Hey Everyone. I'm a junior in high school who destroyed JV pitching last year and got called up. This year I'm pretty much assured of the starting outfield job.

My dream is to play college ball, and I think I have the talent, but my high school isn't one of the premier high school in the nation that get scouts sitting in the stands every game.

I'm pretty sure I have to attend some showcases come summer, my family can't afford to be throwing thousands of dollars at this.

I'm just looking for general advice here.

Drop me an email

TRhit@msn.com

anybody else?

Jker14, Let's get basic here. First you have to understand that college baseball is looking for talent --- not showcases. Secondly a player and a college can be introduced ("exposed") to each other in many ways --- not just a showcase. Showcases are simply an exposure tool players use to showcase their talent in front of college coaches and pro scouts. It stands to reason that a player with the most exposure will get the most "looks" but not always the best offer. The player's talent, the college's need and the availability of money dictate the offer. I would venture to say that most local schools NAIA, JUCO, and smaller D-1s are introduced to many players (probably most of their players) by some type of exposure other than showcases. High school games, summer teams, newspaper articles, internet, letters, phone calls, videos, and word of mouth all are possible methods of exposure. Showcases have this aura about them because they cost money, and allows parents to become very pro-active in their son's exposure. A real hands on approach. They also provide a sense of security in the recruiting game because they provide names of attendees, coaches, scouts and some feedback on recruiting. Something you can hold on to when everything else seems unstable. I think you would see the larger D-1's rely more on showcases because most recruit on a national scale and cannot cover all the bases.

Jker14, don't admit so quickly that you could spend "A" thousand dollars on showcases ----- I can hear the calculators clicking already.

Fungo

Hey jker14...

Reading your post, I understand that your family cannot afford showcases..

Make a video and send to several colleges that you feel may be a good fit for you (use google.. ) - These do not need to be long. 5 minutes should be fine showing basic skills. Also, find a good summer team. College camps are also a great venue to get you noticed without spending a ton of $$$

jker14, It is good that you do see the value of exposure and did read in your first post that you will likly attend a showcase this summer. You can rest easy because your parents don't have to spend "thousands" on showcases. Most showcases are nowhere close to that. As I indicated in my previous post there are many ways to get exposure.

quote:

College camps are also a great venue to get you noticed without spending a ton of $$$

I disagree with Batdad. Notice I didn't mention camps in my first post. College camps can actually be the most expensive method of exposure because they target very few colleges. Not nearly as cost effective as a good showcase. Depends on their format. Camps are normally run by the coaching staff and the players at a particular college limiting the exposure of a player to possibly one college. Camps are good way to target a particular college.

Thanks alot fungo.

The season is over and I hit roughly .260. Not too good for a junior, but I slumped for about half the season and hit about .390 after halfway. As a result of this, I'm hitting third in the lineup nowadays.

What kind of college baseball program could I expect to play for with that BA?

Jker, have you looked into JUCO colleges. I would look into JUCO ball somewhere in the south. Its a good altenative. Its good baseball. But, its not D-1. Though, in 2 years, you can go D-1 if you prove yourself.