College Recruiting tips for freshmen and sophomores

 By Anthony Williams

As a former college player and now college coach, I understand what most parents and young players do not, when it comes to summer showcase camps and other recruiting events.    And that is the majority of college baseball coaches that attend showcase camps are focused primarily on rising juniors and rising seniors. 

 Which means soon-to-be freshmen and sophomores usually get lost in the shuffle.  Parents spend a good amount of money to send their 14 or 15 year old son to various showcases, some even across the country.  Many leave the showcase without ever really getting noticed while others may meet a coach and are disillusioned into thinking that they have a scholarship waiting for them.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to sway you from attending a showcase.  If you’re able to afford it, I absolutely think that traveling to different campuses and getting exposure is a good thing. 

 But I have a much less expensive way to get a leg up on the college recruiting process:  Attend College Baseball Games.  Sounds simple enough, but you’d be amazed at the number of high school players and parents who have never watched a college game live.  I hear all the time from players and parents that they, or their son, is a sure fire D1 player.  How do you know?  If I’m a parent (which I am not) and I am potentially investing a good amount of money into my son’s future, then I want to gather as much information as possible. 

 So my suggestion, try to see as many different levels of competition as possible (D1, DII, DIII, NAIA, JUCO).  By doing so, you will have a better idea of the type of competition at each level.  So, aside from a little gas money and maybe an entry fee to a game, you won’t spend a lot but you’ll gain valuable information into the world of college baseball.