When do most players get offers and commit?

quote:

Originally posted by Three Bagger:
As Midlo Dad stated, there will still be plenty of signings in the early (Nov) signing period and later. It's not a race to be the first to sign. Use your Junior high school season and the summer between Junior and Senior year to really show what you've got. If your're high on the school's lists you'll then start hearing from coaches after July 1st. Even if you don't hear from any or many at that time, don't despair--keep working and getting seen. Just be ready when opportunity knocks and leave it all on the field during every game, showcase, or tryout.

quote:

Originally posted by Leftysidearmom:
And don't forget that unexpected openings on the roster happen all the time, not just for draft reasons and even at D1's. Finances, grades, family, girlfriends, drugs...there are many reasons openings happen unexpectedly. If you really believe in yourself, be that player that is ready to take one of those spots. It happens even as late as after you graduate. I know because that is what happened to my son.

Resurrecting this old thread because well....things have changed since 2011, now we have 8th graders committing *rolling my eyes*

But, it is a valid idea...please share the story of when/where your kid was first approached. Was it at a PG event, was it at a camp, was it at his high school????  Was it in 12th grade/11th grade/prior to? When did they finally commit to a school?

CaCO3Girl,

The summer after my son's Junior year he was approached at a Perfect Game event by an ML scout who was friends with the coach of the school he eventually signed with. The scout called the coach and told him he had to sign this kid even if it was sight unseen. The coach got in touch with us and invited my son for an official visit. We did send a video but at the visit when I asked the coach if he needed to see him workout, he said no he was going to give him a good offer without seeing him workout. He then signed in the November early signing period with this DII even though he had lower level and middle level DI offers and interest. He went on to have a great career at the school.

Coaches had seen my son play at various showcase tournaments and then again at a few camps.  He had coaches coming to see him in March/April of his Junior year.  He made a verbal commitment in May and just signed his NLI last week.

Son started to garner attention fall of his sophomore year. Couple of camps during December of his sophomore year and he received more attention.

After this summer he visited a couple of schools and was offered and committed week before Junior year started.

Son started getting attention summer after his freshman year. Played in many PG events throughout the fall and then into the summer and fall of Junior year. Committed fall of Junior year.

DI Pitching coach first saw son at a college team camp and again at a PG tournament summer after Freshman year.  He came to HS game the following Spring, head coach saw son pitch soon after, and offer was made on campus at the end of son's Sophomore season. Son then spent the summer making sure the school was the best fit for him and accepted the offer at the end of summer just before starting his Junior year. 

My son committed to a D2 JuCo towards the end of his senior season.  The coach signed him the night of the district championship game (yes, they won).  We had visited the campus a few weeks prior.

The day after I moved him home from the JuCo (after 2 good seasons), he received a text from an assistant coach at a D2 university stating they were really interested in him.  The following weekend we went to visit and about a week later he committed. Signed the NLI shortly after that.

Son a 2015, was approached by recruiting coach after PG event this past June. He committed around mid August. He just signed the NLI to play D1 baseball a week ago.

Beginning in the summer after his Sophomore year my 2015 received several offers after attending camps or tournaments on college campuses, and a couple from coaches who saw him at PG tournaments.  He ultimately committed in the Fall of his Junior year to one of the schools whose camps he attended.

I'm tempted to answer the question in the title of this thread simply by reminding everyone that most players never get to commit to anywhere at all, ever.

In some circles it may seem otherwise.  In our area, for example, we had a Virginia 6A team last year that would put a 10-man lineup out there (9 + DH) with all 10 being D1 commits already.  Mind boggling really.

But that's the exception and not the rule.  On any given HS team, the majority of players will not move on to college ball in any form.

For those who do, it continues to be true that the trend towards earlier and earlier recruiting and even commitments, at least for those players perceived as the top of each class, has continued over the past 4 years.  But stories about 8th graders still rate as "man bites dog," that is, they don't represent anything remotely close to the standard practice.

The OP was from a player then in the winter of his junior year.  While today, many players at that stage are indeed committed already, it remains the case that most of the D1 slots remain open at this stage.  Even more so at D2, D3, JuCo and NAIA.  So the message remains, don't panic, stick with the process and do all you can to perform at your best on the field, in the classroom and in your personal conduct.