There’s no doubt the baseball college recruiting process is a maze. Parents and players often don’t know where to begin. There is really no road map and no guidelines. Hopefully, this article will help put some parameters around what needs to get done before and during the summer months.
Here’s my list of Top 10 things to do during the summer to get recruited for college baseball. I have attempted to list these in series. Much of this might seem basic, but you’d be surprised how many parents ask us “where should we begin?”
1. Prepare a List of 25-30 Potential Colleges
Preparing a list makes you think on three different levels about the process:
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- Geographically – Where do you want to go to school
- Academically – What types of schools are you interested in
- NCAA Level – What types of programs do you want to play for
You may ultimately play for a school that isn’t on this list, but you have to start somewhere. So, you should put together a list of all potential schools that may be even remotely of interest. Try to include anything and everything that might include your criteria. You’re better off starting with a large list and then paring it down as you go along.
One other thing, too many athletes are fixated on D1. Keep in mind, there are D2 and D3 programs which are extremely well run and better in many ways for you than D1 programs. The D1 dream isn’t always what it seems to be. If you play for a D1 program and hardly ever get to play it’s not going to be that much fun. You must do your homework and keep your options open.
One big but often overlooked criterion is happiness. Will you be happy playing for this program? Happiness comes in many forms. It could be playing time; it could be chemistry with the coaches and the team. Keep happiness top of mind as a criterion.
2. Find the Recruiting Coordinator’s Email Address
College programs generally have a webpage with someone in charge of recruiting, as in the Recruiting Coordinator.
You can track down the athletic program’s page of the colleges you’re interested in and click on “Baseball”. There is usually a roster of players and coaches. You can track down the email address of the baseball program’s recruiting coordinator. If there is no one listed under such a title, grab one of the other applicable coaches, pitching, hitting, head coach, etc. for your initial communication.
3. Consider School Camps as a Part of the Process
After selecting the right showcases, college camps are probably the next best dollar spent. Most college programs offer a baseball camp. You can generally find the info about the camp and dates on the school website. Track it down.
If you have a high level of interest in a school and are having difficulty reaching the coach, you should go to their camp. Some schools mostly recruit from their camps. I remember one school specifically stating that over 60% of their players come from their camps.
What most parents and players don’t realize is that college baseball camps often have coaches from other schools helping them run the camp (and obviously observing). So, you can get looks from more than one school at college camps. One of the best events in the country is a college camp run by Stanford University. Their website highlights that there are 40 coaches from various academic schools from all over the country.
4. Prepare a Typed-up Summary of Your Summer Schedule
You’re going to need a copy of your summer schedule with as much detail as possible to share with scouts and college coaches. You can attach it to your outgoing emails.
Ask your summer travel program for a schedule as soon as they have one. Summarize it like below and include any showcases (not other school’s camps obviously). Make sure you save it in PDF format, as MS Word doesn’t display properly on most mobile phones. The file should look something like this.
John Doe – Class 2022 – Position(s)
Summer Schedule – 2020
June 12 – 14: Team Camp [Location]
June 18: Showcase [Location]
June 22 – 23: Super 17 Invitational [Location]
June 24 – 28: Firecracker Classic [Location]
July 15 – 18: North East Select Tournament [Location]
July 20 – 24: WWBA 17u Perfect Game World Series [Location]
August 03 – 07: 18u Blue Chip Prospect [Location]
5. Prepare a Good Video
A good video is possibly the single most important thing for your recruiting process and it’s a MUST.
My suggestion is 60 seconds, max length. Please DON’T play “We are the champions” as background music. Coaches have little time and patience and they have many prospects to review. They care about your mechanics and your metrics, not the music.
Also, do NOT exaggerate your metrics. If you list a velo of 87 mph on the video and coach sees you throwing 79 mph at a showcase he will wonder. If possible, have your metrics right there in the video.
6. Prepare an Introductory Email for Coaches
This is a simple letter that basically introduces yourself and expresses interest in the program to get the ball rolling. Emails should be customized as much as possible but here is a sample letter for a starting point. Keep emails brief and please do not copy this letter!
Also please note that what you put in the subject line is the first thing the coach sees. Make it simple and relevant!
Subject: {Name, Class, Position(s)} – Video Included
_______________
Hello Coach [Get the Spelling Right!],
My name is [ ] and I am a 2021 [RHP] at [ ] High School in [City, State]. I am [height] and I weigh [weight] lbs. Academically, my GPA is [ ] and my [Test] score is [ ].
I have been following your program and heard great things about it. I would appreciate the opportunity to learn more. My summer plans include playing for [ ]. I have attached my schedule and a link to a recent video further below.
I would appreciate it if you could please let me know if there would be any opportunities to get in front of your staff this summer. I would like to thank you and I look forward to meeting you.
VIDEO: LINK
Sincerely,
John Doe
“Always proof your written communications and include video and stats in every single email”
7. End Every Email with a Summary of Your Metrics
Coaches want the info all in one place. So, make their life easy. They don’t want to go looking for it. They have a lot going on and if they have to go looking for it, they just might not. Here is a layout you could use at the bottom of every email you send out (select the relevant ones).
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- Name:
- Height:
- Weight:
- School:
- Class:
- Position(s):
- Hit / Throw (L/R):
- Pitch Types:
- FB Range:
- FB Peak:
- 60 Time:
- Exit Velo:
- GPA:
- Test Scores:
- Email Address:
- Cell Phone:
- Video link:
8. Send Updates to Coaches
Coaches receive thousands of emails each recruiting season. A consistent, yet not overwhelming approach to reaching out to coaches should be a part of a successful campaign of selling yourself and keeping yourself top of mind.
During the spring and summer, you should come up with reasons to update your schools of interest about your progress, perhaps once a month. Let’s say your first intro email went out in April, then you should follow up with a second email in May.
Use any good excuse to write a follow-up email, perhaps update on high school season, changes to the schedule, etc. When you get your weekend schedule for a tournament is another way of letting the coach know what times you’re playing.
Updating your metrics is generally another good reason to reach out to a coach. If your velo ticks up during the summer months you could use that as an excuse to reach out. But keep in mind, having video or a relevant link that you could send them would be advisable.
To summarize, stay top-of-mind by sending an email on a somewhat regular basis, but don’t overdo it.
9. Prepare Yourself for Coach One-on-Ones
Coaches want to speak to you directly, not your parents. You should absolutely walk up to coaches and speak to them and express your interest.
You’ll be nervous the first time you do this. So, practice walking up to your parent or an adult, and introducing yourself and engaging in a dialog. For many of you this may be the first time you’re selling yourself. Role playing is the best way for you to get ready for this encounter.
“Hi Coach, my name is John Doe. I am a Junior at Hillsdale High and I am really interested in your program. I noticed you have no shortstops in your current freshman class, are you looking for any in your current recruiting class?”
“Hi Coach, my name is John Doe. I am a Junior at Hillsdale High and I am really interested in your program. I noticed your camp is during the month of June. Do you still have openings?”
“Hi Coach, my name is John Doe. I am a Junior at Hillsdale High and I am really interested in your program. I was wondering what qualities you look for in your players?”
The point is to start a conversation. First time you do this with a coach one-on-one, you may completely botch it. So, definitely don’t go to your #1 choice before having crashed and burned a couple of times with other programs. By the 5th time, the jitters will be gone, and you’ll be a pro.
“Practice makes perfect, even in communications”
10. Learn How to Shake Hands
LEARN HOW TO SHAKE HANDS PROPERLY! Firm handshakes are the only way to go. If you haven’t learned how to do this, make sure you learn how to give a firm handshake. If you shake hands like this then you’re done. Get it right!
Final Comments – Be Professional in Your Approach
My final suggestion is professionalism and it’s often overlooked. It comes in many ways. Here are a few suggestions:
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- Promptly respond to any requests, including returning coaches communications (within 24 hours)
- No typos in written communications, especially coaches’ names
- No slang in your written communications
- No Emojis in your written communications
- Customize emails to a school as much as possible
- If you’re not sure about your written communication, then have someone review it for you in advance
- Speak and write in full sentences
- Most importantly, smile!
I hope this is helpful in your pursuits. Best of luck and God Speed!
By Bahram Shirazi (BSEE, MBA)
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