Are any of you familiar with the baseball recruiting process ?

[HeavenUniv.]

I have a nephew who loves baseball.plays on multiple teams, and just finished his freshman year in high school. He plays about 75-80% catcher and the rest outfield and second base,with a rare appearance as a pitcher. I don't have any idea what level he could play,if any,in college. If he decides he wants to try to play in college,what is the process ? Is it different than football and basketball ? Do colleges have to contact him or is it permissible by NCAA rules to contact college coaches ? At what point in high school does all of this begin ? Thank you for any information.

 

[Tango Two]

I have a nephew who loves baseball.plays on multiple teams, and just finished his freshman year in high school. He plays about 75-80% catcher and the rest outfield and second base,with a rare appearance as a pitcher. I don't have any idea what level he could play,if any,in college. If he decides he wants to try to play in college,what is the process ? Is it different than football and basketball ? Do colleges have to contact him or is it permissible by NCAA rules to contact college coaches ? At what point in high school does all of this begin ? Thank you for any information.

 

[RUboston]

I'm going through the process right now with my son. He just finished his sophomore year and made all league. He also plays on a summer travel team. We were down in Diamond Nation in June and again in late July. He had a good showing, hitting two home runs, stealing some bases, making some nice plays in the outfield. A lot of college scouts watch those games. Some scouts came right to the dugout between innings to talk to the coach about my son and a couple of other kids. Other coaches called the coach and left their numbers asking my son to call them. My son has called some schools back and been invited to their camps and to take visits. We had our first visit last week and he received his first offer from a Patriot League school. We're visiting an ACC school next week and his summer coach feels he may receive another offer.

I'm no expert and am just learning the process, but this is what i understand at this point. Your nephew can initiate contact with college coaches via email and telephone, send them video, express interest in the school, talk about his baseball accomplishments. They cannot call him or email him directly, other than a generic invitation to a camp. That all ends on September 1 of his junior year. At that time the college coaches can contact him directly.

So the important people at this point in your nephew's search are his HS coach and his summer coach. Colleges must go through them and ask them to have your nephew contact them. They also ask info about your nephew's talent. Your nephew can also make contact on his own but the college coaches prefer to talk to one of his coaches.

My suggestion would be for your nephew to send some video out to some schools he's interested in with some info about himself - height, weight, position, HS, summer team, coaches names and contact info. That way he can get on their radar early.

 

[RUboston]

Also, schools are different. Schools like Vanderbilt, Virginia, North Carolina, perennial top 25 teams, get to kids early. They've already recruited kids who were sophomores (Class of 2017) and even some freshmen - the kids they feel are sure things/baseball prodigies. They often over-recruit also, since some of the kids they recruit will be round 1-4 draft picks in MLB and will opt to play pro ball. Div. II and III schools that don't emphasize sports as much will recruit kids in their junior and senior years and make offers then. It is the mid-level Div. I schools (Patriot League, Atlantic 10 as opposed to SEC and ACC schools) which will be a little more aggressive early on for a kid they really like who may not be Vandy type level. They make make an offer and give a kid a week or two to accept. If it's a no, then they move on to the next kid at that position.

We know a kid who was offered at BC following his sophomore year but he declined, hoping to go Ivy league. He is now entering his senior year and his grades/test scores aren't good enough for the Ivy league schools he was interested in. He went back to BC hat in hand but they had moved on.

 

[HeavenUniv.]

RUboston,
Thank you for your insights. He is playing for a travel Fall team that is affiliated with a minor league baseball team so I am hoping that may help with connections.

 

[Abro1975]

Reality Check :
11.7 is the maximum number of scholarships that NCAA Division 1 baseball teams can give to its players. That’s not per year, that’s per team for all players. Most D1 teams carry more pitchers than the number of scholarships they can award. To make the money go further, many coaches award partial scholarships. Depending on the school, this can still leave you on the hook for a hefty chunk of the tuition bill. So if you’re investing money in lessons and select/travel ball in the hopes of a full college baseball scholarship, then you’re making a poor investment decision. It’s simply a matter of numbers. The following table is for the NCAA based on data from the Office of Post secondary Education for 2010. Given some schools’ reclassification and missing data from others, these aren’t exact numbers but still give you an idea of the odds.

https://new.berecruited.com/athlete...7-reality-check-college-baseball-scholarships

 

[RUboston]

My son was just offered a half tuition baseball scholarship at a Patriot League school. We were told that once you get athletic money you cannot get financial aid money. However, there is academic money available if the grades and/or test scores are there. The athletic department will work with and promote the prospective student athlete with the academic office if the grades are there to get some academic money. Our hope is with a baseball scholarship plus some academic money, the education would be affordable.

Academic scholarships are more numerous and lucrative than sports scholarships in any event.

So, tell your nephew it is academics first, baseball second! Then, he may be able to benefit from both.

 

[BaseballFan913]

I know the process very well. It is obviously important for him to latch on to a summer ball team. Baseball U, Bob Parks of America, Gallagher and the Diamond Nation team are good ones for exposure. You want to join a team that does the major tourneys at Diamond Nation, East Cobb and Jupiter. Every coach in America is there. They will contact you if they like you, but you can always send a tape or fill out a form from the teams website.

Also, Selectfest is a MUST.

 

[RUboston]

What is Selectfest and where and when?

 

[BaseballFan913]

June at Diamond Nation and Rutgers. You have to apply and have referrals.

 

[HeavenUniv.]

Abro,I knew about the 11.7 .Believe me,big money is not being spent. I know of one kid who was on a travel team here in New Jersey when he was in 7th grade. On weekends,the team would go to Maryland,Virginia,South Carolina,even Nebraska--sounded crazy to me.Spending thousands on hotels,food,etc. for a 7th grader on the hopes that he MIGHT get a college offer. My nephew has pretty good grades--almost always on honor roll and I think once on high honor roll. I hope he can play baseball in college,not because of the schollie,but because he LOVES to play baseball--can't get enough of it.--For those interested,here is the Selectfest website (had 100 colleges represented at Rutgers this Summer)--http://www.selectfestbaseball.org/

 

[zappaa]

Whatever happened to playing 15 Anerican Legion games, and going to the shore for the summer, then getting ready for football Aug 1st.
I have to admit, I did juggle the Bergen and Essex County leagues my junior summer,
playing with men helped me a lot.
I was told I was going to be a 1st round pick in the MLB draft before football started my senior year. Never gave a seconds thought to not playing football and hockey my senior year, even with the draft pick info!

 

[BaseballFan913]

American Legion baseball stinks! The big boys are playing travel tourneys.

 

[RUboston]

My son just had his first visit yesterday at an Ivy League school. They do not offer baseball or any athletic scholarships. However, athletic ability in a sport can help you gain admittance where grades/test scores alone would not do it. The student still needs good grades and test scores but consideration is given to the athletic ability of the student.

The Ivy League provides a bit of a break for student athletes when it comes to grades/test scores. The schools truly value academics over athletics but recognize that they compete in Division I and afford some consideration to athletic accomplishments. They operate under what is known as the "academic index". The recruited athletes in a particular class must meet a certain grade point average and test scores, which are fairly high. That ensures that one school won't recruit an amazing football player with a C plus average and poor test scores.

The school we visited told us they have 7 openings for baseball players in the HS graduating class of 2017. If a kid is the no. 1 need for the team (Say a catcher or left handed pitcher) and the no. 1 recruit on their list of 7, he may be able to get in with a 3.4 GPA and good but not outstanding test scores. If the kid is the no. 6 or 7 recruit on the list of 7, he needs a 3.8-4.0 and outstanding test scores to gain admission.

Each Ivy League school has to show the other schools that, for example, its incoming baseball recruiting class has an average GPA of 3.75 and average SAT scores of 2000.

 

[zappaa]

American Legion baseball stinks! The big boys are playing travel tourneys.

I'm sure it does comparatively.
All I was doing was pointing out how different things are from my days. I still believe if you're dominant during your high school games, and show you can run and throw if you're a position player, they'll find you

 

[RUboston]

In my day (late 70's/early 80's), it was HS baseball then American Legion. That was it. There may have been travel baseball then but I was not aware of it and nobody I knew played it. I think there is a problem today with kids focusing on one sport year round. I think playing multiple sports is better for the kids. My son plays football in the fall, runs track in the winter, and plays baseball in the spring and summer. Baseball season ended two weeks ago. We've gone out a few times the past two weeks to get some batting practice and I'll hit him some grounders and flies, but he's ready to shut it down and focus on football. He probably won't pick up a bat until after the new year.

One thing he does year round is conditioning. He's always sprinting/running and going to the gym.

 

[Abro1975]

In John Smoltz's HOF acceptance speech, he agreed with you 100 %:

"That you have time, that baseball is not a year-round sport. That you have an opportunity to be athletic and play other sports. Don’t let the institutions that are out there running before you guaranteeing scholarship dollars and signing bonuses that this is the way….

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/07/joh...ohn-surgery-in-hall-of-fame-acceptance-speech

In my day (late 70's/early 80's), it was HS baseball then American Legion. That was it. There may have been travel baseball then but I was not aware of it and nobody I knew played it. I think there is a problem today with kids focusing on one sport year round. I think playing multiple sports is better for the kids. My son plays football in the fall, runs track in the winter, and plays baseball in the spring and summer. Baseball season ended two weeks ago. We've gone out a few times the past two weeks to get some batting practice and I'll hit him some grounders and flies, but he's ready to shut it down and focus on football. He probably won't pick up a bat until after the new year.

One thing he does year round is conditioning. He's always sprinting/running and going to the gym.

 

[zappaa]

In my day (late 70's/early 80's), it was HS baseball then American Legion. That was it. There may have been travel baseball then but I was not aware of it and nobody I knew played it. I think there is a problem today with kids focusing on one sport year round. I think playing multiple sports is better for the kids. My son plays football in the fall, runs track in the winter, and plays baseball in the spring and summer. Baseball season ended two weeks ago. We've gone out a few times the past two weeks to get some batting practice and I'll hit him some grounders and flies, but he's ready to shut it down and focus on football. He probably won't pick up a bat until after the new year.

One thing he does year round is conditioning. He's always sprinting/running and going to the gym.

County league baseball was very prevalent in your era.
Never considered not playing three sports

 

[HeavenUniv.]

Zappaa,
I have seen interview after interview with college coaches of various sports and they are almost unanimous is saying that generally they prefer kids who played multiple sports growing up. Too many kids are burned out physically and mentally playing one sport 10-12 months a year. The worst sports for this seem to be soccer and hockey. I know one kid who plays hockey about 50 weeks a year--wayyyy too much as far as I am concerned. As for soccer,they now have Spring soccer,Summer soccer,Fall soccer and indoor soccer for the Winter.

 

[zappaa]

We had a question and answer session a few years back at our museum involving my dad and I and a theater full kids, pre high school.
One kid proudly said he played close to 75 games between May and the end of July, he then asked Mr. Berra, what should I do in August to get better and be ready for fall baseball?
My dad's answer was,"what are you around 11 or 12…go to the Jersey Shore and ride waves for a month then come back in the fall and play soccer or football, playing those other sports, using other muscles and working on your balance and athleticism will be the best thing you can do"

That opened a Pandora's box of coaches threatening kids there spot will be taken by someone else and they'll be passed up if they dare play another sport.

 

[RUboston]

That's a shame, and those guys should not be coaching youth sports. My son is looking forward to taking a baseball break and putting the pads on. Nothing like the change from summer to fall, and baseball season to football season.

 

[zappaa]

That's a shame, and those guys should not be coaching youth sports. My son is looking forward to taking a baseball break and putting the pads on. Nothing like the change from summer to fall, and baseball season to football season.

Can't say it any better, I was a blast going from football, to hockey to baseball.

 

[RUboston]

I was out walking the dog tonight and youth football practice has already started in town. The grass and air smelled like football, just how I remember it.