What separates high school and college baseball?

[miloman]

I think that at each step along the way the single most important difference is the committment from the players. In little league, the kids are out there because their parents want them to be, their friends are playing or they think that it will be fun. At the middle school level, many of the kids that played little league drop out because they don't want to commit as much time as middle school requires. At the high school level, many who played in middle school drop out because they don't want to make the committment that high school requires. At the college level, most that played high school drop out because they don't want to make the committment that college requires. Sounds like a broken record huh.....

 

The talent at each level gets progressively greater, therefore, for a kid to stay competitive as they move up, they must work harder, put in more time and sacrifice other things that are important to them. The kids who are willing to make the sacrifice will move on up, but those that reach their pennacle of committment will drop out at different points in the food chain.

 

Other factors are involved as well, such as an Inate God Given talent and being in the right system with coaches and support staff that help motivate. However, I do believe that if I had to pick a Single element that seperates each level, it would be the amount of committment from the player. JMO

 

I agree with the last comment, as well as the others. I do however feel the key word we are lookinig for is discipline. At the college level players are disciplined. They do thier job on and off the field. Mom and dad are out of the picture, they should be at all levels but their not. Players must learn to play the game. The game has to be respected. We don't throw bats and helmets. I new a kid that lost a potential college scholarship because his potential college coach saw him at a hs game throw his bat and helmet after striking out, he was still in HS. Afterwords the coach told him he did not feel the choices would work out. HS players need to be disciplined themselves, not by the coach. The next level will demand this. This is why we see better pictures, better hitters, better fielders.. They are disciplined to learn, to practice, to play. If you are still in HS start now. College coaches dont't have the time to get you up to this level, you must already be there to play at the next level. Remember, this game of baseball owes you nothing. In fact it can be very humiliating at times. The greatest hitters never batted .500. There is very few perfect games pitched. Errors will happen. Are they physical or mental. You must strive to be mentally fit. Baseball players are humans, humans make mistakes/errors. Good look to all future college players and remember, start this level now because the college level does not have time to get you there first.

[JuanUribe]

The higher up the food chain you go in college the tougher it is.

Even some of the NAIA schools have pitchers that throw in the low 90's.

You MUST be able to hit to play in college. Repeat you MUST be able to hit.

Not just some times but all the times. There are very few pitchers who don't throw at least 82 - 84 in college. Measure yourself against the best pitcher you face each season - he will probably be at the college level somewhere.

[smallin1way]

One word........TALENT!!!!

[doubleplay96]

Im in my first year of playing college ball and the biggest difference ive seen from high school to college is speed of the game. I play shortstop and it seems like everybody is so much faster. I literally have to get rid of the ball as soon as i field it. Everybody is so much stronger. There is so much more pop in the bat of a college player. It seems like every ball hit almost is hit hard. And the last big difference ive seen in the college game is pitching. Pitchers locate so much better and breaking balls are so much better. Its a totally different world

[StriperGuy24]

SPEED OF THE GAME

 

SIZE of the players

 

SLIDER

 

Did I mention SPEED OF THE GAME

Good post, from everybody I have talked to ( as a positon player ) says you have to learn to hit a GOOD slider, heat isnt nothing but ya just from watching and seeing some of the players from UT it really is a different world. The fun and games are over, its almost a job from there on, for the ones who are going to move on!

[3-6-3]

Im in my first year of playing college ball and the biggest difference ive seen from high school to college is speed of the game. I play shortstop and it seems like everybody is so much faster. I literally have to get rid of the ball as soon as i field it. Everybody is so much stronger. There is so much more pop in the bat of a college player. It seems like every ball hit almost is hit hard. And the last big difference ive seen in the college game is pitching. Pitchers locate so much better and breaking balls are so much better. Its a totally different world

 

 

very good synopsis --------- the other is talent.... my advice to players is to go see the college game at differenct levels - go see some TJCCAA ball, some NAIA ball, some SEC, etc and you will see differences in each of those.......

 

i don't believe you hit great breaking balls, you hit the mistakes, the hangers...... those decrease as you increase your level of play

 

size, speed, arm strength, etc is all different..... of course you have exceptions for one reason or another.. a lot of times it is the academic prowess that turns a d1 into a juco for example..... grades are very important for players because if you can get academic money it will help alot

 

 

REO Speedwagon is my favorite band......... i've seen them 10 or so times in concert - "Blazin' your own trail again"...

Edited March 24, 2006 by 3-6-3

[StudCantrell]

I will give yall two perspectives, one from a playing aspect and the other from a coaching aspect. I was on the bench for four years t the college level and was an assistant coach for 4 years at the college level. I have 13 years coaching experience at the high school level. I believe I can give everybody a good idea about both levels.

 

1.) As a player you will see a big diffence in the talent, speed, and the maturity of the game. A lot of high school studs are hardly challenged in HS, knowing that there is no one on the bench to replace them and don't work hard enough to prepare for college ball. When they get to college they will see that everybody is as good or better than they are. They are not used to this type of competition and it takes a long time to adust to that. Many don't make the adjustment of all and quit. Baseball is a full time job in college. I remember getting up at 5 am for practice, going back to the dorm at 7 am to shower, eat breakfast, and make it in time for my 8 am class. After classes, have a three-hr. practice or go to games. Get back to dorm late, do homework, study for test, go to bed. Repeat it the next day. It's a produce or sit on the bench deal in college. Where in high school, depth is not as deep and some players are kept in the line-up longer than they would be in college. In college, the speed is incredible , the challenge of competing, and being mature enough to handle all the adversity what separates it for high school. Mom and Dad are not on campus with you, you have to deal with adversity on your own and lean on your teammates to help. My Dad told me when I left for college, "This is the beginning. You are about to become a man. You're on your own. Don't quit when things are looking bad. Remember what your going to college for."

 

2.) From a coaching point of view, coaches recruit players that fit their style of play. High school coaches coach the players that goes to school there. The players are easier to coach at the college level. They are so athletic and understand what you are explaining to them, you don't spend as much time on some things where in HS you might have to spend an entire practice on one thing. It is more repitition in HS. Again the players in college are recruited to fit your system so practices are not as agaonizing as HS practices can be. Players at both levels work hard and the rewards that goes with coaching them are priceless.

 

3.) The biggest thing that separates HS and college ball is parents. I can only remember one instance in my 8 years of college ball where a parent tried to interfere. Needless to say, that player and his parents didn't last too much longer in our program. Parents rarely go against the grain in college. They help us in fund raising but not as much as they do in HS. College parents realize that baseball is paying a part of their son's education and are grateful that their son is getting a chance to be a part of someting. Most of the times, if a player or parent is not happy, they simply transfer to another school. Parents don't go to the university president , AD, or the board of trust. They say good-bye and transfer to another school in hopes of finding what they want. Also, parents of college players rarely questioned the coach's decisons on the field or the way they do things. Mainly because they have to be good to coach at the college level and have the background to be a college coach. Most parents don't have the baseball background of the college coach and are less inclined to challenge him.

 

4.) HS parents are a differnent story. They are so much more involved in the program, example being booster clubs. A lot believe if they raise the most money, their son should be an everday player regardless of his talent level. Most fathers have played high school ball and coached summer ball (little league, legion, etc.) and they feel like they know more that the HS coach. They tend to forget that the HS coach in most cases played college ball, learning from a good college coach. Some HS coaches have played in some form a little pro ball and yet some Dads feel like they can coach better than the HS coach. I once had a parent tell me that this so-and-so kid was just an average Babe Ruth player. Well, that so-and-so player wound up being named All-District twice and played two years of juco ball. It's a good thing I didn't listen to that parent. HS parents don't think twice about going to the dugout during the game to criticize the coach. "Why aint my boy playing?"Or after a big win, the coach cannot celebrate the win for five minutes without a parent raising stink about something. YOU NEVER SEE THAT IN COLLEGE BALL!!!! Parents are not scared to go to the principal, AD, school board member, or the director of schools. I'm not talking about all the parents, for the most they are great. If it wasn't for their efforts, a lot of high schools wouldn't have a baseball program.

 

I hope that helped yall in knowing the diffences in HS and College Ball!

[RHSALUM]

In a word TIME. The amount of time that a college player practices, plays and works out is probably 10-50 times more than that of a HS player. I have played both and that was the biggest difference I saw other than the obvious speed of game, etc.

[broad_axe]

In a word TIME. The amount of time that a college player practices, plays and works out is probably 10-50 times more than that of a HS player. I have played both and that was the biggest difference I saw other than the obvious speed of game, etc.

I'm guessing your from Riverside by your earlier posts on here. If you played HS baseball there I would guess you noticed several glaring differences in the two levels. Namely, they play more than 20 games in college. Can you name anyone else from Riverside that has played college baseball?

[bizazz]

Stud,

 

Excellent post.

[RHSALUM]

I'm guessing your from Riverside by your earlier posts on here. If you played HS baseball there I would guess you noticed several glaring differences in the two levels. Namely, they play more than 20 games in college. Can you name anyone else from Riverside that has played college baseball?

 

In the 70's - Tracey Chandler, Tony Montgomery.

In the 80's - Joel Goff, Jeff Rhodes, Terry Odle, Kevin Wallace, myself.

In the 90's - Kevin McKenzie, Cory Hernandez

In the 00's - Ryan Duncan, John Michael Lee, On a whole different level Anthony Webster ( playing in the Texas Organization now, drafted out of high school)

 

Riverside plays about 30 games a year now. When I played it was about 15 games, so you are fairly accurate broad axe

[broad_axe]

In the 70's - Tracey Chandler, Tony Montgomery.

In the 80's - Joel Goff, Jeff Rhodes, Terry Odle, Kevin Wallace, myself.

In the 90's - Kevin McKenzie, Cory Hernandez

In the 00's - Ryan Duncan, John Michael Lee, On a whole different level Anthony Webster ( playing in the Texas Organization now, drafted out of high school)

 

Riverside plays about 30 games a year now. When I played it was about 15 games, so you are fairly accurate broad axe

Well, I guess mine's the blackest on this one. No idea that many people from RHS played at the next level. Perhaps narrowing it down to those that played D-1 would be more telling. Maybe I should have said how many people from Riverside lettered in baseball in college. Either way I'm sure the list would be shorter. Oh yeah, didn't Quinn play at Riverside. He was a better hitter than 95% of that list, and you forgot him. Anyway how is Riverside this year?