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Michigan Mailbag: December 3rd

December 4, 2014



By Brent Alwine and Dylan Hefflinger
Michigan Scouting Director and Michigan Editor in Chief/Regional Scout

Every week, PBR Michigan holds an interactive chat through Twitter with our followers. Our goal is to be accessible. This is your chance to take advantage of our expertise. Ask questions to Brent Alwine, Michigan Scouting Director, about the recruiting process, upcoming high school season, specific prospects, PBR events, or anything else that may be on your mind.

We would like to thank all who participated, we enjoy bringing you knowledge and expertise on players and programs in your area.

Next week, we will be answering questions on either Tuesday or Wednesday, stay tuned.

Eight of the top questions from the Ask.FM Q&A Session on December 3rd


I'm a senior and I started playing the recruiting game a bit late as of right now what should my next move be?

PBR: I would starting gather schools that you’re interested in that offer the degree you intend to study, distance from home (so you family can see you play), and financially (what schools you can afford). Focus on schools that you can play at, ask your high school and summer coach what level (DI,DII,DIII,JUCO, or NAIA) you should focus on. Attend the schools camps this winter to put skills front and center for them to evaluate you. Communicate with coaches via email and provide them with you GPA, ACT/SAT, and your statistics.

How important is getting on a solid 18u summer travel team for exposure and what would be your top five 18u travel teams in Michigan?

PBR: I think you should pick your summer organization based on a few factors.
- How will they develop you as a player...
- What type of competition are you playing on the weekends...
- What relationships with college coaches does your summer coach have...
- What players have been in the organization and gone on to college...

Playing better teams draws college coaches to your games, coaches would rather spend time at a games that they can evaluate multiple players rather than just one. When you compete against other teams at a level and have success that will open doors for you as a player.

In today’s day and age how valuable is a quick player that can play catcher, middle infield and outfield? Would being a solid utility player help in the college recruiting process?

PBR: At some point you have to focus on one position to get you to the college level. Once you arrive in college it is much harder to work at multiple positions. You are limited to practice hours, so coaches soon tell you to focus on one area and every once in a while you make see reps at another position.

Are grades a big part of the recruiting process?

PBR: Grades are the biggest factor in the recruiting process. Your grades will get more scholarship money then a baseball scholarship. If playing college baseball is important to you then getting good grades should be just as important.

In what class is the majority of recruiting going on, '16, or '17?

PBR: Both. A lot of offers are on the table with 2016's. 2017's are just starting to take visits. It is harder for colleges to communicate with 2017's based on NCAA rules with emails and phone calls.

What is the minimum GPA colleges look for in recruiting?

PBR: The new NCAA rule states you have to have a minimum of 2.3 of core classes to be a qualifier at a NCAA school. Most schools do not touch a player that is even close to that number. If you’re not getting good grades in high school it will be much harder to get good grades in college while playing a sport.

What are the differences of getting recruited by a university out of a juco school rather than high school?

PBR: Out of high school a 4-year school can bring you in and allow you time to develop as a player, so you do not need to start as a freshman. As JUCO player transferring to 4-year school you need to show up on day 1 ready to start because they can't allow that development process.

What is a major thing you can do to stick out to scouts at your game?

PBR: There are numerous this that stick out to scouts during a game
-Be a good teammate.
-Sprint on and off the field.
-Be coachable.
-Respect your opponents and umpires.
-Handle success in an appropriate way.
-Handle failure in an appropriate way.
-Play as hard as you can at all times.
-Show that you enjoy playing the game.
-Wear your hat and uniform in a proper manner.

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