I am really confused about the whole process. I was thinking about it today and I cannot figure out how people get seen. How do people hear about you? Is there a special place you are supposed to go to, or a special thing your supposed to do? I feel like I am capable of playing at a top college, I just don't know how to get discovered. I am going to Stanford Camp and to the Georgia East Cobb tournament, but other then that I am soo lost and do not know what to do about all this. I will do anything/travel anywhere, I just want to play at a top D1

Let's start with your self evaluation. Have you ever attended a top level D1 game?

Dont know your grade or anything about you or where you are in the process. I can say this playing at a TOP D1 program is tougher than alot of you young players think. I hope it all works out,but cant really comment because dont know anything about you or if you have been in any contact with colleges or they with you. good luck.

Have you:

1 - Written coaches at colleges you are interested in and let them know you are interested?

2 - Sent a spring or summer schedule to those schools letting them know where you will be playing?

3 - Sent videos to these schools?

4 - Made the roster of a top travel team that plays in front of scouts during the summer?

The Stanford camp and East Cobb are great places to be seen...assuming you are a junior or senior rising, you will be seen at those places.

I'd guess that, in San Diego as in most of Cali, a top-tier player who could play top-tier DI would be a guy who was drawing college coaches' interest just from HS games alone. It's hard to go 'undiscovered' in a place like SD if you've got the talent to play Top-20 DI.

I basically agree with what others are saying, however there are lots of good ball players who get overlooked. Some times over shadowed by others.
It is important to realize that BB development is an ongoing process and what you did yesterday is not what you may be capable of tomorrow. The lofty goal of playing major D1 will require that you are outstanding in your SR year inorder to get them to look at you. If they sign you then you still have to get them to play you.
I WOULD TRY AND BE VERY REALISTIC ABOUT YOUR CHANCES BECAUSE WHAT YOU WISH FOR MAY COME BACK TO HAUNT YOU.

I know its easy to get discovered in San Diego if you go to a school that plays good schools. The only person we have ever played that has gone D1 or past that is Nick Noonan. We just finished our 2nd year of varsity. Brand new school

You are all right in general but one of our websters has a son who attended a showcase back in December '07 and was signed to a top D1. He had not played varsity ball at that point.

I agree with BHD. Playing at a top D1 is a great goal to push toward. However, at some point in the near future a rising senior needs to look at where he is development wise and decide if he wants to play baseball in college or not. The decision can be delayed until during or after one's senior season but by then even if you are good enough to play D1 baseball there aren't going to be many scholarships left and a preferred walk-on is the most likely avenue.

The reality is that although there are exceptions most rh pitchers who go to a top D1 are hitting 88 or more by the time they are in their senior season of HS. The ones who are likely to get playing time as freshman are doing that with excellent control and good off-speed pitches.

Look at the velocity you recorded at a showcase and be realistic about how much velocity you are likely to add over the next year. Adding 2 or 3 mph with hard work is pretty reasonable, adding 4-6 mph is a pretty big jump though possible and adding 7 or more mph is not impossible but pretty unlikely.

Just keep working hard to increase your velocity and improve your control and off speed stuff and see where that gets you. Then see where you fit best and go after those colleges. The most important thing is to keep playing baseball at whatever level you fit best so that if you do make a big jump while you are in college you will have a chance to continue in the game.

Based upon your previous posts re: arm speed etc. I think the Stanford camp will give you an excellent idea as to where you stand with D 1 competition. However, don't be dissappointed if D1 schools don't call or ask you to walk-on. There are many good D2 programs and JCs in CA, especially So Cal.

If you aren't getting calls you hoped for by the end of fall you should consider a JC, especially if you want to eventually make it to a D1 school. Just about every California D1/D2 program is using JC transfers.

Everyone wants to play at a top D1. You have sent me quite a few pm's regarding Cali baseball.

I always wondered why those on the west coast stated
it's hard to find top D1 to play at. Watching the NCAA playoffs and watching teams out west we normally don't see, my husband and I were amazed at the size, the talent and ability of the players. They could literally eat some of the east coast players for breakfast!

Maybe you should concentrate on the level that best suits your talent, not where you think that you should play.

JMO.

TPM,
It is simple for the player to find DI programs in CA. It is a major struggle for most players with DI talent to get the exposure to the coaches. That is because there actually are not that many DI programs for the enormous pool of player talent.
In San Diego and Orange Counties alone, there is more talent than there are DI programs in CA.
Fresno State recruits most of their players from the Central Valley where there are 3 DI programs and probably enough DI talent for twice that many programs
In the Bay Area, we have 6 DI programs, plus UC Davis about 60 miles away. Other than Stanford, they mostly recruit Northern Ca for their players. Once those selections are made there are large numbers of DI quality players that remain with no openings at the DI level still remaining...so they look out of state.

Why not look into some DIII schools like Chapman, LaVerne, or Redlands as well? All close to home and all play excellent baseball, rivalling low to mid-level DI programs.

IFD,
I was being a bit tongue and cheek about the big guys you got out there.
I do understand the dilemma, here in FL we only have essentially 3 top D1 programs, a few really good second tier and then smaller D1 programs. I do beleive we have no D2 or D3 schools, which means the top players not getting spots at the big 3 go out of state. UM takes the south, FSU takes north and UF gets most of the rest of the state. Great JUCOS though. In reality, here it's either being a Gator, Nole or Cane.

BTW, you have another pm.

calbears8261;

Did you attend our Rays "work out" last month in San Diego?

On the 25 June, I will speak at the Stanford camp.

Please find me and we can discuss D-1, D-2, D-3, NAIA and California JC programs.

My question: why the goal to attend a top D-1 program?

Bob Williams

No D2 programs in Florida? How about Tampa?

TPM D2 baseball is huge in florida Univ of Tampa won 2 years in a row, and Florida Southern has won a ton of titles both play in the tough sunshine state league, now they are all private school with a huge tuition cost. Also a huge Juco program etc.

Now if you meant football your correct no football in D2 OR D3 in Florida which does stink.

Uh, football, yeah that's right.