Throwing Quality Off-Speed Pitches

At the high school and college levels (and beyond, in pro ball), the ability of a pitcher to throw a quality off-speed pitch in a fastball count is critical.

Remember, if getting outs is the ultimate goal, a pitcher's ability to fool hitters, induce weak contact, or to miss bats entirely can not be underestimated!

How To Choose A Good College Baseball Program?

Here's a tip for high school baseball prospects: When thinking about which college baseball program is best, you've got to take all things into consideration: academics, quality of life, baseball coaches, teammates, strength and conditioning coach, etc., and figure out if you'll get the playing time, the summer league experience, and the overall exposure to really get to the next level.

How To Video Tape A Bullpen For College Baseball Recruiters?

Mound presence, maturity and no wasted motion. If you're going to be putting together a baseball video of your pitching to send to college coaches, check out Coach Baker's post on the discussion forums here. Must read stuff for high school pitchers who want to pitch at the college level.

12 Reasons Good Pitchers Sometimes Get Overlooked By College Baseball Coaches

Interesting article here.

Guest Post: Common Misconceptions About College Baseball Camps

Jeff Moree, a senior high school pitcher at Carmel Catholic, in Illinois, submitted this article on attending college showcase camps. Good advice! As always, I encourage you to submit your articles, details here.

So you just got a letter in the mail from the University of Texas, or an email from USC. Congrats! You are one of the thousands of ball players who receive these canned letters with the main message being "Dear prospect, come to our camp! Be seen by college coaches for only $599!" 

Does this scenario sound familiar to you? Well if that is the case, you are not alone. I am now a high school senior with my final high school baseball season quickly approaching. For over a year now, I have been receiving daily letters and emails from all sorts of schools "offering" me a spot in their "select" camp. 

The million dollar question is, which camps should you go to? To answer this, we need to be realistic. If you are a right handed pitcher with a low 80s fastball, and you get a letter from University of Miami, do you really think you have a shot? Well I hate to break it to you, but the chances of you playing for the Hurricanes are mighty slim. The truth is that high profile colleges try to make money off of their camps by inviting players that have hopes of playing college baseball, but have no realistic chance of playing at that school. 

However, don't ignore all of these invites to camps. If you really have your heart set on playing for a certain school and you have a realistic chance at doing so, then by all means go to their camp! It is a great way to get your name on the school's recruiting list. Be wary, these camps can cost several hundred dollars, so use judgment when deciding which camps to attend.

If in doubt, talk to your high school baseball coach and ask them for their honest opinion on which colleges you have a shot at playing for. Don't waster thousands of dollars on those money making camps. Go to a couple camps of schools where you have a realistic shot at playing. Good luck!

Sample 7 Day Throwing / Conditioning Program For Starting Pitchers

Every college baseball program has a different training routines for their pitchers. Here's a sample 7-day throwing/conditioning program that starting pitchers follow at Div. 1 Indiana State University.

Sunday - Game Day Start (80-110 pitches)

Monday - Rest/30-40min run/med-ball abs/rotator-cuff strengthening

Tuesday - Long toss/long sprints

Wednesday - Light throwing/weights/mild flat-ground bullpen to get the touch and feel of pitches/medium sprint work

Thursday - Really light throwing/short sprint work/abs

Friday - 15-25 pitch bullpen (to get touch and feel) at 75-85%

Saturday - Throw to get the arm loose/pregame running (30yd sprints)

Sunday - Game Day Start (80-110 pitches)

Pitching In College: What College Baseball Coaches Look For In Pitchers

Signs of maturity, both mentally and physically in college baseball prospects.

Physically

Excellence in 5 tools of the game
Condition of body
Strengths & weaknesses of body
Potential for growth
Is this player raw or polished?
Project how good this player can become
Is he a worker or does he look lazy?
How much effort does this player expend to play at the top of his game?
Ceiling...how much better can he get given his physical body?

Mentally

Alertness (being in the game)
Knowledge of the game
Ability to react correctly
Intuit nature - Does the game come easy?
Ability to focus
Ability to rise to the challenge
Does he know all that he should know about the game and what it takes to succeed?
How often does he react correctly to a situation?

Emotionally/Socially

Cordial interaction with coaches and teammates
Attitude towards authority figures/coaches and teammates
Signs of misdirected anger
Proper taking of responsibility
Does he make others around him better or worse?
Is he a cause or a cure for trouble and disruptions?
Is he a comfortable leader?

Major Questions Coaches and Scouts Will Ask Themselves

Has he performed well in the classroom?
Is he coachable and teachable?
Will his personality compliment or clash with the growth of the team?
Will he work hard both in the classroom and on the field?
Has he demonstrated the ability to perform under pressure?
What is his quality of character?

Anything you can do to answer any of these questions a college coach or pro scout might ask will distinguish you from the crowd. It all comes down to a basic premise: Prepare yourself.... Physically ...Mentally.....Emotionally....Sociall!

What high school pitchers can do to prepare before meeting with college baseball coaches

This article originally appeared in Baseball Parent magazine. It concludes an eight-article series on pro baseball tryouts and pitching in college.

Many questions - some trivial - others not, will occur to you before, during, or after your campus visits. Will your son have anything in common with the student-athletes he meets? Will he be able to handle the snowy winters at the school, or would he rather play in the South with its longer playing seasons? Does the coach have a vision for your son... for his playing time, his position, and his potential?

Your son's high school coach may send the first letters expressing your son's general interest in certain baseball programs during his sophomore year. Then the coach may call a few college coaches. Next, you or your son will call those coaches to arrange visits. After all, even top college coaches may spend an hour with you talking about their baseball philosophy, the university, and their recruiting strategy.

If your son's an ace, he'll probably be able to command time from a college coach most anytime. However, for players who may not be impressive on paper yet, an informal trip to a college sometime other than during the spring baseball season or fall workouts might assure a better chance for an audience with the coach.

Prepare your questions in advance. Does the school have mandatory study hall off-season? Do tutors travel with the team to games? If your son misses a class, will the coach let him play the next game anyway? Do players have to be in by midnight? Even in the off-season?

Talk to your son about the questions he should ask. As a Southern boy, will he be happy in the Snowbelt? How far does he have to walk to class? Coach him on how to present himself to the point of reminding him to sit up straight during the interview.

After visits, recruits may regret not having talked to players away from coaches. That's often the best way to get a feel for what their future teammates are like, to gauge their views of the program, to find out what practices are like, or to discover how much running the team does in practice. Players can make visits and like the baseball program, yet have little in common with the players they meet.

College coaches and pro scouts talk to each other about players. Prospective players never know who a coach might know. For this reason, keep as many doors open as you can by having your son take all calls from college coaches and respond promptly to all questionnaires, even though there may be no possibility he'll attend that school.

The Unofficial Visit. It's never too early in your son's high school career to begin visiting colleges and assessing their baseball programs. The more information he gathers about various universities, the more informed he'll be when it comes time to make his decision about what school to attend. For example, at one school, he might be eligible for academic aid, while at another he might struggle just to meet their academic standards. You may learn that a coach can submit a list of preferred players to the academic office as early as September, whether or not the coach is allotted any "exemptions" for lower-than-normal SAT scores, and what positions he's now recruiting.

A coach may suggest you meet him at the baseball field rather than at his office. By doing so, he can give you a five-minute briefing, while also giving you the once-over to determine whether the meeting should be continues or whether he should end the conversation after a short, polite visit. If you're asked back to his office, among the many things you may hear about are the first-rate players the school has received commitments from for the next season, who their backups are, and who the backup's backups are. But keep in mind that such plans can change. Some prospects get drafted, others decide at the last minute to attend a different school.

The coach may say he will keep an eye on your son, he may say he'll try to see him play, or he may say a lot will depend on the kind of season your son has during his senior year.

How high school pitchers can get the attention of college baseball coaches

This article originally appeared in Baseball Parent magazine. It's part of an eight-article series on pro baseball tryouts and pitching in college.

Chances are, the college coach your son will play ball for someday doesn't even know your son owns a glove.

"You can't just sit home and tell yourself coaches will beat down your door," says Jim Zerilla, a Pennsylvania-based recruiting consultant. "Families must take an aggressive approach to recruiting and college selection to avoid heartbreak and financial hardship."

In order for your son to play at any level, he must first have the grades. Then, his athletic tools and skills must match the needs of a particular baseball program.

"Finding a college is a research project," says Mickey White, former general manager of the Florida-based Baseball Academy and now assistant general manager of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays baseball club. "You must gather information, as well as supply it to others. But the most important thing to keep in mind, however, is that your son must go to a college where he can play." 

During his freshman and sophomore years he should concentrate on academics, during the summers attend "select" camps at colleges where he might want to go to school, and play lots of summer and fall ball. 

At the beginning of his junior year, he should develop a list of schools -- from junior colleges to top-30 Division I programs. As a parent, you should start thinking about what level of ball your son can play at and how often you want to see him play. 

As you begin your search, you may discover that not only are you trying to put together a very complex puzzle, but you may not even be sure where all the pieces are.&

For example, just how do you market your son's baseball talents? Who might really be interested in him? How many -- if any -- athletic "exemptions" (special academic     consideration for athletes) do prospective colleges allow? Where does your son want to play? What will determine where he chooses to play?

And will anyone help you with the search? Maybe not. You and your son may just have to do it all by yourselves.

For starters, his high school coach may be too busy to worry about your son's college baseball career. On the other hand, he might be a great help in steering your son to the best program for him. He might take the initiative to send introductory letters to coaches notifying them of your son's interest in playing college ball and his legitimacy as a prospect. He might also provide spring, summer, and fall game schedules and post-season stats. Over the course of a several-month recruiting process, he might spend hours on the telephone with coaches promoting your son. Some coaches may even spend still more hours helping your family weigh this decision. 

Early on in the process you'll want to assess the reputations of college baseball programs that are of interest. Eventually you'll want to contact coaches and make visits to check out baseball facilities; the coaching staff; the quality of the program; the off-season conditioning and training facilities; the number of fall, intersquad, exhibition, and regular-season games (which could be as many as 100); and to check out community support. 

Explore the possibility of signing early, in November of your son's senior year. For some families, this can be a good decision, because it could spare your son the frustration of a prolonged search and allow him to enjoy a less anxious senior year waiting to see who wants him. If an early signing is an option, college visits should begin during the fall or winter of your son's junior year.

12 things every baseball parent should know about college baseball

Today's guest post is from Jeff Spelman of Team One Showcase. This article originally appeared in Baseball Parent magazine. It's part of an eight-article series on pro baseball tryouts and pitching in college.

• Q: As a parent, do I really have a significant role in the college recruiting process?
  A: Baseball parents can have a major impact on their son's recruiting experience. Parents as well as their sons nearly always have to take the initiative in order for the player to get a college baseball scholarship.    
• Q: As a parent, what should I keep foremost in mind about recruiting?    
  A: A player must, of course, have talent. But a strong academic background, motivation, and exposure are also very important. Poor grades and lack of exposure are the two biggest factors that keep players from receiving scholarships. To develop your son's talent during his first two years of high school, help find him first-rate instruction at camps, top summer baseball programs, and private workouts with current or ex-pro players. Also encourage him to work out with hitting devices and to do speed training. A good summer team, one on which your son can play at least 40 to 50 games and have the chance to participate in top tournaments, will give him the kind of experience he needs -- plus valuable exposure.    
• Q: What are the usual steps in the recruiting process?    
  A: At the beginning of his junior year, he should apply for approval to play NCAA Division I sports from the NCAA Clearinghouse. Colleges are permitted to write letters to prospects after September 1 during his junior year. Personal contact may take place after July 1 following his junior year, and once-per-week phone calls are also permitted then. Questionnaires should be promptly returned, since timing can be critical. And it's important to note that there's no better way to accelerate the recruiting process than for your son to play in front of college coaches sometime after his sophomore year.   
• Q: My son wants to go to a top-25 baseball school because he says that will increase his chances of making it to the major leagues. Is that true?    
  A: Only a very small percentage of players can attend those elite schools. What's more, major league teams draft players, even in the first round, from colleges of all sizes.    
• Q: How many official and unofficial visits can my son make?    
  A: Players can make five official paid visits to different schools and an unlimited number of unofficial visits, which they must pay for. They, however, can't make official visits or accept scholarships until they are academically qualified.    
• Q: My son is getting letters and phone calls from five or six schools. Does such attention ensure he'll get a scholarship offer?    
  A: No. Such attention can cease anytime, without explanation, since colleges routinely send letters of interest and questionnaires to hundreds of players each year. And each college may offer only five to ten scholarships.    
• Q: Which is better for my son: a small offer from a big school, or a big offer from a small school?    
  A: It depends. Does your son have the maturity to warm the bench at a top baseball program, where he might not see much or any action as a freshman? Or does he just have to play now? And how important is the possibility of someday getting to the NCAA regionals or the College World Series in Omaha?    
• Q: Will my son's scholarship be taken away if he's injured?    
  A: Some colleges and coaches will honor four-year scholarship promises if a player's injured, but it's up to them. Others will extend the scholarship one season beyond an injury. Still others won't honor scholarships in the event of injury, period.    
• Q: My son just received his first scholarship offer. How do I know if it's a good one?    
  A: Basketball and football scholarships are all "full rides." Ninety-nine percent of baseball scholarships aren't. Division I baseball schools are allowed a maximum of 11.7 full scholarships, and their players usually number 25 or more. Division II schools have 9.0. Therefore, most scholarships are for from 20 to 50 percent. What's more, probably more than 85 percent of all scholarship money is awarded to players up the middle -- pitchers, catchers, shortstops, and center fielders. If your son is offered more than 50 percent, that's a great scholarship -- and he should probably expect to see lots of playing time.    
• Q: What percentage of scholarship money is spoken for in the early signing period?    
  A: Perhaps 50 percent-plus of all scholarships are awarded to up-the-middle players in the fall. To early signees also go most large scholarships, with the exception of those reserved for players who aren't yet academically qualified. If you've found the right school, and the scholarship money is right -- sign!    
• Q: If my son didn't receive any scholarship offers before or during the November signing period, should I be concerned?    
  A: Shoot for fall signing, but don't panic if it doesn't happen. You might follow up the end of the fall-signing period by sending videotapes to the schools he's most interested in. Marginal college baseball prospects sometimes must recruit a school more than the school recruits them.    
• Q: When should a player walk on?    
  A: When a school and coach have a record of playing walk-ons and eventually giving them scholarships, your son might think about it. You could also ask to talk to players who have gone this route in a particular program. Coaches must have some investment in a player, otherwise his chance of playing is a long shot.