THE RECRUITING TIMELINE

This is a general lay-out of the schedule or "time line" that a high school baseball player can follow, in an effort to
play baseball at the college level. This timeline was developed by getting input from former college players,
parents, college coaches and high school and college academic advisors.
To the Player:
You will get very tired of hearing this ... but if you do not take care of your academics (grades) it will not matter
how good you are on the baseball field, if your dream is to play college baseball academics are a part of the
package!

Freshman (9th grade)

Settle into the high school environment ... get to work developing good classroom and home study habits.
Learn to manage your time.

September

Play fall baseball, if available

Long toss after school
Run sprints and medium distance
Read the articles on Making the High School Team follow this link

November

Plan your winter baseball schedule

Locate an indoor facility that offers "top level" instruction.
If possible target and attend one (1) college Christmas camp
Plenty of articles about Off - Season Conditioning here.

November - January
Continue winter work-outs / get ready high school team try-outs
Keep working hard on those grades

February - May/June
High school season

May - July/August
Summer league seasons
Play the best and most competitive baseball that is available to you. Best teams, best tournaments, against
the best the competition possible

June - July
Attend a college baseball program's "week long" camp
This is the best way to "get noticed" by your favorite school. Many colleges sign players as a result of their
attendance at the camps.
HSBBWeb listing of College and Non-College Camps follow this link.
Ask questions about camps on the HSBBWeb Message Boards

Sophomore (10th grade)

Continue to "hit the books" hard your grades this year count as much as any other year.
Follow the same off - season schedule as last year.
Meet with your high school guidance counselor -- tell him/her of your desire to play college baseball ... you
want to be "on track" with the required core courses, as well as other needs, such as foreign languages.
Follow the same spring and summer schedule as last year.
Play as many summer baseball games as possible ... the more you play the more experience that you will
get .. and the more you should improve.

July - August
Attend a Pro Try-Out Camp in your area -- these will be listed in the message section of your daily
newspaper's sports section.
Start learning about Showcases and make contact with several of the directors -- find out if they may be
interested in including you in one of their events.
Check out the High School Baseball Web's Showcase Table for a listing of showcases around the country.
Also visit the High School Baseball Web's Showcase Calendar for a listing of showcase dates and
locations.

Junior (11th grade)

September
Send out your first contact letters - Ask your high school coach to write letters to a few preferred colleges
Include a copy of your fall schedule (if available)

SEPTEMBER 1
Written contact by college coaches is allowed
Register with the NCAA Initial - Eligibility Clearinghouse (your high school guidance counselor should
have these forms)
Register for the fall ACT / SAT standardized tests ... most students take these tests at least twice ... try to
avoid the spring dates, as they may conflict with your high school season Request that your ACT/SAT test
scores be sent to the NCAA Clearinghouse (there is a box on the application form that you check for this)
Find more information about the NCAA Clearinghouse follow this link
Continue the fall and winter schedule as you did for your freshman and sophomore years
DO NOT LET UP ON ACADEMICS
Familiarize yourself with the NCAA admission / eligibility requirements NCAA Online or check with your
school's guidance counselor

Feb -March

Send out your spring high school schedule

Prepare a videotape to be sent out when requested (do not send unsolicited tapes
Plan visits to as many schools as possible this spring and summer
Some schools have "Junior Days" during the spring season ... don't be shy write a letter to the coach and
ask about them.
All of these visits are "unofficial" this means that the college can not pay for any part of the visit. These are
done on your own.
Make contact with showcase groups - Work on getting your information to them - So that if you qualify
they can send out an invitation - If you wait until school is over for the year, it may be too late! The better
showcases fill up fast.
June and July are the primary showcase months
High School Baseball Web Showcase Table

Summer
Send out letters to college programs - Tell them about your high school junior year (11th) season Sending stats is okay
Focus this summer should be on attending "Select or Advanced" College Camps .
In this environment you will be able to gauge yourself against some of the best players, at each camp. The
college coaches will be able to do the same.
The summer between a player's junior and senior year of high school is very important

JULY 1st

Phone contact from college coaches is permissible

July is Showcase month.
High School Baseball Web Showcase Table
High School Baseball Web's Showcase Calendar for a listing of showcase dates and locations.
Attend a Pro Try-Out Camp in your area -- these will be listed in the message section of your daily
newspaper's sports section.

Senior (12th grade)

July - August

Seek out a team that plays fall "showcase" tournaments (pro scouts can be helpful with this)
DO NOT LET UP ACADEMICALLY
Review core academic requirements with your guidance counselor. Make sure you are "on track"
Send out your fall baseball schedule
If you do not think you will sign in the early National Letter of Intent (LOI) period, usually the second
week of November. Request information on Christmas camps ... especially from schools that you are most
interested in .. or those that have shown an interest in you.

November
Early signing period -- dates vary slightly from year to year -- Check on the HSBBWeb Message Boards
for the current years dates
Update college coaches on any changes to your fall schedule
You can contact college coaches (by phone) at any time (prior to July after your Junior year they can not
call you)
Continue your fall and winter schedule as you have in previous years

Official Visits
If you are offered an official visit -- prepare for your visit with a list of prepared questions. Be prepared for
any questions the college may have for you.
See the Recruiting Tips section for information about official and unofficial visits.

Try-Out Checklist
How to Make the High School Team
I received this list from a high school baseball coach and thought it would be a great start to our "How to Make the High
School Team" segment.
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Persistence is more important than talent

There is a reason that the word STUDENT comes first in student/athletes
Respect the game as much as you want to be respected
Tuck in your shirt, Don't wear your hat backwards
Practice hard because you play the way you practice
It doesn't take any talent to hustle
Be a student in baseball. Learn the game - Study the history of baseball
Help your team win whether you play or not
Keep a daily diary of what you do at practice and keep notes of your observations. This will help you see the progress
you have made
Never argue with an umpire
Agree to let your coaches train you
Don't cut class, Maintain the grades that keep you eligible
Set high standards along with knowing the steps to attain them
Don't tell people what you are worth, prove it to them
Your girlfriend is not more important than your career
Your parents love you, but they don't know more than your coach about baseball
Don't let anyone make an excuse for you
Maintain eye contact with all adults when they talk to you. Practice on your friends
It is your coach's opinion of you that counts. He makes out the lineup. Fail to understand this point and you will soon
be out of the game
Life is not fair. Regardless of what some people want you to think
Be passionate about your teammates
Love the game
Players are not the only people in the game. There are coaches, trainers, announcers, umpires, broadcasters and
writers. All those jobs are honorable professions as well as keeping you young
The only thing that coaches owe you is HONESTY
Body language screams. It never whispers
Balance makes champions. If you focus on hitting and ignore the defensive part of your game you will never be a
complete player
Be as diligent on defense as you are on offense, Defense wins more games than offense
Pitching sets the tone
Games are lost not won. Mistakes lead to losses
You can win a league with a few good pitchers. Well developed pitching staffs win the tournaments
Work on your game every day of the year. The guy who beat you out for the starting job did and the team that always
beats you
Who you are today is a result of who you were in the past. Fill your past with smart work and good deeds and you will
maximize your potential
You don't have to be a great athlete to be a good baseball player
Show off your talent to your current coach and your future coach by doing the following: (ALL THE TIME)
o When you jog to warm up finish first.
o When you stretch do it best.
o When you play catch, throw to a target and hit it every time.
o When you play catch, catch the ball or block the bad throw and keep it in front of you every time.
o When you are doing a drill, do it perfect, every time.
o Go hard all the time. Never walk on a baseball practice field.
o As a batter/runner run to first as though it matters that you are safe.
o Know the situation on defense and do the right thing.
Baseball reveals character it doesn't build it.
Character means doing the right thing when nobody's watching

PART 1- Making the Team

Every year, thousands of youth leaguers try out for high school baseball teams across the country. If you want to make
the team, you must display the advanced skills and knowledge demanded by the high school brand of baseball. Described
below are eight (8) skills that prep coaches evaluate when selecting their freshman squads.

Hitting
1) Bat control. By the time you reach high school, you should be able to drive a pitch on the outer half of the plate to the
opposite field. Prep coaches emphasize hitting "behind" a runner at first or second base in order to move him over into
better scoring position
2) Bunting. Major league teams can rely on power hitters to generate runs. Most high school teams, however, must
manufacture runs with well-placed singles and sacrifices. Be able to lay down a sacrifice bunt, and be willing to give
yourself up for the sake of the team. Know the difference between a sacrifice and a drag bunt, and the appropriate game
situations for using each technique.
3) Selective Swings. Hitters must be patient enough to wait for a quality pitch to swing at, and be ready to "pull the trigger"
when one comes their way. Know when to take a pitch, e.g., late in the game when your team is behind. Be just as skilled
at taking bad pitches as you are at hitting good pitches!

Pitching
4) Location, Location, Location. What do coaches and scouts rank as the most important tools of a successful pitcher?
a) Location
b) Movement
c) Change of speeds
d) Velocity
e) Mental Toughness
High school coaches look for hurlers who spot their pitches and force batters to hit the ball to certain parts of the field.
Consider the example of an opposing team who has a runner on second-base and a right handed batter at the plate
intending to hit "behind" the runner into right field. In this situation, pitchers should be able to jam the batter low and inside
so he'll ground out to the left side and prohibit the runner from advancing.
5) Straight Change -Up. A good change-up will disrupt a hitter's timing and make him more tentative about taking a strong
cut at any pitch. A pitcher with only a decent fast-ball can still excel at the high school level if he has a straight change that
is 8 - 12 mph slower than his fast ball. But, he's got to be able to throw it for strikes.
6) Pick Off Moves. Most prep teams have at least a couple of players who run fast and aggressively try to steal bases. Of
all the defenders, the pitcher has the primary responsibility for shutting down the other team's running game. High school
pitchers should be able to shorten the leads of base runners and stop walking leads by sporting an effective pick off move
to all three bases.

Defense
7) Cuts & Relays. With runners on base, outfielders must be able to hit their cut-off men, infielders must be able to turn a
quick relay, pitchers must be able back up third base or home, and catchers must be very vocal about what to do with the
ball.
Beyond being able to master the mechanics of cuts and relays, position players also need to demonstrate good judgment
about which base to throw to.
8) Throwing Accuracy. Pitchers are not the only players who must throw strikes. From a distance of ninety feet or more,
be able to throw the ball within a couple of feet of any target. Generally, throws need to arrive about chest high so the
receiver can see the ball clearly.

Use the following drills to increase your chances of making the high school team. As you practice, recreate actual game
conditions as much as possible

Hitting:
Take batting practice off live pitching or a machine, hit balls off a batting tee into a net or on the ball field, play soft toss,
pepper, etc. During each hitting drill, focus your efforts on developing three specific skills:
a) Swing only at strikes
b) Hit every pitch either back up the middle or to the opposite field
c) Hit line drives
Play ball games where you close off half the field. In other words, if you pull the ball it's an automatic out. Hit to the
opposite field and it's a fair ball. Improve your ability to hit line drives by incorporating smaller balls and thinner bats into
your hitting drills. For example, hit tennis ball or, better yet, golf ball sized wiffle balls using a Tesca "SwiftStik" or a
"ThunderStick".

Bunt for points.

Place four cones on the infield. Divide your squad into groups and score a point for each bunt you lay down between the
cones.

Tracking Pitches:
Stand in the batter's box against live pitching and watch the ball all the way into the catcher's glove. Don't swing! Just
practice picking up the ball out of the pitcher's hand. Simulate real game conditions; catcher wears protective gear, you
hold a bat, wear a helmet, get into your proper batting stance. Watch fast balls, change-ups, compete against yourself to
see how quickly you can predict whether the pitch will be a ball or a strike.

Pitching:
Pitchers should deliver pick-off throws down near the bag about knee high. To practice accuracy of your picks, throw into
a trash barrel laying on the ground at each base. Most runners are picked off before the ball is even thrown. Quick feet
and getting your arm into throwing position are the real keys to a good pick move. Perform "dry" picks (without a ball) in
your basement or backyard. Concentrate on your foot speed. Start in the set position and move into a throwing stance as
fast as you can. Hold the throwing position for one second each time. Repeat this drill five minutes a day. Pitch to a target.
Draw a strike zone with chalk on a brick wall make a portable strike zone out of plastic pipe, or hang an old tire. Once you
are proficient at throwing inside the target, work on hitting the edges and throwing barely outside the target.

Defense:
During games, utilize the seconds between each pitch to complete the following sentence, "If the ball comes to me, I will
..... " Formulate a pre-pitch plan on where to throw. Then picture yourself carrying out your plan with a positive result.
Every time you throw a ball, throw to a specific spot on your partner's body. Assign point values to different spots, for
example, three points for the head and one point for the chest. First player to reach 21 points wins. Draw a red line around
the center of a ball and across the four seams. Place the tip of your middle finger on the center line. Play catch and try to
make the red line spin straight up and down. Create a perfect "6 to12" backspin with your middle finger coming down
through the center of the ball.
Play long toss. Give yourself two points every time your partner can catch the ball without moving his feet.
The bottom line for improving any baseball skill is to repeat the proper mechanics over and over until they become habit.
Whether you're pumping weights, fielding grounders, or rehearsing mental concentration drills, there is no substitute for
quality repetitions.