Where and when, specifically, did coaches see your son play?

This could take a while for some of us.  I will post where he ended up but give other references.

He first saw him at PBR Underclass as a freshman.  Saw him twice that fall at PG stuff.  Summer of Sophomore year he saw him at two different WWBA events.  He pitched twice at each and he was there at all four times.  PC was hired in July and came and watched him pitch at 2 AM after rainout.  Stayed for entire game.  Flew to Oklahoma after offer to show that he was interested.  Saw him again at PBR underclass at end of summer.  Saw him multiple times the next summer and fall after he had committed.  No coach of any college ever came and watched him in high school. 

Most of the guys that came and watched my son was at PG events.  he played in multiple WWBA's every year.  We did most of the work sending them schedules and updates of when he was pitching.  He played a few tournaments in Midwest with KC Royals Scout TEam and normally it was just the colleges he was playing that were there.  Most of the coaches who saw him were WWBA, Jupiter or Team USA event.

Here is the info on the school where son landed:

Sophomore year: December Showball Ft. Myers, FL

          July:   HeadFirst, Long Island, NY

Junior Year:          December: Showball, Ft Myers, FL

          January: Infield Defensive Camp- Coach Specific in area of Univ.; son takes

          unofficial visit to school a few weeks later

               April: HS regular season away game

          May: HS conference playoff game (ironically at the University's ballfield)

          June: Showball Academic Northeast

          July: American Legion home DH against #1 team (2 D1 committed SP)

          (offer extended after 2nd game)

Summer after sophomore year my son played on a talented travel team with 7 kids who would eventually commit to D1.  There were about a half dozen regional schools who were consistently represented at the team's tournaments.   So the school that he committed to saw him early summer in New England, then mid summer in TN and PG in GA, then late summer at Diamond Nation in NJ.  He showed flashes in the earlier tournaments and there were a couple of casual conversations developing.  Had a great last tournament and the phone was buzzing late that Sunday night.  Had several offers in a couple of weeks.  Its worth mentioning that while we knew that the same coaches were around the team consistently, we had no idea that they were actually keeping tabs on him.  

One lesson learned for me: I think its critical to be on a team that has multiple prospects...much more efficient for coaches to scout multiple guys at once.

Iowa invited my son to a camp I think after his freshman year (he pitched varsity as a freshman). He got a note back — basically their standard "thanks for the $100. If we think you're any good we'll be in touch."

And then we heard nothing. But son's travel team did a camp once a year at Iowa, although I never really saw any Iowa coaches hanging around. But when son was a junior their recruiting coach came to a HS game. Then, their pitching coach. Then one night I ran into a baseball fan who said "did you know HC is sitting right behind home plate?"

I had had no clue. Later learned son had been texting their RC pretty regularly with updates. A few weeks later, we went to a PBR showcase being held on their campus and their PC stopped by and chatted, said they wanted him, but wanted him first to come to another camp during September of his senior year. I very much wanted to say no. Son pleaded, I paid, he went, they offered in the middle of the camp. It was truly a dream come true for son and, it turns out, for us too.

A couple of notes on this — we are in Iowa. It's a small state and baseball is a small world. Everybody knows everybody. I know some of the former players and coaches in our community have relationships with folks who coach at Iowa and my guess is there was some behind the scenes promoting going on that I will never know about for sure.

Second, son is a RHP which I hear over and over again on this site is a different animal than a position player (although son's HS teammate, who is a position player and attends the same school as son had pretty much the same experience he did).

Two points out of this. Someone's always watching so make sure you are always performing and behaving the way you want to be seen. And everyone's experience is different and unique.What happens here in Iowa and turned out well for us won't be the same experience you have in Florida or California or anywhere else (although there may sometimes be similarities).

Good luck — enjoy all the stops along the way.

(I am pretty sure) in our case son was first seen by another coach, in another conference, that pass on him to the school that offered.  Later on we would find that the coaches were friends and they eventually left their respective schools to coach together at "Big U" out of state.

That pass off was the best thing that could have happened to our son.  The first school, where his dad and older brother went,  watched son play half a dozen times during his high school sophomore season and early summer.   They came to his high school games as well as state tournament games, and two tournaments one of which was on their campus and the other WWBA in Georgia.  We couldn't reason why they didn't offer.  What we didn't know at the time was that their MIF was very full for years out.  Therefore...the pass off.  I can hear the phone conversation now:  "Hey Coach P, I have watched this guy for months now but I just don't have a scholarship spot for him.  Since you are in a different conference and we won't be playing each other...you really need to take a look at him."

Both coaches would leave (to coach together) before before son stepped foot on campus.  He remains friendly with the coach that offered to this day.  Son did play, and win, against the school that didn't offer. 

So, some coaches (and umpires!) are the initial eyes for other coaches.  It is a small, very small, baseball world.  

As Iowamom and other have said, someone is always watching.

Summer post soph year at SelectFest/NJ, PG/GA, PG/FL and TPX/OH. He was invited to a prospect camp on campus. Then he tore up his knee first weekend post junior summer before any offers. He was offered senior year on the word of his travel/hitting coach he was successfully rehabbed and his swing was even better than a year ago against the top high school pitchers (D1 commits).

This is specifically related to the school where he committed (and I am kind of guessing, but pretty sure this is all of the times they saw him)

Villanova camp summer of soph and junior year. Multi day camp with a lot of game time. Side note, one of the worst run camps ever. But, they were there!

PG WWBA GA Freshman-Junior year

PG Uderclass and Upperclass in Fort Myers

Junior summer his travel team had a showcase at their fields with about 15 schools.  Probably 10 D1, all from the Philadelphia tri-state area for the most part plus JMU. That was a big factor I think.  Son slayed it. Coaches that came had a relationship with the travel org owner so that helps with the personal recommendation from him to coaches.

Showball Freshman through Senior year. All in the Fall This past October was the one where the RC and HC were there and coached the "team" he played on.  Son played and performed extremely well and that was where they said "we need hitters, you're a hitter.  We will be in touch". And were. This is the first contact we had with them.  Son had sent emails for PG events and any showcase they would be at.  But, they never responded. 

They were not a Headfirst but we had a great experience there, mostly D! interest but every coach that came up to him at the event followed up after. Was refreshing.

One thing my son was very good at was approaching coaches at events and introducing himself or reconnecting so they had a clear picture in their mind of who he was.  He also emailed every single program that was a remote possibility that would attend the events ahead of time. This way, they could go back in their emails and see his bio easily. This is very helpful when they call coaches. It also gave my son the chance to ask the coaches where they were in the recruiting process and if they were still looking for outfielders. I think coaches are more honest when it's face to face. 

A final thought that goes back to one of my favorite threads here "Go where you are loved". The RC where he committed had to go to admissions and ask for one more spot for him to be able to take my son. They wanted him. It is a perfect fit, HA D!, 5000 students, has his major and for Mom and Dad, it's an hour and a half from home! Dreams do come true! 

Spring Freshman Year: A lower level D1 at a state championship game there to see two guys on the other team. 

Summer/Fall Post Fresh Year:

Local schools - at scrimmages his travel coach arranged, local PG tournaments, Diamond Nation, MSI, etc

National Schools - WWBA (Ga) (July), Ft. Meyers (Oct), Local Scrimmages with some more prominent teams within a 3 hr drive. 

Spring Soph: None 

Summer/Fall Post Soph: 

Local - same story 

National - WWBA (Ga) (a lot of camp offers after this event), personal invite camps, PG FL (most offers after this event). 

Spring Junior: None

Summer/Fall Post Junior: 

Local - none 

National - WWBA (Ga), Marucci (La), Tx (don't remember name), Ohio (Cincy Flames), PG World Series (Az), WWBA  Jupiter (FL), Nashville (Music City Classic?), team camps at colleges 

Ended with Jupiter. Committed to P5 during fall of Jr Year. The rest of the travel was done for draft purposes, but his uncommitted teammates did very well in terms of exposure at the post jr events. 

V-Tool tournaments in Houston, College Station, Dallas area, Lubbock.  WWBA's and PG World Series (the invite ones) and the Marucci World Series.

Started getting looks summer post freshman year.

Never did any showcases or college camps.

Verbally committed as a sophomore. Son visited the college he committed to the weekend before the NCAA rule changes. They offered while he was on his visit. He committed about 3/4 days after that. They kept watching him for the couple of years up to him signing his LOI last November. Written offer was the same as the verbal offer several years prior. Son has never wavered or had a doubt about his choice. 

RC/PC saw my 2020 RHP summer after junior year. Came out to see few of our teams pitchers. Son pitched the last 2 innings and actually got the loss on a walk off hit. Other team were all 2019s about to head to college. That was a Friday, he was on campus the following Tuesday, and got an offer. Before that son had some contact and sent video and rapsodo data.

Out of the schools my son had contact with, this one he had the least amount with and saw him the least.

VTool tournaments, Music City Classic, PG Jr National, WWBA, Area Code Tryouts, Vanderbilt camp, LSU camp, PBR Futures Games were all places where coaches saw my son and reached out or had already made contact and saw him again.  He got offers directly at VTool, Music City and Futures Games.  The school he committed to saw him at WWBA (BAD outing), Area Code Tryouts and PBR Futures. All of these were between the start of sophomore year and the summer after sophomore year.  He committed the end of that summer, and signed his NLI a few months ago.

I’m not sure. We played several PG events at Lakepoint and LeCroy was in the Atlanta area often. The game he was offered from was at his HS field at a PG event game after he had recommitted earlier that week. My wife and I were in Myrtle Beach and he was 17 playing up on and 18 U team and almost threw a no hitter and struck out 15 or 16 kids in front of about 8 college RCs. I think it was a complete game. I recall a bird dog calling me about Miss State and Coach Minge wanting to lock Him up and get him to Starkvegas.  Crazy times!!! 

I’m gonna throw a little D2-D3 flavor into this thread.

HC (D3) was at a tournament scouting CF on 2020 sons travel team this past summer. Son pitched an inning of relief, HC wrote his name down. Never said a word to anyone. Three weeks later, HC was back scouting CF, son was pitching. He was matched up against an absolute stud who had committed to an SEC school. Son was unhitable, everything was working that day. Ended up losing 4-2 after a 45 min rain delay in the 7th. Son left game after six with 2-0 lead. Kid on other team hit a bomb for a grand slam to win it. HC made more notes about son, still never said a word to anyone. One month later at a PBR event , son was pitching and was dealing. HC was present, more notes taken and again didn’t say anything to anyone. Two days later son gets an email from the PC that the HC had been following him and was interested in speaking with him. School wasn’t even on sons radar. We decided to visit and were blown away when we did. Son came away from visit with an offer that was clear they wanted him. Two months later, son committed. By this time, son had three solid D3 offers, one from a top D3 program, a very good OAC school and a lower D3 that he really liked. He also had legitimate interest from two D2 programs, one local who had been following him since his freshmen year and one out of state. 

So, I think my son's data points are very misleading.   My son was offered by multiple D1 schools that had seen him play more...a lot more at local, regional and national events.   His eventual school/coach appealed to his desire to study engineering.   It worked.

1) PG WWBA in East Cobb, GA

2) HeadFirst outside Richmond, Virginia

3) On-campus prospect camp (8 hours away) where he was offered.  

The RC had seen him at the first two, and HC/RC at the on-campus prospect camp.

My 2015 was identified at PG WWBA by 2 D1.  He then did a list of 5 schools he would like to attend based on their academics and baseball.  Next reached out to each HC/RC by sending a 2 min video and letting them know he would be attend the on campus prospect camps.  He then received verbal offers from 2 of the 5 he attended.  In addition he did a Headfirst in NY and had 3 (D1 & D3) additional verbal offers where he ultimately accepted a high academic D1.

I am a big proponent of searching for the right programs that fit the player's realistic academic and baseball skill set and reaching out to them rather than just waiting.

Worked for my 2015!

Interesting note:  My son had one P5 that the HC or RC or PC came to 12 events after he committed to where he is now which was not them.  They would come watch entire games, make notes, take video, radar him, talk to him and coaches.   I first thought well they are watching the entire team and he is just one of the ones they are watching.  But they would specifically talk to him, myself or my parents who they met early on who were at a lot of my son's tournaments.  The RC would go talk to them almost every weekend and ask how they had been and how my son was doing in life.  They never made an offer but told the coach they would if he de-committed. 

I just could not understand investing that much time, money, and energy into a kid that you would not make an offer to because of a gentleman's agreement.  I was also on the other side impressed that a gentleman's agreement between schools was that binding that they would not make an offer because they do not offer kids who are committed to the other school.  They watched him up to the weekend before he signed the NLI.  I will say that they kept talking to him after NLI was signed and congratulated him on several awards he won his senior year.  I reckon at that point they built a relationship with us and knew us that well after 1 1/2 years or were sitting as a backup in case something ever happened.  I'm giving the benefit of the doubt that they are just good guys. 

Another side note:  My son told the RC that they needed to closely look at another pitcher and one of his friends who played outfield.  Both of those guys got preferred walk-on slots with the P5 and made the roster this fall. 

University son committed to saw him on 3 separate ocassions. 

Early HS junior year:

1.Academic camp - introduced himself to assistant coach who gave son very positive feedback on his hitting.

2. Travel Team camp - a second assistant saw him...son hit very well.

Fast Forward 7 months later..... Summer prior to HS Senior year:

3. Area Code Tryouts: Head coach was in attendance. Son did very well...invited to visit school the following week and scholarship offer was presented.   

It should be noted that after the above mentioned area code tryout, son received 3 other offers. These all came from schools that had only seen him on video prior to Area Code.  

Good Luck!

WCP

My son's freshman year of high school without him knowing about it a travel team coach that my son did not play with told RC of D1 school in our city about my son. Since we are just across town and he needed to see a player on the other team son was playing that day he saw my son play and kept tabs on him through HS season.

He saw him again during summer between F and S at a BBNW event.

That RC became AC at another school.

Summer between S and J he saw him a PW tournament (north vs south I believe) then Area Code tryout (indoor and outdoor), then Phil Singer with the HC and they started dialog with him at the Singer once they saw transcript they offered and arranged visit as soon at recruiting window official opened for Juniors.

I want to thank everyone who shared their experience in this thread.  It has been very enlightening in regards to both the types of events as well as the timing.