Next level Limelight

Here's a question. When talented players sign letters of intent to play college baseball, does the senior season become anti-climatic and less important than it would be otherwise ?

 

Yes

I have seen a few examples where the Senior season is not as good as the Junior season, and I have wondered if that was the case...

 

This may be one of those questions that many folks will not want to touch with a 10 foot pole, but what happens to team chemistry when you get separation between the haves and have nots ?

 

Ideally, if the coach sets out clear goals for the team and can inspire the kids to invest in the team's goal, it wouldn't matter what they were doing upon graduation. But that's ideal, and tougher in practice.

On the player's side, you'd hope that if the player has the character and talent to play at the next level, they'd be able to maintain their level of play, or at least their effort, even in an "insignificant" final season.

 

Although players can contract "senioritis", I believe you are right. It depends on their character. I think the majority of these players continue to play hard and many seem to player even better, simply because they have the recruiting process behind him.

But...I have seen it and I think it speaks volumes about that particular player. It's not a surprise that the one's that I have seen do that did not make it past their freshman season in college and a few did not make it past their fall workouts.

 

If you asked most HS players nowadays what their top priority is, I think most would answer playing at the next level as opposed to winning a state championship.
Most DI prospects are 3 and 4 year varsity starters who also play alot of baseball in the offseason. The notable exception being JH Rose which has a freshman team, a JV team and a huge varsity roster. Rose's 2005 roster has 27 players, all juniors and seniors. I think this setup is a big part of their success because the players remain hungry thru the senior season or they sit.
Let's face it, with the explosion of travel baseball and showcase events, there are more and more opportunites to play. Increasingly you hear that individual exposure is more important than winning on the showcase circuit.
I'm not really talking about lack of effort so much as the loss of focus critical in winning games at the HS level.
When a HS coach works hard to promote his players to colleges, is he actually shooting himself in the foot, if his main goal is winning games ?

 

Great Post. I concur Braves and believe that if a player "quits" at any level, he is generally done, even at the next level.
The so called "haves" really only have a "chance" to play at the next level, not a guarantee, so if they quit before they get there, they are nailing their own coffin shut. The "have nots" won't get the chance if they "quit", (ie go through the motions) over jealousy at another teammates success. The question always has been, always -when adversity comes, (and yes, committing to a college program is in a strange way adversity since the emotional lure is to slack off) are you going to quit or determine to get better?
And unfortunately I have see that very tendancy this year in more than one program.
That's why I pointed so strongly at chemistry before the season began. True "talent" isn't just the 5 tools - it includes a dogged work ethic, and a humility that rejoices over another teammates success. That kind of talent doesn't pout when he is asked to sacrifice bunt, or be pinch hit for, etc. That kind of talent wins championships.

 

You hit the nail on the head!!!!

 

I know I signed to play D1 early in my senior year and I can tell you that the only thing I was worried about my senior year was winning that state championship. Not many people in college have the opportunity to win a conference tournament, make it to the NCAA tourney, or win a national championship.