Pitching and Pitchers Discussion what makes a college pitcher and at what level

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I totally agree Joe that money shouldn't be the biggest focal point. My two looked at education first, where they could play right away as second. Then we did what we could to see if it was affordable, even if it wasn't the best. Both ended up at DIII schools. Because of the education my daughter received she is now finishing up a PhD program in Biology where she is getting paid to work on it, and my son has a degree from MIT. He for sure could have played "higher", but wanted that degree from MIT. It shouldn't be a pride thing, but as it was mentioned, get the degree you want and be able to play.

All that aside, I never really looked at spin before. That revFire device seems pretty nice (and expensive), and I am going to look into it. Is there anything else on the market that is cheaper and can do the same thing?

You all have been very helpful so far- thanks!

 

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I pitched for Ohio University DI and I believe your dedication, attitude, composure and ability to be coached can make a huge impact on coaches. Division I pitchers usually have awesome speed, killer change ups and the tightest spins that you can get. Not to mention, location, location, location. All pitches must stay in thier spots no matter what pitch it is. Being able to throw a change up with bases loaded 2 outs. Knowing that you are smarter than the batter. Getting exposure by high school, camps and showcases can help you to go big. Big doesn't always mean better though. I know some awesome pitchers that wanted to go DII or III. They liked the way the coaches and teachers knew them more personally and cared about their development as a whole person and player. DI, DII and DII pitchers . Question is do you want to be a big fish in a little pond? Or a little fish in a big pond. Playing softball at any level in college is hard and a lot of training. All players should be congratulated for being so dedicated to their sport.

 

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Gameface, Joe and Comfortplan - excellent advice on all. DD just finished 4 years pitching DI this past season. Believe me, she got her belly full of pitching... I think she came in 2nd for record innings pitched her junior year.

Again - high school stats, numbers, awards etc. really don't imply you will be a killer college pitcher. It all depends on how tough your competition is, and mostly how active your high school coach is in promoting his/her players. DD didn't necessarily get the "high school press" that many pitchers do, but she accomplished her goal. That goal was achieved NOT by focusing on posting amazing numbers in high school, but rather by playing in summer for a competitive college showcase team. Her summer team played mostly against similar kids who were DI softball candidates. This gave the college coaches a good idea of how she might perform against typical kids she would face in college. Honestly, striking out the #7 hitter in high school in no way compares to pitching around the #7 on Lasers Gold in summer. That #7 in high school probably is not a college bound player.

If you are indeed DI material, you should have NO PROBLEM getting on one of the prominent college showcase travel teams. Lots of times, you are already known to them, and it's just a matter of showing up at a tryout. In any case, the fact that you ARE playing at that level shows the college coaches you are absolutely serious about playing in college. Just look where all the college coaches are "shopping"...

If you want to play DI, set a goal! First order of business, ask a KNOWLEDGEABLE coach if they feel you are capable. You want HONESTY here - NOT an "atta boy" rose colored glasses pat on the back! If you REALLY want DI, but set your goal for DIII, that's probably what you'll get. DII pitchers usually do pretty well scholly-wise, there's just not as many available. A $35K DIII tuition ($140K 4-yrs) will usually be cut down to make it equivalent to and competitive with a typical in-state tuition, $15K - $20K ($60K - $80K 4-yrs). Trust me here - a DI pitcher will finish school with much less out of pocket than those numbers. But again, DI is an entirely different experience. I'd compare DI to a full time job, and DIII to a part time job. Depending on your degree, DIII may be a wiser choice in allowing more free time for studies, and a college social life.

As has been said, DI is not everyone's cup of tea, and it is NOT all glory and spotlights. It's TONS of work and commitment, little time off and little social time. In the end the rewards are awesome, but you MUST develop the discipline and have a great work ethic and organizational skills.

Playing time? Give me a break! NO college coach guarantees playing time! You bust your buns and earn it. You MUST beat out every other kid who is also trying to beat you to the #1 spot! You really don't know if you're a bench warmer until the dice are rolled. As far as I'm concerned, the player has the ultimate control - beat out your teammate for that spot and prove you're worthy.

Trust me - DI pitchers who put in the effort garner the most athletic scholarship dollars of all. You should graduate with very little debt - which was our goal. After forking out the equivalent of a college scholarship for travel ball, we couldn't afford another one!!! Bottom line... don't let ANYONE tell you your DD has a slim chance of a full scholarship playing DI softball. Your DD is the ONLY one who controls that - she has ultimate control of that -- IF she's DI material.