Top Unsigned Seniors

ya sad thing what happened with alex hill great ball player just in a bad situation with his high school uncw got a steal just trying to make sure this doesnt happened to another young talented ball player

 

What's sad about playing college baseball?

 

Alex is attending UNC-W; an excellent school with a good baseball program. I believe what made this so difficult was the way the recruiting process played out for him.

Everywhere this young man played he was extremely successful. I don't place a lot of credence on HS stats, but it is hard to ignore that Alex set the HS record in batting average with a .704 BA...that's right .704

Here is a young man that should have received a flood of attention. He is an athlete, a leader and good student. The fact that it took until late summer before he signed represents to me alot of schools dropped the ball.

I feel I'm a pretty good evaluator of talent and in my opinion there was no way this kid shouldn't have been locked up during the early commitment period.

The sadness lies in his recruiting process, not with the school he is attending. I'll say this, there were not 5 position players across our state last year that were better.

 

So what went wrong in the recruiting process? Is this something you can share? If it needs to remin private I'm sure we all understand. Is there something others can learn from this?

I don't know the young man but those are impressive stats no matter who he played against. And UNCW is a good school both in baseball strength and academics.

 

This statement raises an interesting point for me.

At what point does one have to realize they need to go get a better education and realize the music may have stopped playing for them? Even though they may still be able to play somewhere.

I have hired a lot of people over the years and still recruit and place people for a niche industry. I hire athletes as much as possible for my own business. I consider it a positive when I am placing a person or hiring a person that is a student/athlete or former athlete, as long as they have the education and experience needed. Athletes usually have good time management skills, a good work ethic and know how to compete.

But at what point does one realize that even though they can still go play somewhere, a degree from that school does little for them after the music has stopped? One day the music stops for all of us and we have to hang up the cleats and get a job.

I realize it probably varies for everyone but I'm interested in hearing some polite feedback.

 

I think it would be better to allow his father to address this, especially since he is a member of the board.

The recuiting process can be an enjoyable experience or heart wrenching. Some players go to the wrong showcases, parents waste their money in the wrong areas and in some cases, they play on the wrong teams or listen to bad advice. There are so many roads to travel down the recruiting path and they all don't lead to gold.

To be honest, I could write a book about the follies of recruiting, yet most of these guys are hard working knowledgable coaches. They know the game well, but it is impossible for them to know all of the players. Is that their fault?...NOPE!

It would be nice to have someone knowledgable about the process, have a relationship with the college coaches and could help advise familes during this most difficult time.

 

Coaches can't be expected to know everyone. I don't know everyone in my business. Why should I expect coaches to do so?

Braves, you do make one comment that strikes home.

Some people listen to bad advice. Determining what is good advice and bad advice is very difficult.

 

Alex Pearce/nash central

I just wanted to say that this kid,Alex Pearce from Nash Central is an unsigned senior,and that,to me defies logic.I know first hand that he is not only a great catcher,(pop times always under 2),pitches with very good control,(just does"nt walk people) with a mid-80s f/b and a good 12to6 curve.He played his showcase ball with Strechlon and the Hurricanes and always stood out whether he was on the mound or behind the plate.
Above all though,Alex is a great kid,the type that does"nt say much,represents his team on and off the field with a lot of class.Alex has the type make-up that college coaches look for in the complete student athlete.
We wish him well!

 

What lies ahead?

Education and a work/career goal are really the most important for the TRUE future. 99.5% of the high school players are just extending their playing years by a few years and we should be realistic to this fact. As they do play I would certainly hope that they don't play at the expense of their studies. We should not be blind to the fact that baseball is only a game and work is where we will end up. Not trying to burst a bubble just telling it like it really is. Hope it helps at least one person.

 

Learning Opportunity

I want some feedback on one thought I have about the recruiting process. In some cases when a player doesn't get alot of attention from colleges because he hasn't been seen or is a late bloomer and his numbers aren't great in high school. How much does the kid's ability to sell himself to the coaches at the schools he is interested in attending come into play?

What I mean is when the coach 1st meets a kid and the kid wants to come to school there but the coach doesn't really know who the kid is. If the kid keeps in touch with the coach and keeps reminding him that he wants to come play there will that help? I know if the kid isn't good enough it won't, but what about the ones that are but haven't had the exposure?

The reason I bring this up is I think this is a real chance for the kid to learn a valuable lesson in life. Sometimes you have to go get what you want. They can learn from this experience how to read people and how to know when to keep after something as well as when to let go and move on.

While our kids are still playing ball we put so much emphasis on the game and how they perform on the field and in the classroom. But there are so many chances to learn in between all of that. Just finding the right school, coach, and baseball program is a learning experience itself. Some kids are taught to be humble or are just humble on their on and it is hard for them to sell themselves because they see it as bragging. This is where they have to learn to communicate and that is a very important life lesson. Sometimes they have a certain impression in their mind about schools and that is how they decide where they want to try to go and they can be blinded by what they think they want and not see the real picture. The real learning opportunity is in exploring to find the right fit for you.