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Wooden Bat Summer Leagues

J jbbaseball500+ posts
Now that son is in college, question for the vets out there.......

I know there are a number of factors that go into whether/where a college player ends up playing summer ball.

But, when are players typically given assignments/placed?

I have heard (second hand) that quite a few rosters are set up over the winter, early in the new year (i.e. assignments are made BEFORE the Spring season starts). Is this true/typical? Is it generally the same for upperclassmen vs. freshman college players?

THANKS!!!!
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J JT1,000+ posts
Here is a chance for your son to step up...and go talk to the coach about where he would like to play. Tell him to do it NOW, for as Homerun04 stated...rosters are filling up "as we speak."

Different schools have different league contacts. If your son is in VA...the schools will most likely have Valley League or Coastal Plains League contacts, as well as the Cal Ripken, Sr league...all very good leagues.
H Homerun041,000+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by momandcpa:
OK... great place for me to ask a question.

Son is currently starting his 2nd year at a JUCO. Played this past summer in one of wood bat collegiate leagues. Did well. Looking like he will early sign this fall and continue playing baseball <fingers crossed, prayers in process>.

Who will be responsible for placing him for next summer? Would it be inappropriate for him to ask the coaches he is talking to about this question?


If he is going to sign with a school, I don't see any problems asking them to help finding a place for him to play in the summer before he arrives.
infielddadinfielddad10,000+ posts
jbbaseball,
While it is true that many, many Summer league rosters are being filled, or will be nearly complete by December, those rosters are subject to considerable attrition during the Spring.
Grades has played, and with the new NCAA rules will likely play an even greater role.
Injury plays a role.
Personal issues, family issues and baseball/school matters all play a role.
Even if your son is not placed before December, if your son is a good collegiate player and his coaches work hard and have a record of success, they will get him placed.
In 2003, our son did not get placed until May. His coach got him a spot in Newport, RI after many months of tenacious effort to get him into the Cape.
Newport turned out to be one of the great, great experiences of his baseball life. Wonderful ownership, great community support, and terrific exposure. His spot, and others, came open when grades, injury and attrition impacted a roster they had set the prior November.
While it is nice to be have placement early, it is by no means a necessity, even with the best summer league teams.
AcademyDadAcademyDad500+ posts
.

All great advice. The one thing that underlies all of the above postings, but no one actually said it, is "Sense of Urgency". I attempt to impress upon both of my sons in everything they do, that a sense of urgency only works in your favor, if it is employed. I find that young men and women today (probably the same a thousand years ago when we were their age) seem to wait for things to come to them. My experience in life has always been... go out and ask for the order! If you wait, particularly in this instance, factors determining the outcome, may be as a result of issues having nothing to do with whether you deserved a roster spot or not...

"Ask me how I got to be the World's Greatest Polish Joke Teller........



Timing......."


cadDAD

.
H Homerun041,000+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by threestrikesyourout:
My son is a freshman and was just told he would be going to the northwoods leauge. Dont know much about it other than what I read on the web. Is this a good place for a freshman to play. Any info


I don't know, does your son like long bus rides some time very late at night, sleeping in hotels and host families homes, coming in late at night after a game, hanging out with his team mates after a victory, playing in front of thousands of screeming fans, if not that is not the place to be!
T threestrikesyourout10+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by Homerun04:
quote:
Originally posted by threestrikesyourout:
My son is a freshman and was just told he would be going to the northwoods leauge. Dont know much about it other than what I read on the web. Is this a good place for a freshman to play. Any info


I don't know, does your son like long bus rides some time very late at night, sleeping in hotels and host families homes, coming in late at night after a game, hanging out with his team mates after a victory, playing in front of thousands of screeming fans, if not that is not the place to be!
T threestrikesyourout10+ posts
Homerun04 I should of been more specific I am asking about playing time I have heard stories about that leauge over using pitchers. My son is a two way player in college so that is what they said we will find that out in the spring.I am sure he will not pitch much his freshmen year in college.So the pitching time will be good in the summer.I guess you dont receive much training because of the amount of games. But I sure he will enjoy the fans and teammates .Do I need to leave him a car? Thanks for your help
ConsultantConsultant10,000+ posts
Northwoods League;

Dick Radatz Jr. is the League President.

In the 1st year of the College Summer League;
Dick Radatz Sr; Ron Perranoski and Bob Gibson
were pitchers. Can you imagine batting against these three future MLB pitchers. This was the Basin League in South Dakota. "The best preparation for the future".

"My suggestion is be prepared, to learn survival
and to adjust". Do not worry about a car, playing time or where you will live. Play games using wood bats 30-60 days before joining your team.

"Play ball and Learn the Game"
Bob Williams
TPMTPMHSBaseballweb Member since 2003
I can't beleive that it's only september and some are worried that son hasn't a summer assignment as yet especially freshman. So I am in agreement with infielddad.
The focus first should be on your college season.
Many freshman do not get assignments unless the coach is very familiar with what you can do. My son was the only freshman who got an assignment in the fall, mainly because the coach had been watching him play for a year and how he did against wood. But he ended up not going due to work load.
The coach will determine who should go where and why. Mostly, freshman who have not played much and show potential to play will be assigned. Those going into their draft year are priority for most coaches. If your grades haven't been up to par, you don't get the opportunity, you might be asked to attend summer school.
As far as over using pitchers, most come with a set of instructions, and there is a balance between what they did that season. My son only put in 30 innings in summer as he had a big load that prior season.
Some coaches get spots every year for their players, so they take their time in determining who will go and who won't.
Chill out folks, all good things come in due time.
I iheartbb1,000+ posts
My son was assigned to a league in the early fall as a freshman by his assistant coach at the time.
The coach left later in the fall, and his replacement pulled him from where he was headed and sent him to different league all together.
You never know what can happen.
I agree with TPM though, the players need to focus and prepare for the season, not worry about what is going to happen next summer.
G getoverthere10+ posts
J. Weaver #5, since you're from Illinois you might want to look at the Central Illinois Collegete League, ciclbaseball.com. My son played in three leagues in three years, Northwoods, Coastal Plain, and Valley. His college coach had him placed by early Oct. These teams sign 30+ for 22-24 spots knowing that grades, injuries, draft, etc will get some. Good luck!
J J.Weaver #5100+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by getoverthere:
J. Weaver #5, since you're from Illinois you might want to look at the Central Illinois Collegete League, ciclbaseball.com. My son played in three leagues in three years, Northwoods, Coastal Plain, and Valley. His college coach had him placed by early Oct. These teams sign 30+ for 22-24 spots knowing that grades, injuries, draft, etc will get some. Good luck!

Well, my coach is trying to get me onto a Northwoods team, if possible and I just wanted to know the liklihood of that happenening. I sent out emails to teams in the CPL and Great Lakes League and have gotten responses from there, but of course the Northwoods is number one on my list.

I was a 17th round pick out of high school this past year and a RHP that throws 87-92, if that is information that helps you.
Last edited by J.Weaver #5
FirstTimerFirstTimer10+ posts
My son played for the Duluth Huskies in the Northwoods League last summer as a freshman and we are from Illinois. Yes, there are lots of long bus rides and late nights. The bus they traveled on was nice and if it was a long trip they rented a sleeper bus. There was a lot of excitement though and lots of fans. College baseball might seem like a let down after what he experienced there. He had a great host family, so that wasn't an issue. We had him take a car. This host family took on 2 boys, the other was from California and thankful my son had a car. There is so much to do in Duluth so that was nice.

Not that he had a lot of time, but that's where we ended up taking our family vacation and Duluth is a lot more touristy than a lot of the towns he played at.

It was a lot of fun to be able to listen to his games on the internet. Always a lot going on at the stadium kind of like the minor league games.

The Huskies coach is from Missouri - you should get in contact with him now and let him know you are interested. My son isn't a pitcher - so I don't know about playing times, I can tell you we went through a lot of pitchers though since you only have about 5 days off the whole summer.
TPMTPMHSBaseballweb Member since 2003
On the flip side, some players coming from larger programs enjoy the intimacy of smaller crowds for the summer. That is one of the things son enjoyed playing on his summer team.
The whole object is to get playing time you may not get at school, more at bats and more innings only improves your game.
FirstTimerFirstTimer10+ posts
baseballregie, we got to see my sons team play in Mankato - what a fun game that was. My son was picked the Coca-Cola strike out man for that game. When everyone started cheering for him to strikeout - I wanted to say "stop that - that's my son!" HAHAHA!!! Fortunately he didn't strike out, but we had a good time at that game, they did lots of fun stuff with the crowd. Where does your son play now?
B baseballregie100+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by FirstTimer:
baseballregie, we got to see my sons team play in Mankato - what a fun game that was. My son was picked the Coca-Cola strike out man for that game. When everyone started cheering for him to strikeout - I wanted to say "stop that - that's my son!" HAHAHA!!! Fortunately he didn't strike out, but we had a good time at that game, they did lots of fun stuff with the crowd. Where does your son play now?


He just finished his senior year at Coastal Carolina. Sorry it took so long.
K kbsbll3010+ posts
Also a reminder, the northwoods league, if you're a pitcher get ready for another 60-80 innings on top of the innings you have at your school. A lot of innings for a year to head back for fall ball. I only had four days till i left for back for school after summer ball, so you may wanna keep 10 day contracts in mind an renew it a couple of times.
B baseballmomtwo10+ posts
My son is a freshman in a small D1 school, so I have some more questions about the summer leagues.

1. Does the coach always recommend this or does the player try to find a spot?

2. When should this be happening?
3. Are contracts signed?
4. He is on the east coast, but we live in Texas, is there a possibility of him coming back to Texas?
5. How do you find out about the team, coaches etc?
6. How many students do they usually carry on these teams?
NaturalNatural500+ posts
bballmom2...

1.Many, but not all, freshmen are "assigned" to play in a summer league by their coach. It depends on the school and the coaches normal practice and his relationships with summer league teams. If this does not happen for your son, he will have to come home and find a place to play. He should ask the coach what, if anything, he has in mind.

2. Assignments are usually made in the fall, but there are always openings in the spring and right up until and into the summer.

3. Yes, contracts are signed.

4. If he comes home he could be invited to play in the Texas Collegiate League. Or he might want to find a team to play in the DABA in Dallas.

5. Websites provide lots of information. Just Google "Texas Collegiate League" or "Dallas Amateur Baseball Association" or Collegiate Summer Leagues in general.

6. Most collegiate summer teams carry rosters of 25 - 30 players, half of which are pitchers since they play 45-50 games in two months.

Hope this helps!
Hoovmom15Hoovmom15100+ posts
During freshman year at a JUCO my son repeatedly asked coach about playing somewhere in the summer and the coach basically ignored him. During one of his spring games he was seen by a coach from another school that talked to him at length after the game. Son expressed desire to play on a summer team and it's this other coach that hooked him up in the Coastal Plains league. Had a really good summer and learned alot.

During Sophmore year was recruited by D1 school and it was this coach that got him into the Cape league for the summer. Greatest summer of his life so far.

In both cases he did not know where he was going to play for the summer until May.
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