Recruiting 101

You can tell a lot about a College/University’s recruiting habits by simply looking at the roster. Often times, players and parents don’t utilize the information, which is easiest to find (the roster) to their advantage while finding the right fit. It is one of the easiest ways to see if you are a good fit for the program(s) your student-athlete is interested in. Use these 10 questions when considering if the school you are looking into has a need for you!

1. Does the program recruit locally, nationally or internationally?

College Recruiting Coordinators stick to what works for them. Coaches have created relationships throughout their journey in baseball, and they will use their network no matter where they are currently coaching. Coaches have their niche’s in the state, country and world, and a lot of times the won’t deviate from these because it is what has made them successful. Go to the college/university’s roster on their website and see where each kid is from. This is important to know when you are looking into a college/university because the school you’re interested in may not recruit your current location.

• Does the program recruit mostly incoming freshman or juco transfers/4 year transfers?

Each level is different with WHERE they recruit players from. You can see patterns of players they sign based on where they were before the student-athlete got to the college/university you are interested in. What percentage of the roster is Freshman? What percentage of the roster came from a two year school? And, what percentage of the roster transferred in from a 4 year school? You can see this information next to the players name on the roster, and it will give you insight into what level they are consistently signing players form.

• Is the program have a need at your position?

You may be interested in a college/university and be good enough to play there, but one thing you have to keep in mind is: Do they have a need at my position? Coaches, will only keep so many players at each position, and if there more than 2 at your position on the current roster, you may have a hard time being actively recruited. Another aspect to consider with this is: what year are the players at my position going to be when I walk on campus? This will be one of the first indicators of (1) Do they need me and (2) how much playing time will I get?

• How Good are the players at your current position?

If there is a need at your position and they are actively recruiting you, chances are, there may be a players there already at your position. Go look up his statistics, and see if he was a role player a year ago. If he wasn’t, it should give a good indication the school you are looking into needs someone to come in and play right away. If they are actively recruiting you and they have one or two players at your position already, how did those players perform last year? Numbers are a good indication of how much stock a college/university is putting into you.

• Do they over sign players?

College rosters typically float between the 35-45 player range with 35-40 guys being kept on the active rosters leaving some room for Redshirts and injured players. Keep in mind the more players on the roster, the more competition you will have when you walk on campus at your position.

• Do they have a Junior Varsity team?

If there are more than 45 guys on the roster, one thing growing with increasing popularity in college baseball (outside of Division 1) are Junior Varsity teams. Junior Varsity teams help with enrollment numbers for the smaller schools, give the program more scholarship/funding to use toward baseball and they also give coaches an avenue to give players an opportunity to compete at the college level. Junior Varsity programs are a great avenue for players to earn their way in a program they really want to play for.

• What is the player to coach ratio? (Outside of NCAA)

Outside of Division 1 only allowing 4 coaches (3 paid and a volunteer), most schools allow head coaches to build their staffs how they please. Some carry smaller staffs because of budgets and only being able to pay an assistant or two. A lot of sub Division 1 level coaches will have volunteer coaches, Graduate Assistants, Student-Assistants and support staff who help out with the teams day to day growth and performance. Typically, the more coaches on staff there are the more opportunity for individual development there is. That is not to say that coaches with small staffs do not know how to manage and grow players on an individual basis. I would advise, if you are interested in a school where there are only a few coaches, to ask them how they grow and develop their players with a smaller staff. 

• Are players transferring out on a consistent basis?

Turnover should be a red flag. If you see multiple players leaving programs year over year for reasons other than graduation, this should be a question you ask the coach about. There are going to be players who leave programs every year, but it is important to know why those players leave every year. In today’s and age, sadly, a lot of kids leave because they think they should be playing when they haven’t earned the right to play.

• Does the program place emphasis on size?

9 times out of 10 programs don’t care about height and weight, but there are some coaches who want to recruit players at certain positions based on their height and weight because they believe the player could develop into something special. Look into sizes of the players at your position, and look at them year over year to see if there is consistency in how they recruit your position. This can give you some good insight into whether you stature fits the profile of how they have recruited your position over the years.

1. What do players in major in?

Being a student-athlete is a lot to juggle! Coaches want you to be successful both on and off the field, and they know what some majors require of you outside of class hours. It is important to pick a college/university where players on the team are studying what you want to study. For example, you may want to be in the medical field, and the program you are interested in offers it, but players do not study that because of the time it requires of you outside of normal school hours. There are colleges/university’s out there who are medical schools and baseball. I would advise to look into these as well because you know going into it the coach has an understanding of what his players are studying.

Today, you can google “How to get a college baseball scholarship?, find a Facebook Group or Page discussing everything you need to know about how to get said scholarship or find a company out there who’s been successful in the baseball recruiting area you think you’re a novice in. This is a doubled edged sword we often times fall into because we believe there is only ONE way to go about the recruiting process. This is where I, at J Moyer Coaching & Recruiting, am striving to be different, and encourage you to do so as well. There is not one way to go about the Recruiting Process, but there are ways to sift through all the information out there and come up with a plan that works for you!

1. Trust The Professionals

In today’s day and age, there are a lot of people out there specializing in recruiting and helping players get to the next level. Be careful who you trust. I encourage you to trust the people out there living in the world as a college recruiter, someone who has spent years in the industry as a college coach and recruiter, parents who have been through the process and those who are giving you as many opinions as possible to make you successful on your journey. Are you looking for a place you can hear directly form the professionals? Check out our Recruiting Round Table Webinar with coaches from every level of College Baseball on June 3^rd. Click Here to Register!

Division 1 – Trey Fowler – Kennesaw State University – Assistant Coach

Division 2 – Matt Williams – Young Harris College – Assistant Coach

Division 3 – Michael Shepherd – Oglethorpe University – Assistant Coach

NAIA – Jeff Moyer

NJCAA – Dash O’Neill – Georgia Highlands College – Head Coach

• Don’t Trust Just One Source

Parents can fall into the trap of believing there is only one way of going about the recruiting process. This is not true. Everyone’s path is different and what works for one player may not work for another player. Gather as much knowledge and as much insight from as many trusted professionals as you can and take a little bit from each of those to formulate your own plan. There are A LOT of coaches and professionals out there educating parents and student-athletes on the recruiting process, so listen to all of them, do your research and formulate the plan that will work the best for you.

• Learn From Others

You are not the first family to go through the recruiting process. I encourage you to learn on those who have gone through the process. I am a big advocate of having mentors to help us get through tough paths to navigate, and we know the recruiting process can be tough to navigate. Find someone who has already achieved what you are. They key is to not make the same mistake as those who came before you. If you can learn from what others have done, you’ll skip a lot of the setbacks and accelerate your path to finding the right home.

• Always Build Your Network

I believe in 6 degrees of separation and using this to your advantage. Networking should be a huge priority for you during the recruiting process. You have 4+ years to build your recruiting network of people who will give you recommendations and give you insight on where you’re the best fit. We all know, these days, it is about who you know. As your network grows, they will be able to open doors you may not be able to open or never found yourself in front of. Disclaimer: leave your ego at the door while you network. Don’t look for the people who are going to tell you what you want to hear. Look for those who are going to be honest with you no matter what you think. These people have your best interest in mind.

• Never Stop Learning

This should something you live by. The more you can educate yourself on the recruiting process, the more successful you will be. Knowledge is power. The more you know about the process, the more you will be able to put a good plan in place. Read articles, blogs, watch videos, find webinars and classes you can take. There is so much out there on the process, so don’t just rely on what you already know (which for a lot of you isn’t very much). Do your research, and really try to become an expert in the field. It just takes a little bit of work.

What College Coaches Look For in Position Players

1. Baseball Tools

We are all familiar with the 5 Key Tools all scouts are looking for. Speed, power, hitting for average, fielding and arm strength. I believe there is a 6^th tool all players can possess which is mental approach. College coaches are looking for a player to possess 2-3 of these tools and then looking for one tool they know they can develop when the player gets on campus. If there is one tool that will keep you around the game for a long time, it is arm strength. There is always a place for someone with a good arm, the mound. This is a tool you should place emphasis on at all times, and develop the others along the way as you continue to grow as a player.

• Educated Feet (Athleticism)

I refer to athleticism as educated feet. The most athletic players I have coached move very well on their feet. They don’t drag their feet when moving to a groundball or take false steps in the outfield, and they always follow their throws. Baseball is a game where you are on your feet at all times, so your feet have to know what they are doing in order to get you where you want to go quickly. You can have educated feet and not be fast. Educated feet are efficient feet. How efficiently do you get into position to field a groundball, block a breaking ball in the dirt, or field a bunt from the mound?

• Ball to Barrel Skills

It is hard for a coach to evaluate a player solely based on offensive statistics because there are so many variables. This is when a coach will use ball to barrel skills to evaluate a player. Players who possess good ball to barrel skills, are players who are consistently making hard contact. Ball to barrel skills show a coach that you’re barrel is in the zone a long time, timing is good and you have a good approach at the plate. Hitting a round ball with a round bat, square, is hard to do.

• Approach

The more I work with college hitters, I realize all swings are pretty good. Does it need some tweaking? Sure, but one skill that can make a swing better without tweaking is a hitters approach at the plate. Are you a first pitch swinger? And if you are, are you hitting that ball hard or is it a weak out? Do you understand what is thrown to you in certain counts by a pitcher or pitching coach? College coaches know how to get hitters out. Players need to realize in college you aren’t getting fastballs in fastball counts, you will be pitched backwards. College pitchers will pitch backwards to get you out, and coaches want to see you have good plate discipline to understand how to consistently be successful in the box.

• Hands

One aspect I look for in every hitter and infielder is how quick their hands are. The faster your hands are the faster of fastball you can hit. Fast hands also equate to bat speed, and bat speed translates to power. Believe it or not you can train yourself to have fast hands. Get a speed bag and do your best Floyd Mayweather Jr. impression. Quick hands in the field also translate to getting the ball to first base quicker. The faster you can get the ball out of your glove the quicker the ball gets to first, and, as a middle infielder, the more bang-bang double plays you complete.

• Arm Strength

This is the most important tool to work on and possess because if you can’t do anything else, but you have a good arm, you’ll get put on the mound. We all know the stories of position players turned pitchers in the big leagues. Arm strength is important because the game speeds up from high school to college to professional and you have to be able to get the ball where it needs to go quickly. Arm strength is an easy tool to focus on because all you need to do is play catch and long toss to for your arm strength to go up. When you are getting loose, throw the ball as far as you can. If you want to throw hard, you have to practice throwing the ball hard, and part of throwing the ball hard being able to throw the ball far!

• Speed

Coaches say it all the time: “Speed never slumps.” It’s true, I have coached players who cant hit the ball past the outfielders but I saw them hit .375-.400 in college baseball because they can bunt and put the ball on the ground and beat it out. Speed is a serious tool, and while it is God-given, it can be improved. Speed is not the end all be all of recruiting, but coaches know how to utilize speed to win baseball games. A 9^th inning steal of second base to get into scoring position, or scoring from second on a base hit are very useful tools coaches use to tie/win late in games (Dave Roberts in the 2004 ALCS Game 4 against the Yankees when everyone in the park knew he was going to run – enjoy this clip of both happening in the 9^th inning https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDbHnsNtQv0).

What Scouts Look for in Pitchers

1. Mechanics

Mechanics are one aspect pitchers can continually work on. Good mechanics relate to a healthy arm and smaller chances of arm injuries. Also, a lot of times, if a pitcher has good mechanics, a college/professional coach can see there may be more velo in the tank with some adjustments and body awareness. Pitchers with poor mechanics are usually the ones who are more injury prone because their arm is being used in an unnatural way. Today, I feel we are seeing more arm injuries because we have placed more emphasis on velocity and less on mechanics and throwing strikes. Pitchers should place an emphasis on both because if you throw hard and have bad mechanics, you may end up getting hurt and not having good fastball command.

• FB Command

First, understand there is a difference between control and command. Control is the ability to keep the ball IN THE strikezone, though not necessarily in any particular location within the strikezone. Command is the ability to precisely locate pitches, in or out of the strikezone, with the goal of keeping each pitch out of the heart of the plate. Often, pitchers and coaches confuse these two. College coaches want to know you can throw your fastball to a dime in the strikezone at any time. Don’t focus on throwing strikes, focus on where you are locating your strikes.

• Breaking Ball

Colleges coaches recruit the breaking ball. College coaches need to know you have an OUT pitch you use to put hitters away. The sharper the breaking ball and the more planes the breaking ball travels through on the way to the zone the harder the breaking ball is to hit. Breaking balls are unbelievably important to college coaches because these are the pitches thrown in the biggest situations in games (runners in scoring position, hitters who have holes in their swings, etc.). You must have at least two pitches to be an effective college pitcher (obviously the more the better). College coaches usually look at your fastball and then the breaking ball.

• Ability to Pitch Backwards

Pitchers ability to get hitters out relies solely on how you pitch them from at-bat to at-bat. The more I dive into counts as a hitting coach, I realize the most effective pitchers are not throwing fastballs in fastball counts, they’re throwing the exact opposite of what the hitter is expecting. This is how they are caught off guard and make weak contact and get out. Pitchers have to be able to attack hitters in a different way when you are facing them 2-3 times per games. The ability to pitch backwards mean you have to be able to throw your off-speed pitches in fastball counts. If pitchers cannot do this on a consistent basis, then hitters will know what is coming and be ready to tee off.

• Educated Feet (Athleticism Around the Mound)

Just like a position player has to have educated feet, so does a pitcher. Hitters will bunt and teams will sacrifice bunt, and the pitcher has to be able to field his position to get the out. Small ball is an important part of college coaches offensive philosophy, and they will use a pitcher not being able to field their position well in order to get an offense going. So, as much as you focus on throwing hard and throwing strikes, you have to be able to get the outs that are being given to you around the mound. When pitchers can’t field their position, coaches will take advantage of it.

• Arm Action – Loose or Max Effort

While you may be a started in high school, your arm action will give a college coach a realistic role of where you fit at the collegiate level. We have all seen the kids throwing 92mph and how and it looks effortless, this is what is called a loose arm. Loose arms generate less energy to throw when throwing a pitch which will allow the pitcher to have more stamina and pitch deeper into games. Most starting pitchers at the college level have loose arms. On the flip side of this, we have all seen the same 92mph pitch but it looks like it takes every thing in him to get that ball going 92mph. This is what we call max effort. Max effort pitchers generate more energy to throw a pitch which shortens their stamina and may only allow for 1-3 innings. A lot of back end (7^th-9^th inning) pitchers are max effort guys. They will come in and blow the doors off for an inning knowing they only need 3-6 outs.

• Hand Speed

Hand speed comes into play in regard to deception. We have all seen the pitchers who slow their arms down when they throw off-speed pitches and then speed it back up when the fastball is thrown. College coaches are looking for pitchers who have deception. If you can maintain the same hand speed on all of your pitches, then it becomes hard for a hitter to recognize the pitch out of a pitchers hand. Hand speed also relates to how sharp your off-speed pitches will be. The more hand speed you can generate the more deceptive your pitches will be.

As parents, its hard to know what to do and what not to do during the recruiting process. You want to help your child out, but you don’t want to do too much and interfere in the process. Parents, you are just as important in the recruiting process as your child is, but make sure what your child wants is at the forefront of the decisions you make during the journey. Your student-athlete can’t do this on their own, but they can with your support, encouragement and mentorship along the way. Here are my 10 “Commandments” for guidance during the recruiting process.

1. Thou Shall Let Your Son Be The Leader

So many times, when I talk to parents and players about the recruiting process, mom, dad, and child all have different plans for the journey to playing college baseball. I challenge you, as parents, to let your child take the reins and let him tell you what he wants. You all want our child to be as successful as possible, and I believe when you let him take the lead, he will grow in ways you never thought he would. In short, don’t be a helicopter parent.

• Thou Shall Help Create The Plan & Help Them Follow It

Parents, you know as well as I do, kids these days are all over the place. They live their days one at a time and don’t think too far into the future with many decisions they make. Rarely are kids taught how to design a plan and stick to it. But you, as parents, have been doing this your whole life. You have a process for everything you do to be as efficient as possible and you know how to stick to those plans. Take this season of life your son is in, trying to find a place to play college baseball, and teach him how to design a plan and stick to it. Don’t make the plan for him, help him, and then encourage him along the way to stick to it. Refine the plan along the way when you make new discoveries.

• Thou Shall Help Them Stay Organized

You have seen their rooms. You have seen their cars. You have seen what “organized” is to them. We would probably tell them their idea of organized is just controlled chaos. Like me, many of you create lists to help you stay on track and stay organized. Staying organized during the recruiting process can be as simple as making a To-Do List. Sit down with your son, once a week/month, and come up with a recruiting To-Do List. Don’t write it for them, but sit down together and make a list of items you want to have accomplished this week/month. You’re teaching them in a round about way to stay organized and prioritize tasks which will help them in the future.

• Thou Shall Help Them Explore Their Options

Your student-athletes have a one-track mind. Just accept and know that (if you don’t already). They’re not considering all their options right out of the gate, they’re wanting to go to their dream school. Realize, its going to be very hard for them to go to the school they have been dreaming about their whole lives. Some accomplish this, most don’t. What a number of players and families don’t realize is there are many schools just like your dream school, you just have to explore ad find those options. There are over 1,600 baseball programs nationwide, and I can promise you, more than ONE is a good fit for your son both athletically and academically.

• Thou Shall Rely On More One Coach During The Process

Parents out there know the power of networking. Right now, your student-athlete may not realize the power of a network and how it can help you achieve your goals. Parents, your should be using the network of coaches in your life to help you do two things. First, ask them for an honest opinion of where your son is at, and second, help you market your son. I am a firm believer in 6 degrees of separation. The theory of six degrees of separation states that, because we are all linked by chains of acquaintance, you are just 6 introductions away from any other person on the planet! Use this theory when you are recruiting. The more coaches you have promoting your child the more people your family can reach as a result.

• Thou Shall Have Realistic Expectations

When you start the journey to playing college baseball, don’t chase the logo. There is way more to playing college baseball then the sweatshirt you wear, and, a lot of times, student-athletes will miss out on amazing opportunities if they don’t have realistic expectations. I tell parents and players not to EXPECT anything in the journey to college baseball because there are so many factors and variables out there. Curb your expectations. Get to know these two percentages. 80% and 20%. Only 20% of College Baseball Players play Division 1 baseball. 80% of College Baseball Players play sub-division 1 baseball. Understand, you are more likely to fall in the 80% then you are the 20%.

• Thou Shall Be Conservative

Parents want to brag, it’s natural to do so when talking about your children. Realize, though, when you are talking to other parents about where your son is in the recruiting process, they are not in the same place. Every path is different. I encourage you to choose a conservative position and not brag or tell many people you are receiving letters, phone calls, offers, etc. unless someone asks. And even then, water down the amount of information depending on the person you are talking too. Understand that everyone is on the same journey to Play College Baseball, and something you say may affect them in a negative way or discourage them or their son. Everyone on this journey rides the Emotional Roller Coaster, so be cognizant of that.

Click here to Read 4 Ways to Navigate the Emotional Roller Coaster

• Thou Shall Be A Mentor

Student-athletes need support and encouragement through this process, and, I believe, this is your biggest of the 10 “Commandments.” Always support them through this process because there are going to be days when they get discouraged or get off track. Use these moments to be a mentor to them, and teach them the value of perseverance and staying the course. These moments will come periodically throughout the process, and it’s your job as parents to keep their head up and encourage them to stay the course. Then, teach them to pay it forward and mentor their friends and teammates around them.

• Thou Shall Let Them Leave Home

We all want our student-athletes to stay close to home. There is nothing wrong with that. We want them to be able to drive home for holidays and off weekends, and we want to be able to travel on the weekends to see them play. BUT, if you are willing to let your student-athlete leave home and go farther from the nest, you are opening up more opportunities for them to Play College Baseball. Realize, too, when you are out of your comfort zone, you grow as a person exponentially!

1. Thou Shall Just Be A Spectator At Events

Parents, just sit and watch. Fight the urge to go over to the college recruiter holding the gun while your son is pitching to ask what his velocity is. Coaches don’t want to be bothered at events, they are there working. It’s easy to gravitate toward the coaches, but what is your motive in doing so? Most likely to promote your son, but there’s bias coming from a parent. We all want to promote our kids when coaches are at the events you attend, but there are smarter ways to go about it. Instead of walking up to the coach at the event, I encourage to tell your son after the game who was there and have him send an email to the coach! Let your son do the talking.

Mom and Dad, I know some of these can be hard to follow, but understand the recruiting process will teach your child more life lessons then just finding a place to Play College Baseball. When they see you doing all of the above for them, they are going to BE all of the above.