Is it true that by this time of the year(Oct)the D1s have completed their recuiting of 2010 and have moved on to the 2011? Real question, Is my son (2010) waisting his time trying to land a D1?

Simple Answer-----NO he is not !!!!

Some have, some have not, but even for the ones that have, things can change and there is often room found for an additional player if he is good enough.

cobbyakker, most higher level DI's have most, if not all, of their 2010 classes complete. Other than those perhaps 40-50 schools, openings and opportunities exist.
For your real question, the answer is a combination of your son's talent level, the visibility he has and will receive, the schools in which he is interested, and probably his willingness to expand his search.
The greater his level of talent and visibility, the greater the opportunities. If he has talent, but little to no visibility, he may struggle to find a DI opportunity with a good fit. If he has talent, but it is not immediately noticeable in a showcase type setting, that also can be an issue.
My estimate is that 90% or more of the posts coming to this board relate to playing DI. On other boards and blogs, again, most everything is DI.
The plain fact is there are just not that many DI slots open. Factor into that the importance of "fit," and the numbers decrease considerable.
This is a long worded answer to say that no one on this board can truly answer your real question based on the limited information in your question about your son wasting his time.
I can assure you that if you provide more information, you will get lots more input, guidance, and solid recommendations.

Details, my son is 6'3" RHP whose fastball runs 87-88, with good location, has a change and curve. His summer team played in the Perfect Games over the summer, and he recently attended a PG showcase, rating a 9. He has also attended several college "showcase" camps. He's also a good student. He's received calls from D2,D3, NAIA, and jucos. His goal has always been to play with a D1 program. Not sure what else I can add.

Thank you for the additional information.
Having a 9 rating from PG clearly means he is a DI prospect. The fact that none have contacted your son is puzzling, but DI recruiting isn't a science.
With that information, I would propose your son needs to be very involved. Perhaps he needs to expand his list of schools and start contacting coaches/emailing and mailing coaches and providing them the information you have just posted.
There are plenty of good DI programs in need of quality pitching and good students. A PG rating of 9 for a pitcher means something to college coaches.
What your information suggests to me is that your son has the talent to compete at the DI level.
It also suggests you and your son need to change whatever methods you have been using to get recruited, or change the colleges in focus, to get the results he wants, or both.

Thank you all for your feedback. My son will be attending the PG World Series in Jupiter this month. If nothing comes of this. We'll go back to the drawing board and come up with a new plan.

One thing you didn't mention is contacting coaches from colleges of interest in advance. This really works to get noticed. Maybe PGstaff poster can help as well.

cobbyakker,

you have a pm.

I think a large part of being a bona fide D1 player and not getting interest is that many just limit their possibilities by only being seen by who they want to be seen by, the key is that you have to go way beyond your dream schools, if you wish to continue playing ball past HS.
JMO.

Cobby,

You have a PM.

I am kind of in the same boat. I haven't pitched more than 3 innings all summer and fall but I pitch better the longer I throw. I just don't showcase well, because of that.I am a very good pitcher but the only place I seem to be able to show it is in high school where I am not showcasing.

With that velocity, your son has a chance, but not a guarantee. The rating is a rating and that is all. A coach has to like him. There are kids here who are rated high and get great opportunities. There are also kids here with high ratings that leave folks scratching their heads wondering who was watching.

There is one kid here who runs a 6.6 who was described as slow. It just depends, to a large degree, on who is watching and when.

Good luck.

Cobby, this site is full of stories of kids going to D1, not getting playing time and they go to JC. Son has a couple on his JC team. The most positive aspect of going D1, D2 and D3 is the recruitment process is over, JC kids have to start all over again in trying to move up as soon as they start JC. For us, that part of college baseball was the most frustrating. Having a goal to play at that level is admirable, I hope the best for your son.

Son was not heavily recruited, and did not commit to a D1 till after his senior year. signed in July, with a great scholly.
Now a redshirt senior having sat out 2009 with injury.
Patience is the word here, with a back-up plan.
A lot of recruiting happens late, The need to fill holes after the draft.

EH

Jemaz,

quote:

There is one kid here who runs a 6.6 who was described as slow.

Was that something from us? I’m trying to figure out how anyone could see a kid capable of running a 6.6 and describe him as slow. I know we make mistakes at times, but that type of mistake would really surprise me.

Cobbyakker,

I have no idea who your son is, but based on the info you have shared he does sound like someone we would possibly grade a 9. I would guess that he projects in our mind to keep getting better. This is probably based on things like body type, athleticism, arm action, and his past history.

If we graded him a 9, we believe he can play at the DI level. Possibly a very high level of DI. That said there are many variables that affect recruitment of a quality player. I’ll try to give some examples…

If a player grades a 9 and he lives in a Midwestern state… He is likely to create some early signing interest.

If a player is from a location in the SE and especially if you are from Florida or Georgia, there are so many “9s” and even “10s” in those areas, that many of the 9s are not high priority within their immediate recruiting area.

Also, baseball is full of late bloomers who are much better from one year to the next. While the late bloomer can be a great prospect, it takes time for the recruiting world to catch up. After all, the recruiters are following the kids they are most familiar with.

We have found that in addition to the actual grade, the rankings are followed closely. In the case of a player recently getting a 9 grade it is possible he has yet to be entered into the actual crosschecker rankings. Though many might think differently, these rankings are followed closely by most of the better college programs. Not necessarily as a definitive recruiting answer, but as a definite interest creator. Highly ranked players do not go unnoticed! College coaches know the list is pretty good!

Sometimes, an excellent prospect as either a pitcher or as a position player is confusing because they play both. They might be a great DI prospect at one position, but considered a follow at the other position.

I could go on and give many other reasons why some are not recruited as hard as others. Truth is, mistakes are made a lot by both us and college recruiters. You might want to look through the pgcrosschecker files (if you subscribe to it) or just check PG site and you will see many players graded 9 that have no college commitment at this time. You will see pitchers who have thrown 90 mph, and other outstanding players who are not committed yet. There will be many who will not sign during the early signing period.

My suggestion is to keep working hard and be somewhat patient. At the same time understand that there are many DI schools who would want you. They just might be located outside the state you live in. Often players unsigned in November, start drawing more interest from schools outside their state or region. In the beginning these schools all gear in on the players within their region. Example… Colleges from Virginia will not spend as much effort on kids (other than the very elite level kids) from states like Georgia. That is because they know that most of the top kids from Georgia (and there are a ton of them) are not likely to leave the state. Georgia schools have a great advantage there! The top kids that do leave Georgia usually end up at top schools if they leave the state. It usually takes a BIG scholarship offer to get them!

Bottom line is this… There are more DI potential players than there are DI opportunities. There are many DI potential players that end up not going to DI. If a player is insistent on playing DI and he is a 9, but not being recruited by DI schools, he needs to expand the boundaries. I suggest you make a list of several DI schools contact them and tell them you will be playing in the WWBA at Jupiter. Chances are very good that they will be there and chances are that the PG report and the grade will cause them to take a close look at your son.

We are not in the recruiting service business but that doesn’t mean we never help talented kids find a college. In fact, I’m pretty sure that we do that much more than the recruiting services do, even though we don’t charge anything for that. Our business revolves around helping both the players and the college coaches as well as the MLB scouting departments. It is in our best interst to help all of the above when we can. And we do!

I’m using Georgia as an example above, mainly just guessing based on your user name. If your son is truly a 9, and you are comfortable doing so, send a PM with his name. We know of many DI colleges that would at least be interested in players like your son.

The last piece, actually far from the least important, is your sons academic standing. The other thing is his demeanor and make up. Those are two things that can really get in the way. Obviously not saying these things are in your son’s way.

Good luck

quote:

The other thing is his demeanor and make up. Those are two things that can really get in the way.

PG, will you elaborate on your comment please? I understand what you are saying. However, how do coaches judge such a thing by just watching a player in a game or a showcase? Thanks.

quote:

PG, will you elaborate on your comment please? I understand what you are saying. However, how do coaches judge such a thing by just watching a player in a game or a showcase? Thanks.

Most often it works like this…

1 – Coach hears about a player
2 – Coach sees the player
3 – Coach likes what he sees
4 – Coach checks player’s academics
5 – Coach determines player’s make up

1 – Talent
2 – Grades
3 – Make Up

In most cases, the first determination is made based on talent.
Then grades are checked out.
If the first two cause serious interest, coaches will watch everything the player does… How he acts in certain situations, how he reacts to certain results, how he interacts with teammates, how he carries himself, how he interacts with his coaches, how tough is he, how much effort does he display, is he a winner, does he make good decisions, is he a real baseball player or does he just play baseball, and anything else that will help the coach in determining the players make up. There are hundreds of things that fall into this category. (Pretend that you are the recruiter and it becomes easier to understand) Sometimes it is so obvious (good or bad) it knocks you over. Sometimes a simple conversation can open or close the door.

If someone pays close attention to recruiters at events, you will often see them hanging around the dugout, getting close as possible to the action or even going down the opposite line to watch what takes place in the dugout. Sometimes they will ask who the parents are and observe them. The best recruiters want to know everything possible so they can make a good decision.

Sometimes players pass the test with flying colors when it comes to talent and grades only to fall short on the rest. Then sometimes the talent is so great, that coaches will take a chance on the rest. Contrary to popular belief… Sometimes talent alone is enough! But it has to be exceptional talent.

Great post PG

agree wholeheartedly with pg...for the majority of players whose talent level falls below the exceptional talent level the intangibles are crucial. had an experience this summer with a recruiter who came to watch a game and spent most of the time looking into the dugout, watching the player in the on deck circle preparing for an at bat, interacting with coaches and teammates, watching the opposing pitcher etc. for the kid who can play but is not the five star recruit the intangibles may make or break him.