I was talking with another poster the other day who's son is at a great school. It struck me that players end up at such a variety of places - many times the school was never on "the list".

It would be interesting as well as helpful for those in the recruiting process to hear how your son ended up at the college he's attending. Don't have to be from KY/PA/OH to share!!! We're a friendly bunch!

Since my son is going to school in Ohio, here you go...

During his junior year in high school, the freshman baseball coach was a Wittenberg grad. He talked the school up among the ball players and my son was definitely interested. We had never heard of Wittenberg, so we looked them up and saw that they played in the same conference as several schools we were aware of, namely, Kenyon, Oberlin, Dennison and Wooster. We sent informational packets to Kenyon, Wittenberg and Denison and received information back from each. Kenyon showed the most interest. When it came time to visit schools, Greg wanted to visit Wittenberg and Kenyon, but not Denison. I'm still not exactly sure why not.

In any event, we went to Wittenberg and it was ok. Almost the entire roster was from Ohio so that sent up a huge red flag. Interestingly, Greg's Legion coach the next summer was a Wittenberg grad and indicated that our sense was right on.

Next we went to Kenyon. We weren't on campus more than a minute and Greg said "I'm not going here." But, a very pretty senior interviewer and a good talk with Coach Burdette changed Kenyon from a no choice to a top choice. We left a video with Coach Burdette and he called the next week to indicate that he was interested in Greg as well. He went back for an overnight with the baseball team and really liked both the school and the team. Ultimately he decided between Brandeis and Kenyon and chose Kenyon.

Holden, That's a great story. It reminds me of on ongoing thread in another forum about keeping your mind open to options. I know when we started our journey over a year ago, the schools my son ended up serious about weren't even on his list. IMO, there's just no way to know if he'll be happy somewhere until you investigate, visit, meet the folks there, etc. Hope your son has a great school and baseball year!

Almost all of the schools that called my son did so from "referrals" from local people - scout, retired coach, another guy that has a lot of baseball contacts from here. A few from a local showcase at a lower level DI school. Where he finally ended up came because of a referral by another recruit's parents. The lesson in our story is you never know who's watching!

Great question Lafmom! I'll be interested to read the stories that appear. I'll add ours:

My son's school had always been on the "radar" for him....but he was actually looking more seriously at another school down in Virginia. Being a PSU grad...and my husband being a PSU grad...and most every family member being PSU grads (my son actually came home from the hospital in a PSU t-shirt), I really had hoped he would branch out. I was also very hesitant due to the size of the school. My kids grew up with weekend PSU football games (whether on tv or in person) being the norm. Albeit, back in THOSE days we yelled FOR the team..the past few years we've been doing more yelling AT them!

Long story cut short....my son decided to attend a baseball camp at PSU and he fell in love with EVERYTHING about the school. Funny...he had been there MANY times growing up, even have a Christmas card of us all sitting on the Nittany Lion when he was little...but he somehow saw it in a new light this time. Luckily the coaching staff (at the time) loved him too and made him an offer he couldn't refuse at the end of the camp. He's now a redshirt sophomore...and I honestly do not think there has a been a moment he has second-guessed his choice, even thru a major coaching upheaval after his freshman year.

Very weird for my husband and myself to have our son at our alma-mater. I keep wanting to tell him where all the good bars are!

Love these stories! Plain and simple, you never know where a recommendation is going to come from. My son was recommended to 1 by the Boyertown Legion coach, to another school by the Boyertown school coach and another from a conversation with a coach that his son was going to play for. Even though his son went to another school, my son and his daughter ran around together so he knew my kid from his being at their house. The coach happened to mention my son and asked the dad if he had ever seen him play and wondered where he was going to school at. The dad told him he knew him well and that he was still undecided so he gave him our number. This coach had played us in legion several times and apparently my kid had really played well against them. Anyway, you never know! He did the visits which were the deciding factor. One coach did nothing but diss the one coach and promised a starting position right away. That turned him off. The one school was too Christian based for him and their record wasn't that good. He eventually picked the school where the coach said he had a decent shot at starting but would have to work for it. He preferred having to prove himself than maybe wind up somewhere that he didn't think he could believe the coach. Plus he liked that the kids all got along. He noticed at the one school that they seemed really divided by what year they were in and where he's at they all ate together and didn't seem to care what year you were in. Wierd, but that was how he decided to go there.

PAbbmom - I think your post has some lessons for college coaches! Sounds like your son made some very good observations. I love these stories too! Even is some are the same - they're different!

Luvbb - I am so hoping that you have taken a picture of him as a newborn in that t-shirt and put beside one of him now in his P-state shirt! That would be a great duo!!!!