Skip to main content

Replies sorted oldest to newest

2016 committed summer before senior HS season, end of June. No interest, or on the radar prior to that. He played inexpensive travel ball and traveled less than 100 mile radius from home, except for some PG events in Florida. Played in many PG tournies with his team and made all tourney teams in most. No big money spent on showcases or camps. He did about 8 college camps at schools he was interested in academically. Only 2 big D1, otherwise mid D1 and a few D2, D3.

3B/RHP

Had an awesome HS senior year and HS career.

He ended up at a mid D1 that he was interested in and was one of his top 3, as a PO

He had interest from about 8 schools.

The $ offers were about the same, across the board, out of pocket under 8k at all schools % wise. The JUCO's had less out of pocket, but COA was low vs Private D1 or instate vs out

Academic $ funding the majority of college cost.

It happened very fast, once the process started. Went from nobody interested to phone blowing up, to committed in under 3 weeks.

 

 

Laststretch posted:

2016 committed summer before senior HS season, end of June. No interest, or on the radar prior to that. He played inexpensive travel ball and traveled less than 100 mile radius from home, except for some PG events in Florida. Played in many PG tournies with his team and made all tourney teams in most. No big money spent on showcases or camps. He did about 8 college camps at schools he was interested in academically. Only 2 big D1, otherwise mid D1 and a few D2, D3.

3B/RHP

Had an awesome HS senior year and HS career.

He ended up at a mid D1 that he was interested in and was one of his top 3, as a PO

He had interest from about 8 schools.

The $ offers were about the same, across the board, out of pocket under 8k at all schools % wise. The JUCO's had less out of pocket, but COA was low vs Private D1 or instate vs out

Academic $ funding the majority of college cost.

It happened very fast, once the process started. Went from nobody interested to phone blowing up, to committed in under 3 weeks.

 

 

Thanks for sharing! I am happy that it worked out for your son.

Best wishes on a successful (academic & athletic) college career.  

Short version.  Travel ball every summer, but with a local team that stayed within 3-5 hours from us.  He didn't want to leave the area for college just yet.  A handful of camps that he was interested in and two showcases.  One just prior to his junior year baseball season began and another just after it ended.  Both showcases were small, but we'll run and local. He received interest from a few local D3s, one was very, very interested.  The D3 that was most interested called in December of his junior year.  The rest of the D3 interest came near the end of his rising senior summer/fall senior year.  He started to receive JUCO interest in the late fall/early winter of his senior year.  He opted to go the JUCO route for a small amount of $.  He hopes to garner interest from other schools while playing two years of JUCO and knocking out his core classes.  

He did have camp invites from D2s and small D1s, but nothing that made us feel it was real interest. 

Once he he made the decision to go JUCO, it happened quick.  He called the coach in early January and said he was interested in speaking more about the program and his previous offer.  A few days later, he was signed. 

First real interest was after a winter showcase during his junior year.  Played on a top level showcase team the summer following his junior year and went to a couple of the bigger showcase/camps in the area.  Got first real interest from a couple mid-major D1's.  His travel coaches took calls from 4 or 5 others.  July 1st (first day of phone contact) got a call from an RC we hadn't even gotten an email reply from.  Had us up for a visit the following week.  Came and watched him throw the next day.....struck out 3 guys on 11 pitches and doubled and tripled off the fence.  He had an email within an hour asking him to call the next morning.  Actually called, got the offer and accepted while standing in the parking lot of one of the other schools that had contacted him .  Close to home....offer about what we expected and some good academic money. 

Last edited by Buckeye 2015

When did he commit?
Summer before Junior HS year.  First offers came during sophomore year, after sophomore varsity season.

How many offers did he have?
8 offers (could have had more had we accepted invitation for unofficial visits, but we chose not to visit places we knew he wouldn't have a real interest in.  Schools told him they had offers and would extend the details on a visit)

How many schools did he visit?
Visited a total of 6 schools, some of those 6 we made multiple visits.  Spoke with more than a dozen.

Did any coaches try to force a commitment before he was ready?
Not really "force", but "encourage" would be accurate.  One school told him they had two slots for his position.  One was offered and accepted and the other slot was being offered to him and another player.  Once accepted by one, the offer would no longer be available to the other.  Another school that he had regular contact with did let him know (about 7 months after their initial offer), that they were going to need to know where his head was fairly soon.  They had originally offered in Jan. of his Sophomore year and increased their offer the following summer).  All coaches were very accommodating of his timeline and respectful of his process.

Best/worse recruiting experience?
All were pretty good, none that we would consider as bad. One was a bit odd in that it was a fairly large cattle-call type visit.  It was his first visit and was fall of freshman year.  Included tour, tailgate and football game.  Oddity was that the head coach was nowhere to be seen.  No mention of him or his absence. Many of the players had come from 10+ hours away by drive.  Just seemed to be a bit disrespectful of all the families time and resources to not even have the RC provide a cover story for his absence.  All other visits included personal tours by the HC and individual sit-downs with the HC.  Very personable and they all made their intentions and desire for him to be with their programs clear.

Any regrets?
None at all.  He's as happy today with his decision as he was the day he made his verbal.  Great offer (financially), great program, coaches, school and conference.

Footnotes
We're in same state as you (GA).  Found that all the GA schools tied HOPE to the offer in that "we'll cover 100% after HOPE", etc.  So the onus is on athlete to maintain hope (which is about 80% tuition, unless Zell Miller, then 100%), so if HOPE is lost (as it is statistically with 80% of all baseball players at UGA), then it is on family to cover that difference.  I would compile every offer, then back out HOPE for the GA schools so I could compare apples to apples of what the real athletic offer was.  Also, I would run all the numbers and rule out a school if it would not financially fit, so from my son's perspective, he either had a green light for a school or it was out.  His decision was based purely on where he wanted to go and I didn't burden him with even factoring in which was most lucrative for me as far as financial commitment.  I wanted him to pick for the right reasons for him.  He did commit to an out of state school

PM me if you have any questions at all.  Happy to help and can give more details behind the scenes if you like.

When did he commit?

2017 outfielder, committed Labor Day weekend last year.

How many offers did he have?

three- others were coming in, but he found a good fit and committed to a school that felt right and met his criteria.

How many schools did he visit?

went on 7 unofficial visits- maybe eight between spring of sophomore year up to commitment date.

Did any coaches try to force a commitment before he was ready?

Yes.  heavy pressure from one school in particular

Best/worse recruiting experience?

the best was the school he committed to-  they made him feel like a priority- and did what they said they were going to do, when they said they would do it. 

Worst- none were terrible, just the pressure he was receiving to commit from the one school- and that was probably worse for me than for him- he never really wanted to go there. 

Any regrets?

none yet!  ask  again in four years!

 

pabaseballdad posted:

When did he commit?

2017 outfielder, committed Labor Day weekend last year.

How many offers did he have?

three- others were coming in, but he found a good fit and committed to a school that felt right and met his criteria.

How many schools did he visit?

went on 7 unofficial visits- maybe eight between spring of sophomore year up to commitment date.

Did any coaches try to force a commitment before he was ready?

Yes.  heavy pressure from one school in particular

Best/worse recruiting experience?

the best was the school he committed to-  they made him feel like a priority- and did what they said they were going to do, when they said they would do it. 

Worst- none were terrible, just the pressure he was receiving to commit from the one school- and that was probably worse for me than for him- he never really wanted to go there. 

Any regrets?

none yet!  ask  again in four years!

 

Thanks, Papa...and I hope there are no regrets four years from now. 

hshuler posted:

When did he commit?   fall before sophomore season.....

How many offers did he have?  4  only interested in 4

How many schools did he visit? 4 only interested in 4 

Did any coaches try to force a commitment before he was ready?  no

Best/worse recruiting experience?  none

Any regrets?  I don't , but it was not up to me.... ask again in 3-4 years

 

hshuler posted:

When did he commit?  --------  summer prior to senior year

How many offers did he have?  -- 5  (3 D1, 2 D3)

How many schools did he visit?    8

Did any coaches try to force a commitment before he was ready?--no but one offer accelerated timetable on offer for school he would attend

Best/worse recruiting experience?--lots of highs and lows along way; showcases good experience, good personal contact at school camps

Any regrets?--no; was starter as a freshman and loves the school (took course this summer to lighten load next spring)

 

My son got injured the first weekend of post junior year travel. He tore his MCL and PCL. During rehab in the fall he fell doing an agility drill. He separated his shoulder requiring surgery. 

He tossed his sling three weeks before senior season. He had a good season. But he wasn't college prospect ready. The plan was to play Legion, get his strength back, showcase in the fall and start college in January. We figured there wouldn't be any spring roster spots.

He got offers from local teams at Legion states. His hitting instructor/former travel coach asked him if he applied to any colleges that had been interested in him before the injury. He had. Fortunately he had drawn some interest post soph summer. The coach made a call and told them he was healthy. The coach was a former D1 coach who became an associate scout.

His offer came one week before the fall semester started. He had to try to walk on the first year. But the next year was guaranteed with money. He lost out walking on to a 6'4" late blooming pitcher who is now in the minors. But it all worked out.

Last edited by RJM
RJM posted:

My son got injured the first weekend of post junior year travel. He tore his MCL and PCL. During rehab in the fall he fell doing an agility drill. He separated his shoulder requiring surgery. 

He tossed his sling three weeks before senior season. He had a good season. But he wasn't college prospect ready. The plan was to play Legion, get his strength back, showcase in the fall and start college in January. We figured there wou,don't be any spring roster spots.

He got offers from local teams at Legion states. His hitting instructor/former travel coach asked him if he applied to any colleges that had been interested in him before the injury. He had. Fortunately he had drawn some interest post soph summer. The coach made a call and told them he was healthy. The coach was a former D1 coach who became an associate scout.

His offer came one week before the fall semester started. He had to try to walk on the first year. But the next year was guaranteed with money. He lost out walking on to a 6'4" late blooming pitcher who is now in the minors. But it all worked out.

Tough luck but glad that he endured and it worked out in the end. Sounds like the kid definitely knows how to persevere. 

There are plenty of stories like my son's. The player has two choices: 1) Feel sorry for themselves or 2) do whatever it takes to overcome the obstacle.

He was already missing senior year of soccer. He was an all conference goalie. Then the surgeon told him he would miss the baseball season. He said he couldn't start working out until May. My son perked up, pointed his finger at the doctor and said, "I will be in the opening day lineup. You're going to help get me there." He was DH opening day. He was in the field three weeks later. The surgeon worked with mostly pro athletes. He understood my son's intensity and motivation level.

Last edited by RJM
RJM posted:

There are plenty of stories like my son's. The player has two choices: 1) Feel sorry for themselves or 2) do whatever it takes to overcome the obstacle.

He was already missing senior year of soccer. He was an all conference goalie. Then the surgeon told him he would miss the baseball season. He said he couldn't start working out until May. My son perked up, pointed his finger at the doctor and said, "I will be in the opening day lineup. You're going to help get me there." He was DH opening day. He was in the field three weeks later. The surgeon worked with mostly pro athletes. He understood my son's intensity and motivation level.

Love it - good stuff!

When did he commit? 

1st commitent was fall after sophmore year after Ft Myers

2nd commitment was late summer after junior year

How many offers did he have?

6

How many schools did he visit?

4

Did any coaches try to force a commitment before he was ready?

No but the 1st offer he got at mid-major basically gave him a deadline after we asked to wait until after Ft Myers. Once they found out we were visiting other schools to compare their offer/school they gave us a 1 week deadline, son call next day and declined their offer.

The only other RC to "encourage" us was basically using the "we only have this spot left and if not you, it could be given to the next guy who visits...but we really want you....etc." We declined there as well.

Best/worse recruiting experience?

In retrospect all were pretty normal from what i have learned from friends and others on this board. These RCs have a tough gig and there is pressure, so having them attempt to "close" recruits on the deal should be expected. Its the ones who "close" you and you never know it that are the best.

Any regrets?

Should not have committed to 1st school (12 hours from GA) , rushed it and was under self induced pressure for lack of knowledge about real time lines and opportunities at schools after junior year. In the end, it was the absolute best thing to happen to him and he is happy and close to home. 

Advice: Take your time, really evaluate what is important to you in a school/program and ask lots of questions about the program, education, academic support and culture. Visit, visit, visit and enjoy the ride. 

Last edited by Shoveit4Ks

My son received one D1 offer but decided to go to JC. As a true freshmen(not many started at this JC as a frosh, many redshirted)

Son had a great first year and began to get phone calls and be recruited. We went on three visits and he was invited to another high profile Pac12 school.

JC coach wanted him to stay his second year.

Late in the summer actually three days before school came he got a very good offer from a school that had been a dream school in general with jerseys and pictures of football players on his wall.

Did not have any time to process, due to his good academics and having taken a really solid frosh year of classes, several of the coaches we visited with were able to get him in the door after only one year at JC. It was an outstanding education and in a good conference so he went for it.

The team had a losing record for all three years which is tough no matter where you play. D1 baseball at PAC 12 is about winning!

Son had an injury his sophomore year that required surgery. He had one of the best orthopedic surgeons around and every thing was paid for and he received top notch rehab as well.

Son received an excellent education and is very proud of his degree from his school.

I think in many ways you cant predict all the possibilities that can or do happen.

My son started all three years except for a few games his junior year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shoveit4Ks posted:

When did he commit? 

1st commitent was fall after sophmore year after Ft Myers

2nd commitment was late summer after junior year

How many offers did he have?

6

How many schools did he visit?

4

Did any coaches try to force a commitment before he was ready?

No but the 1st offer he got at mid-major basically gave him a deadline after we asked to wait until after Ft Myers. Once they found out we were visiting other schools to compare their offer/school they gave us a 1 week deadline, son call next day and declined their offer.

The only other RC to "encourage" us was basically using the "we only have this spot left and if not you, it could be given to the next guy who visits...but we really want you....etc." We declined there as well.

Best/worse recruiting experience?

In retrospect all were pretty normal from what i have learned from friends and others on this board. These RCs have a tough gig and there is pressure, so having them attempt to "close" recruits on the deal should be expected. Its the ones who "close" you and you never know it that are the best.

Any regrets?

Should not have committed to 1st school (12 hours from GA) , rushed it and was under self induced pressure for lack of knowledge about real time lines and opportunities at schools after junior year. In the end, it was the absolute best thing to happen to him and he is happy and close to home. 

Advice: Take your time, really evaluate what is important to you in a school/program and ask lots of questions about the program, education, academic support and culture. Visit, visit, visit and enjoy the ride. 

Thanks for sharing - I really appreciate the advice!  

fanofgame posted:

My son received one D1 offer but decided to go to JC. As a true freshmen(not many started at this JC as a frosh, many redshirted)

Son had a great first year and began to get phone calls and be recruited. We went on three visits and he was invited to another high profile Pac12 school.

JC coach wanted him to stay his second year.

Late in the summer actually three days before school came he got a very good offer from a school that had been a dream school in general with jerseys and pictures of football players on his wall.

Did not have any time to process, due to his good academics and having taken a really solid frosh year of classes, several of the coaches we visited with were able to get him in the door after only one year at JC. It was an outstanding education and in a good conference so he went for it.

The team had a losing record for all three years which is tough no matter where you play. D1 baseball at PAC 12 is about winning!

Son had an injury his sophomore year that required surgery. He had one of the best orthopedic surgeons around and every thing was paid for and he received top notch rehab as well.

Son received an excellent education and is very proud of his degree from his school.

I think in many ways you cant predict all the possibilities that can or do happen.

My son started all three years except for a few games his junior year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glad to hear that he got the 'Golden Ticket' from his dream school. Thanks for the response!

Committed summer after soph. spring season. With how next 2 years of H.S. baseball/T.B. went others/most could probably say committed to soon. kid recieved a pretty good deal from what I've read here. 2016 had no interest whatsoever in being recruited.But was determined to go to school no draft. Had interest from another big conference school before/during soph. season up to the point staff was coming to T.B. practices. This was from the one showcase we paid for end of frosh. T.B. season.  The rest of 2016 story is literly right place, right time and playing like you never know whos watching. At tourney being played at/around top 2-3 in season college program.School had a rep there just to keep an eye on things.All schools will have a rep at tourneys when games are played on thier home field.It was literaly this coachs last day at this school.He along with AsHC/RC were moving on and up.He pitched 2 innings to begin the process. He had visited 3 schools (includes his commit) One trip was not with him.His 6 6 lhp friend were together friends dad told me when back the HC sat them all down for talk and first question was "how can I get both you guys here"? Is that an offer? Maybe not but if I would have called him after all got back my guess would be yes.It was just too early.We really thought our home state college team would come looking. After first contact date we had calls to the house from most of the schools that us baseball parents hope would call even if jr. doesn't go. I was really torn on the OKST. call.Lived not far from that area for 10 yrs. Really liked keeping up with that team/teams back in day. When offer was made HC told 2016/ that he could take 2 but not more than 3 months. That time frame put 2016 close to two months past first contact. It made me feel that he wanted 2016 to have time to talk directly to others(schools). No bad stories gratfully. Will let you know thoughts in 3-4 years.

proudhesmine posted:

Committed summer after soph. spring season. With how next 2 years of H.S. baseball/T.B. went others/most could probably say committed to soon. kid recieved a pretty good deal from what I've read here. 2016 had no interest whatsoever in being recruited.But was determined to go to school no draft. Had interest from another big conference school before/during soph. season up to the point staff was coming to T.B. practices. This was from the one showcase we paid for end of frosh. T.B. season.  The rest of 2016 story is literly right place, right time and playing like you never know whos watching. At tourney being played at/around top 2-3 in season college program.School had a rep there just to keep an eye on things.All schools will have a rep at tourneys when games are played on thier home field.It was literaly this coachs last day at this school.He along with AsHC/RC were moving on and up.He pitched 2 innings to begin the process. He had visited 3 schools (includes his commit) One trip was not with him.His 6 6 lhp friend were together friends dad told me when back the HC sat them all down for talk and first question was "how can I get both you guys here"? Is that an offer? Maybe not but if I would have called him after all got back my guess would be yes.It was just too early.We really thought our home state college team would come looking. After first contact date we had calls to the house from most of the schools that us baseball parents hope would call even if jr. doesn't go. I was really torn on the OKST. call.Lived not far from that area for 10 yrs. Really liked keeping up with that team/teams back in day. When offer was made HC told 2016/ that he could take 2 but not more than 3 months. That time frame put 2016 close to two months past first contact. It made me feel that he wanted 2016 to have time to talk directly to others(schools). No bad stories gratfully. Will let you know thoughts in 3-4 years.

Thanks for sharing and I hope that it all works out for your son!

This has been a great thread to show how each recruiting situation is different.  Yet, if I read through the stories correctly, some themes are similar:

*If the player is a D1 level talent, almost all are going to be finished recruiting before the start of Senior year with multiple options to weigh.  The November NLI is the formality and finality.

*Most players take around 3-5 campus visits before they make their decision. 

*Kids with multiple offers can expect at least one coach to condition the offer under a tight deadline with the implication if you don't take it by then they have another kid lined up to take it.

As I see it, for those of us with 2017's who do not have D1 offers by this point going into their senior year, they should be focusing on D2 and D3 options and attend showcases and camps with those schools in the hopes of making it on their lists to be considered.  And that means start planning out the Fall calendar for visits to these schools to see their campuses, meet the coaches, and see if there is mutual interest.  And of course given the exorbitant tuition at many of these D2/D3 schools, finding out what, if any. merit or other financial aid is available is critical to making that final decision of attending one of these schools or forgetting baseball entirely and going to an in-state public school.

Backstop22 posted:

This has been a great thread to show how each recruiting situation is different.  Yet, if I read through the stories correctly, some themes are similar:

*If the player is a D1 level talent, almost all are going to be finished recruiting before the start of Senior year with multiple options to weigh.  The November NLI is the formality and finality.

*Most players take around 3-5 campus visits before they make their decision. 

*Kids with multiple offers can expect at least one coach to condition the offer under a tight deadline with the implication if you don't take it by then they have another kid lined up to take it.

As I see it, for those of us with 2017's who do not have D1 offers by this point going into their senior year, they should be focusing on D2 and D3 options and attend showcases and camps with those schools in the hopes of making it on their lists to be considered.  And that means start planning out the Fall calendar for visits to these schools to see their campuses, meet the coaches, and see if there is mutual interest.  And of course given the exorbitant tuition at many of these D2/D3 schools, finding out what, if any. merit or other financial aid is available is critical to making that final decision of attending one of these schools or forgetting baseball entirely and going to an in-state public school.

Very well said, Backstop! I hope that your son will land an offer soon. 

Last edited by hshuler
Backstop22 posted:

This has been a great thread to show how each recruiting situation is different.  Yet, if I read through the stories correctly, some themes are similar:

*If the player is a D1 level talent, almost all are going to be finished recruiting before the start of Senior year with multiple options to weigh.  The November NLI is the formality and finality.

*Most players take around 3-5 campus visits before they make their decision. 

*Kids with multiple offers can expect at least one coach to condition the offer under a tight deadline with the implication if you don't take it by then they have another kid lined up to take it.

As I see it, for those of us with 2017's who do not have D1 offers by this point going into their senior year, they should be focusing on D2 and D3 options and attend showcases and camps with those schools in the hopes of making it on their lists to be considered.  And that means start planning out the Fall calendar for visits to these schools to see their campuses, meet the coaches, and see if there is mutual interest.  And of course given the exorbitant tuition at many of these D2/D3 schools, finding out what, if any. merit or other financial aid is available is critical to making that final decision of attending one of these schools or forgetting baseball entirely and going to an in-state public school.

That's a great summary- I'll point out a couple exceptions-  I know two kids from the Pittsburgh area that found a d1 spot AFTER they had walked at graduation.    One went to a mid major in the northeast, the other went to a powerhouse ACC program.   In both cases the schools had a particular need that was opened up by the draft at those schools.   (one was a lefty hitting catcher that hit with power for instance)  And in both cases the kids were late bloomers so they had little to no attention before their senior year of high school.  I realize this is probably rare- but it is possible as some schools will be scrambling after the draft when incoming players may decide not to come to school. 

The other exception is the comment about in state tuition- and this is most likely a Pennsylvania issue- although it may apply to other states.  Our in state total cost of attendance is extremely high.  University of Pittsburgh estimated total cost is 33,5K.   My 2017 son is committed to a school down south and the out of state total cost is almost identical. 

Backstop22 posted:

This has been a great thread to show how each recruiting situation is different.  Yet, if I read through the stories correctly, some themes are similar:

*If the player is a D1 level talent, almost all are going to be finished recruiting before the start of Senior year with multiple options to weigh.  The November NLI is the formality and finality.

*Most players take around 3-5 campus visits before they make their decision. 

*Kids with multiple offers can expect at least one coach to condition the offer under a tight deadline with the implication if you don't take it by then they have another kid lined up to take it.

As I see it, for those of us with 2017's who do not have D1 offers by this point going into their senior year, they should be focusing on D2 and D3 options and attend showcases and camps with those schools in the hopes of making it on their lists to be considered.  And that means start planning out the Fall calendar for visits to these schools to see their campuses, meet the coaches, and see if there is mutual interest.  And of course given the exorbitant tuition at many of these D2/D3 schools, finding out what, if any. merit or other financial aid is available is critical to making that final decision of attending one of these schools or forgetting baseball entirely and going to an in-state public school.

I have to disagree.  My 2017 is still getting calls from D1 schools. He has three schools that want him to visit in August.  Now, his grades are not the best, so he did miss out on some early opportunities.  But saying if you don't have a D1 offer by now, look elsewhere may not be true in all cases.  I think if you have not received any attention from a D1 school, it may be time to look at D2 or D3, may be a better way to word this.  

pabaseballdad posted:
Backstop22 posted:

This has been a great thread to show how each recruiting situation is different.  Yet, if I read through the stories correctly, some themes are similar:

*If the player is a D1 level talent, almost all are going to be finished recruiting before the start of Senior year with multiple options to weigh.  The November NLI is the formality and finality.

*Most players take around 3-5 campus visits before they make their decision. 

*Kids with multiple offers can expect at least one coach to condition the offer under a tight deadline with the implication if you don't take it by then they have another kid lined up to take it.

As I see it, for those of us with 2017's who do not have D1 offers by this point going into their senior year, they should be focusing on D2 and D3 options and attend showcases and camps with those schools in the hopes of making it on their lists to be considered.  And that means start planning out the Fall calendar for visits to these schools to see their campuses, meet the coaches, and see if there is mutual interest.  And of course given the exorbitant tuition at many of these D2/D3 schools, finding out what, if any. merit or other financial aid is available is critical to making that final decision of attending one of these schools or forgetting baseball entirely and going to an in-state public school.

That's a great summary- I'll point out a couple exceptions-  I know two kids from the Pittsburgh area that found a d1 spot AFTER they had walked at graduation.    One went to a mid major in the northeast, the other went to a powerhouse ACC program.   In both cases the schools had a particular need that was opened up by the draft at those schools.   (one was a lefty hitting catcher that hit with power for instance)  And in both cases the kids were late bloomers so they had little to no attention before their senior year of high school.  I realize this is probably rare- but it is possible as some schools will be scrambling after the draft when incoming players may decide not to come to school. 

The other exception is the comment about in state tuition- and this is most likely a Pennsylvania issue- although it may apply to other states.  Our in state total cost of attendance is extremely high.  University of Pittsburgh estimated total cost is 33,5K.   My 2017 son is committed to a school down south and the out of state total cost is almost identical. 

Congrats - I wish him the best!

Dadofa17 posted:
Backstop22 posted:

This has been a great thread to show how each recruiting situation is different.  Yet, if I read through the stories correctly, some themes are similar:

*If the player is a D1 level talent, almost all are going to be finished recruiting before the start of Senior year with multiple options to weigh.  The November NLI is the formality and finality.

*Most players take around 3-5 campus visits before they make their decision. 

*Kids with multiple offers can expect at least one coach to condition the offer under a tight deadline with the implication if you don't take it by then they have another kid lined up to take it.

As I see it, for those of us with 2017's who do not have D1 offers by this point going into their senior year, they should be focusing on D2 and D3 options and attend showcases and camps with those schools in the hopes of making it on their lists to be considered.  And that means start planning out the Fall calendar for visits to these schools to see their campuses, meet the coaches, and see if there is mutual interest.  And of course given the exorbitant tuition at many of these D2/D3 schools, finding out what, if any. merit or other financial aid is available is critical to making that final decision of attending one of these schools or forgetting baseball entirely and going to an in-state public school.

I have to disagree.  My 2017 is still getting calls from D1 schools. He has three schools that want him to visit in August.  Now, his grades are not the best, so he did miss out on some early opportunities.  But saying if you don't have a D1 offer by now, look elsewhere may not be true in all cases.  I think if you have not received any attention from a D1 school, it may be time to look at D2 or D3, may be a better way to word this.  

Thanks and I hope that the August visits turn into offers for your son.  

That is an interesting story about the kids from Pittsburgh.  By that point, most kids will have already accepted their college and made plans to attend, so that has to be a rare exception where something that late will come in from a D1.  I suppose if a kid had decided to give up on baseball but a late offer like that came in, it would be worth a late switch.  But if they already planned to attend a D2/D3 as a recruited player, it would have be a big deal to make a change that late.

And I agree that the description should be "serious interest" by now instead of offers.  For Dadofa17, conversations with coaches would certainly indicate serious interest, so I hope one of those works out for him (keep us posted so we know there are still some D1 schools active with 2017's).  And my son is still getting lots of canned invitations to D1 camps. but those do not constitute serious interest IMHO.  In most of those cases, the schools have already filled up their 2017 recruiting class and would be looking for future class recruits and just adding 2017 kids to help raise the camp revenue for the coaches.  Better to accept reality and save the funds for visits to the D3's to see if there is any mutual interest there.

Still a novice here, but just eyeballing the PG commitment lists, many 2017 committing to D1 daily!  And if you look at overall numbers, here is what PG has (knowing many are not reported)

College Commitments
'16 (3,998) |  '17 (1,113) |  '18 (311) |  '19 (65)

So if 2017 class ends up with almost 4000 commitments too (and some not reported) then there are 2900 commitments TO GO STILL.

Ok maybe that is wishful thinking for my 2017, but it seems like there is 2017 activity at just about every school (including the powerhouses, despite having the classes "filled") still, some more than others, granted, but still nevertheless activity.

 

 

 

Twoboys posted:

Still a novice here, but just eyeballing the PG commitment lists, many 2017 committing to D1 daily!  And if you look at overall numbers, here is what PG has (knowing many are not reported)

College Commitments
'16 (3,998) |  '17 (1,113) |  '18 (311) |  '19 (65)

So if 2017 class ends up with almost 4000 commitments too (and some not reported) then there are 2900 commitments TO GO STILL.

Ok maybe that is wishful thinking for my 2017, but it seems like there is 2017 activity at just about every school (including the powerhouses, despite having the classes "filled") still, some more than others, granted, but still nevertheless activity.

 

 

 

Sometimes there's a late spot available because an expected returnee signs pro or a player flunks out. On the flip side some programs over recruit  because some recruits are expected to sign out of high school raher than show up on campus and they choose college. Now there are thirty-six players and someone gets a last minute "Sorry, you're left outside."

NTGson, LHP '16, committed to D1 school in late September of HS senior year.

He had four legitimate D1 offers, and a cherished offer from one of his original dream schools, a D3. His mother and I tried to stay an arms length away as he dealt with a large number of contacts from schools both on and not on his list of preferred schools. We know that he politely but firmly told each contacting coach that his was a very limited list and basically not to bother, including several schools which I would have loved to see him attend, including my own alma mater. In retrospect, we probably should have discussed each school in depth with him, but he has a specific career objective and made his decision on schools based on that plan.

He made unofficial visits to five schools. One official visit. His D3 offer came at the Long Island Showball showcase in July of his rising senior summer. He did not visit that school as he knew quite a bit about it.

His D1 choice was firm in requesting an answer within a time frame, and the D3's was also time-sensitive. I've never seen my son so stressed as he was during the time when he was trying to make a decision. When he did, and told us, it was as though a 500lb weight were lifted from his shoulders.

The entire process was more troubling to us as parents than to him. We are fortunate that he has stellar grades and test scores which would allow him to attend almost any school in the country. But baseball is important to him and his chosen school allows him to play D1 within a few hours of our home and to pursue the degree he wants and subsequent career.

Once he made his decision and committed, we saw him relax and let the stress of each appearance on the mound or at the plate during his senior year be totally game-related, not "recruiting" related.

He had a terrific HS senior year, won a bunch of games and honors, is at his chosen school for a summer session and can't wait for the fall. Neither can we.

 

If a player has enough talent and the right people see it, anything is possible.  All those stories about a college being done with a recruiting class bite the dust when someone displays enough talent.

Here is a very interesting story about a young guy that went undrafted out of high schoo and had zero college baseball offers.  Rare, yes, but it has happened more than one might think. 

https://www.baseballamerica.co...t/040526lambert.html

 

NotThatGuy posted:

NTGson, LHP '16, committed to D1 school in late September of HS senior year.

He had four legitimate D1 offers, and a cherished offer from one of his original dream schools, a D3. His mother and I tried to stay an arms length away as he dealt with a large number of contacts from schools both on and not on his list of preferred schools. We know that he politely but firmly told each contacting coach that his was a very limited list and basically not to bother, including several schools which I would have loved to see him attend, including my own alma mater. In retrospect, we probably should have discussed each school in depth with him, but he has a specific career objective and made his decision on schools based on that plan.

He made unofficial visits to five schools. One official visit. His D3 offer came at the Long Island Showball showcase in July of his rising senior summer. He did not visit that school as he knew quite a bit about it.

His D1 choice was firm in requesting an answer within a time frame, and the D3's was also time-sensitive. I've never seen my son so stressed as he was during the time when he was trying to make a decision. When he did, and told us, it was as though a 500lb weight were lifted from his shoulders.

The entire process was more troubling to us as parents than to him. We are fortunate that he has stellar grades and test scores which would allow him to attend almost any school in the country. But baseball is important to him and his chosen school allows him to play D1 within a few hours of our home and to pursue the degree he wants and subsequent career.

Once he made his decision and committed, we saw him relax and let the stress of each appearance on the mound or at the plate during his senior year be totally game-related, not "recruiting" related.

He had a terrific HS senior year, won a bunch of games and honors, is at his chosen school for a summer session and can't wait for the fall. Neither can we.

 

Good for him - I wish him the best in his academics and athletic endeavors. 

Twoboys posted:

Still a novice here, but just eyeballing the PG commitment lists, many 2017 committing to D1 daily!  And if you look at overall numbers, here is what PG has (knowing many are not reported)

College Commitments
'16 (3,998) |  '17 (1,113) |  '18 (311) |  '19 (65)

So if 2017 class ends up with almost 4000 commitments too (and some not reported) then there are 2900 commitments TO GO STILL.

Ok maybe that is wishful thinking for my 2017, but it seems like there is 2017 activity at just about every school (including the powerhouses, despite having the classes "filled") still, some more than others, granted, but still nevertheless activity.

 

 

 

Having been through this with my 2016 last summer I can say that there comes a time where you have to change gears and begin to focus on D3 schools.  You should go by what the schools are telling you (by not contacting or responding to your 2017) and not by what you are seeing on the PG recent commits page.  I don't think that's now - but starting in Aug you should have a pretty good idea of where is stands and you don't want to have him scrambling to find a D3 fit.  

I hope no one is basing their recruiting plan on the PG "recent commitment" page!  I mentioned it to show that there are quite a few 2017s out there, who will obviously be going to play baseball collegiately (about 3,000 of them), whether at D1, D2, D3 or JUCO level but haven't yet committed.

For us personally, the plan for 2017 has always been from the beginning a mix of high academic schools which includes both D1 and D3. First, he is all about the college/university as somewhere he wants to go, even without gasp baseball. We also don't see such clearcut lines in baseball where the D3 baseball is somehow always below D1. Since he has the grades and very very top scores to get in anywhere, he is trying to focus his efforts. So he has been in various "conversations" (mostly emails) with coaches of a mix of D1 and D3 schools. Interest, but no offers yet. 

 

I really enjoy reading these posts for those that have been through college baseball recruiting, those going through it, and those that will.  For those that will be going through it in the future, I think it is important to read others posts for guidance but understand you have to make your own path and make some really hard decisions.  In summary, my son played on a very high level travel team and this was the first phase or our recruiting efforts.  The travel team offered exposure and he was recruited/offered by mid-major D1s (July before Senior year)......but none of those schools offered his major.  So, he punted on those offers.  He knew he did not want to be a professional baseball player, but he wanted to play against very good competition.  So, we began the second phase of his recruiting efforts and focused on those schools with his major and competitive baseball (in that order). 

When did he commit? - He verbally committed early Sept of Senior year

How many offers did he have? - 5

How many schools did he visit? - 15 (approx.) unofficially and officially.

Did any coaches try to force a commitment before he was ready? - Yes.  Ultimatums were made.

Best/worse recruiting experience? - We had some great experiences and some not-so-great experiences at the time.  The not-so-great experiences we laugh about today.  One of the not-so-great experiences included an offer meeting where the Head Coach bad mouthed an entire conference (some of the schools were interested in son) because they played doubleheaders on weekends.  As it turned out, the weekend doubleheaders was more in line with what my son was looking for.  Another not-so-great experience included an Official Visit to a school where an off-campus baseball party (with underage recruits) got busted by the Police a couple hours after the OV started.   

Any regrets? - Regrets no, but we would have done things differently.  In other words, we did things the hard way but we eventually got to where he wanted to go.  Since my son was focused more on his major we would start there rather than pursuing baseball first.  We could have saved ourselves some time and angst.

Good luck!

fenwaysouth posted:

I really enjoy reading these posts for those that have been through college baseball recruiting, those going through it, and those that will.  For those that will be going through it in the future, I think it is important to read others posts for guidance but understand you have to make your own path and make some really hard decisions.  In summary, my son played on a very high level travel team and this was the first phase or our recruiting efforts.  The travel team offered exposure and he was recruited/offered by mid-major D1s (July before Senior year)......but none of those schools offered his major.  So, he punted on those offers.  He knew he did not want to be a professional baseball player, but he wanted to play against very good competition.  So, we began the second phase of his recruiting efforts and focused on those schools with his major and competitive baseball (in that order). 

When did he commit? - He verbally committed early Sept of Senior year

How many offers did he have? - 5

How many schools did he visit? - 15 (approx.) unofficially and officially.

Did any coaches try to force a commitment before he was ready? - Yes.  Ultimatums were made.

Best/worse recruiting experience? - We had some great experiences and some not-so-great experiences at the time.  The not-so-great experiences we laugh about today.  One of the not-so-great experiences included an offer meeting where the Head Coach bad mouthed an entire conference (some of the schools were interested in son) because they played doubleheaders on weekends.  As it turned out, the weekend doubleheaders was more in line with what my son was looking for.  Another not-so-great experience included an Official Visit to a school where an off-campus baseball party (with underage recruits) got busted by the Police a couple hours after the OV started.   

Any regrets? - Regrets no, but we would have done things differently.  In other words, we did things the hard way but we eventually got to where he wanted to go.  Since my son was focused more on his major we would start there rather than pursuing baseball first.  We could have saved ourselves some time and angst.

Good luck!

Thanks for sharing, Fenway!

Gotta ask - did he end up at the school that really knows how to throw an off-campus baseball party? LoL

fenwaysouth posted:

HSHULER,

Not exactly.  ;-) 

But one of the funniest parts of that OV party story is the Local Police Chief is the brother of the Asst D1 Baseball Coach.  I believe the Head Coach found out about the situation within nanoseconds.  Practice the next day was described as difficult for the team.

LoL - good stuff!

Add Reply

Post
.
×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×