry, but I do not know the answer to your question concerning the MWC selection process. Perhaps those in the know can shed more light.

The All Star game and the MWC may be great perks, but if nothing else, the NWSBT is a MUST for aspiring players. The event was free (partially funded by donations to list your player in a program) and was the most heavily attended event my son attended. It was literally swarming with college coaches and scouts. It was a fun time (at least to watch!). I would imagine it would be even more of a rush for the players.

Hope you find the answer to your question but if you are really a player, the NWSBT will get you noticed. The rest is just icing on the cake!

Good topic, IMO....

I wanted to know this information also.

LTBB47, you stated that most nominations are done by coaches nominations of players. Would that be only high school coaches or could travel team coaches nominate a player?

Picking it apart more, when you say that MOST nominations are done by coaches...what would the circumstance be for a player to be nominated by someone other than a coach? A connected instructor?

My high school baseball coach doesn't promote the players at all. I don't know that he even knows about this or any showcase. Trying to see how I could be nominated.

Just saw BigWM posted something about the NWSBT and MWC. What do those initials stand for? And how does one get involved?

LTBB47

What time of the year does the Coach make his nominations and to whom does he turn them into?

Thanks

I'mlearnin'alot,

NWSBT = Northwest Suburban Baseball Tournament
MWC = Midwest Classic

See the above link (see 2nd post) for more (although not detailed enough!) information on each of these.

The high school baseball coaches do the player nominations. It seems to me, the better a team performs in conference, the more players they are allowed to send. This will not always be the case with a senior laden team.

All good questions from I'mlearninalot.

Remember some of us are just leaning about the showcases and the process that takes place.

Every year a new group of parents/players need to be educated about the process.

Thanks for all the help !

I could be wrong, but I've got a feeling that if you are recommended it should be a HS Coach and not your Travel Coach. JMO

Goose and cubs2828,

My apologies. First try and understand this most important point. There was absolutely nothing personal about my remarks. I just felt that it might be a little early to be worrying about these events. I guess I was wrong. Goose, you're correct about the Stanford Camp and the reason that is done at such an early date is because that is the only way a player even has the possibility of being included. In fact, our first contact with Stanford was LAST spring for this summer's camp. Enough with that. I do realize that the Stevenson Showcase is a great event and I've been there the last 3 years. I, too, hope that my son will have the goods to earn an invite to that event. Good luck to you.

Rosy, I hope I see u and ur son at the junior showcase. No hard feelings what so ever.
One of the reasons why I really needed to get the dates for the junior showcase is that myself and my father were interested in the PG Acadamic which takes place on June 12,13 and the Junior showcase is on the 17,18. Thus it would be almost impossible to do both.
I also understand that the Standford Camp process starts very early as I went back and read some of the posts about it.
LTBB47, u have a pm

Does anybody know some of the players in the Jack Kaiser all star game last year or the "Midwest Classic"?

FastballDad,

I"m fairly certain that it is exclusively the varsity HS baseball coaches doing the player nominations. As far as I know, NO travel ball head coaches are consulted (or at least in the case of my son).



My son had a discussion with his varsity HS baseball coach during the HS season indicating his interest in attending the showcase. Kind of put a bug in the coach's ear to remind him of this event (also had a Sr. who was being scouted by the pro's so coach was probably pretty busy). Luckily, my son performed well his Jr. year and the coach deemed him worthy of attending.

I, too, am grateful that Goose posed the question.

My oldest son, now in college, was All-Conference three years in a row. Our hs coach was new and didn't know about showcases or didn't care about them, but he totally neglected all of his players. Unfortunately, we didn't know about them either, until they had already taken place. Thankfully, my oldest ended up in a "perfect fit" situation, but now that we know about them, we want to be pro-active with our junior. I'm happy for all of this excellent information.

Thanks to all who posted.

Goose,

I believe the players selected to attend the Jack Kaiser All Star game would be selected through the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association. The IHSBCA has a website that lists the all stars from years past. You can find this info at:

IHSBCA ALL-STATE TEAM

I guess the next question is whether there is a difference between the "All Star" players selected to attend the Jack Kaiser All Star Game and the "All State" players listed on the IHSBCA website?

i think there is a difference because the players lister on the IHSBCA website were mostly all seniors and the guys at the Jack Kaiser all star game would be all juniors (i think).

Goose,

My son attended the PG Academic last year and I would highly recommend this event. It was everything it was cracked up to be. Great representation from many, many of the top academic schools throughout the country. Runs concurrently with the unsigned senior event. If we weren't going to the Stanford Camp, we would have strongly considered returning for another PG Academic. We met many coaches and have kept in touch with them since the event.

Goose,

I see what you're saying. I'm just trying to stimulate a response from the IHSBCA, IHSA or ?? geniuses! Someone has to hold an answer to the question(s).

BigMW, What are you looking for. The players selected for the stevenson showcase are nominated by their HS coach and then voted on by all the schools in the conference. All of the conference schools vote who will represent them at the stevenson showcase. You need the HS coach to nominate a few kids and then it is up for a vote at the conference meeting. Hope this helps.

ballfan,

Thanks but I know about the specifics of the NWSBT. Goose and I were wondering about the Midwest Classic, the Jack Kaiser All Star nominations and the difference between these nominations and the All State on the IHSBCA website. See the above for details....

BigMW, the NWSBT is for the top juniors, so it is used to narrow down the players selected for the Kaiser game. Performance at the NWSBT and talking to the conference coaches is how the kaiser game roster is selected.

I know rosy. Ur right. But if the Academic showcsae is on June 12-13. How can one attend if he is also invited to the Junior showcase at Stevenson which is on 17-18? Also what were some of the schools at the PG academic showcase?

Goose,

I might not be a player, but I don't think you'd be too tired after the PG to show well the next weekend. After all, at the showcase you run the 60, get timed if you are a postion player and pop times, etc. Then is BP and you're assigned to a team. You'll play a couple of games and if you're a pitcher probably throw 3 innings. Could you do that 4 or 5 days later?

As for who is at the PG Academic, I remember Illinois, Michigan, Wake Forest, Elon. U of Penn, Harvard, UNC, Navy, Army, and a host of D3's and D2's. Believe me, lots of coaches.

Illinois was at the PG Academic Showcase?

Rosy you have a PM

Yea I guess so, I just wish the two were a little bit more spread apart. But I think u could still work things out. Do u remember if Notre Dame was at the academic showcase by any chance?

If you want to go to ND, attend their camp.

fastball, u have a pm

FBD,

As I remember, U of I was represented. I don't know if Coach Hartleib was there personally, I just don't remember. A few other schools were Tufts, Brandeis, Dartmouth, etc. A good group but not exclusively the Ivy League or the other top academic schools. There were plenty of other coaches from fine Universites but just not where you need a 4.0 and a 32 ACT to be considered.

The other, highly thought of Showcase which attracts many of the top academic schools from around the contry is the www.playheadfirst.com honor roll camp. I know of a few players who have attended and the camp is excellent and worked by the head coaches of some great Universities. check out their website.

Rosy...I am familiar with Headfirst...pretty much heard the same thing. Thanks

Thanks for all of this great information. My head is spinning...

I had never heard of the playheadfirst honor roll camp. Thanks for the info and the link.

If the PG Academic Showcase is in June, and the playheadfirst honor roll camp is in August, and only one is do-able, which one would you select?

And realistically what would be the minimum ACT score needed to be considered at most schools attending?

Headfirst has 2 Honor Roll Camps. If you look at their website I believe last year the second camp was in November. Great time if you're still in baseball shape.