WHAT ARE THEY?
In the past few years high school Showcases have become increasingly popular. College and professional scouts are able to attend these showcases and evaluate a number of potential prospects. In years past, they would have to attend several high school games and travel many miles to view the same quality of talent. In addition, they are able to evaluate this quality of talent pitted against one another. This makes a well run Showcase very appealing to high school players that have a desire to play at the next level.
In that light, we have gathered information on some of the more notable showcases throughout the country. The contact information is provided here for players and parents to review and decide if a particular showcase is suitable for the player to attend.
Keep in mind that there are costs associated with attending these showcases. Entry fees, travel costs, lodging, food, etc. can easily reach a thousand dollars for a player and his parents to attend. It is always wise to begin your showcase experience by attending one that is close to your hometown. This will help defray some of the costs. The potential rewards are certainly worth the costs associated. Many of the more reputable showcases are attended by hundreds of college and professional scouts. This maximum exposure to a player that has a good showcase can catapult him into the national spotlight. That recognition could then lead to scholarship offers or a pick in the baseball draft, either of which is a substantial monetary reward to the player.
CHECK THEM OUT!
Because of the tremendous popularity of these showcases, there are many “sharks” out there taking advantage of players wanting to play at the next level. They put on “showcases” that advertise attendance from college and pro scouts that never show up. In essence, they lie to you. Make sure that you research the showcase you have an interest in. Make phone calls, ask questions to area scouts, call colleges advertised in brochures to assure they intend to send a representative to the site. At the same time, notify any colleges that you have an interest in to inform them of your attendance at a particular showcase. They may send a coach or scout down to evaluate your abilities, which could lead to being recruited. You can contact a college at any time, but they may not contact you until the July following your junior year in high school. Call, call, call… let them know you are interested and where you will be playing or showcasing.
WHEN TO ATTEND
The decision of when to attend one of these showcases is largely dependent on your size and abilities. If you have good size as a freshman and played at the varsity level, entering a showcase in the summer following your freshman year would be a wise decision. The earlier you put your name on the national landscape, the better. At the very least, you familiarize yourself with the showcase agenda and “get your feet wet” performing in front of the scout atmosphere. This experience alone can be worth the entry fee to a local showcase.
Remember that many of the attendees will be entering their junior and senior years and may already have gained national recognition. Showing well against these players can immediately give college and pro scouts a reason to “track” your progress through high school. Likewise, a poor or average performance can do you no harm because nobody really knows you. Nor do they expect many freshmen to make an impact on their “tool” charts. Therefore, the younger you are the greater the win-win opportunity.
WHAT THEY EXPECT
Showcases are formatted to “show off” the “tools” of the players to the scouts in attendance. Players are evaluated in relevance to the five “tools’: speed, fielding ability, arm strength, hitting and hitting for power. Players are grouped according to their position and certain positions require certain “tools”. Corner infielders and corner outfielders are expected to hit for power, show decent arm strength and demonstrate average speed. Catchers are evaluated on defensive skills and arm strength. Middle infielders and center fielders are noticed for speed, hitting for average and defensive skills. Pitchers get recognized most for their arm strength. These are the bare bones of it, anytime a player can demonstrate more “tools” than required for the position they will gain recognition.
WHAT YOU SHOULD EXPECT
Players are generally assigned a number to pin to the back of their shirt for identification. Do yourself a favor, wear a shirt with your name on the back whenever possible. Be a name, not a number.
Outfielders are usually showcased first. After the players warm up their arms, the outfielders generally are gathered in right field. They will field 2-3 ground balls and 2-3 fly balls. There is usually a line drawn which they are not allowed to cross when making their throws to the infield. This allows the scouts to judge the strength of the arms on an equal basis. Players should concentrate on charging the ground ball, executing a good crow-hop, hitting the cut-off when required and making accurate throws to the appropriate bases. On fly balls, demonstrating the ability to catch the ball while having momentum toward the infield is a sought after trait. Scouts also look for reaction to the ball off the bat and hustle, hustle, hustle.
Infielders actually begin their showcase informally as the outfielders are “showing off” their skills. On a rotating basis, the players take the throws and execute plays on imaginary runners (sweep tags, etc.). The format for the infielders can take on a variety of styles. Sometimes all infielders are grouped at shortstop, while at others they each field from their respective positions. Scouts are evaluating arm strength, fluidity to the ball, footwork, softness of the hands, quickness of release and the accuracy of throws. Oh, they are also looking for hustle, hustle and more hustle. A good attitude and hustle are the two easiest things to bring to the ball field, do it every time!
Next are usually the catchers. A coach will short toss balls to the catchers from about 40 feet. Catchers are evaluated on the quietness and athleticism of their set position, the softness of their hands, their blocking ability, the quickness of their feet and the footwork employed. Their most important evaluation though is the coveted “pop-time”. This is the time it takes from the moment the ball strikes the catcher’s glove to the moment it pops the fielder’s glove at second base. A good “pop-time” is as important to a catcher as a 90mph fastball is to a pitcher. Anything under 2.0 seconds is considered “good”, under 1.9 or in the low 1.9’s is eye opening to any scout in attendance. That kind of time will result in the scout taking the time to assess your size, year of graduation, projected skills, etc. In short, it gets you what you wanted… noticed.
Usually, pitchers are being showcased during the same time as the other players. They are generally in the bullpens on either side of the field. Most often, the scouts gather to see the pitching talent so a well-run showcase will sometimes show the pitchers by themselves. At any rate, pitchers are evaluated primarily on the speed of their fastball. Scouts are on the lookout for the flame-thrower! They want to see the radar gun light up in the 90’s, preferably the mid to high 90’s. Sure they evaluate your size, control, breaking and off-speed pitches, mechanics, rhythm, lefties, etc. But the bottom line is the radar gun and how fast you pitch. So, if you can throw it… throw it! Register a number. It gets you noticed. If you can’t blaze a big number, concentrate on what you do well. Be mechanically sound, break off good pitches, hit your spots, etc. Show off your strengths, throwing 90 does not make you a good pitcher. It just gets you ‘noticed’. You are who you are… be comfortable with that.
Hitting is usually the last tool to be showcased. Most often it is set up like a batting practice with a hitting cage and players not in the hitting “rotation” shagging balls. This is a good time to show off your fielding skills and hustle. These are live balls being hit, you can get noticed making a few great plays. Do not stand around and shoot the breeze during this portion of the showcase. Take the opportunity to “show off”, that’s why you are there! You never know who is watching.
Players will usually get 5-10 pitches per “round” and most times will get at least two “rounds” to show their hitting prowess. Some showcases have “rounds” for metal bats and “rounds” for wood bats. Almost always the pitches are thrown by a coach and not by a machine. First and foremost, show them you can hit. Hit clean, crisp, solid contact shots during your first “round”. If you have a successful first “round”, you can concentrate on powering up on your second or third time through. Only do this if you have the power to show off, or your position demands you to hit for power. Scouts are interested in your swing mechanics, bat speed, balance and how solidly you strike the ball. Home runs do attract attention, especially with a wood bat. But if you can’t hit them with some regularity without straining your swing mechanics, or missing pitches other kids are stinging to alleys and blasting through holes in the infield, don’t even try. On the other hand, if you can hit them… by all means hit them!! Remember to hustle in and out of the cage. If you had a particularly bad “round” don’t mope around and hang your head. Just go back in there and get them on the next “round”. Show confidence even in failure.
The bigger showcases, depending on the length, will generally dedicate part of a day to live scrimmages. Sometimes the players are divided into teams and have a mini tournament competing against each other. This is the perfect opportunity for a player that may have had a mediocre tournament to gain some attention, or for a player that got some “looks” to really raise their stock. More importantly, it allows the scouts to see how you play the game. What is your attitude, your demeanor, your hustle? Does the catcher turn and ask for a new ball from the umpire, or does he bust after each ball no matter where it is. Does he hustle down the first base line trailing the runner? Does the hitter hang his head and smash the bat to the ground upon striking out? Do the fielders hustle after foul balls. You get the idea. This is where the intangibles are evaluated. The leadership, the clutch performances, the total demeanor and approach to the game are all evaluated along with the display of the “tools” in game situations. Scouts put the clock on every hitter, the moment the ball touches the bat, to get a home to first time in game situations. How many times have you “jogged” to first when you knew you were out? Wonder who was watching?
Remember that it is sometimes the “luck of the draw” in these scrimmages. Pitchers are usually rotated in every 2 innings. Sometimes you get the freshman that throws 70mph and sometimes you get the flame-thrower that has turned every scouts head at the showcase. As a hitter, you should relish either opportunity. If you succeed against the flame-thrower… guess what? Everyone will notice you! Keep a positive attitude and enjoy your showcase experience. Remember, you never know who is watching!
High School Showcases
Showcases designated with 4*’s or greater requires the recommendation of a professional scout and/or a college scout to attend. Contact the respective showcase for additional information or requirements.
Aldrete Baseball Academy
P.O. Box 4042
Monterey, CA 93942
831-884-0400
All American Talent Showcase
6 Bicentennial Ct.
Erial, NJ 08081
856-424-5875
856-424-8573
ALLStar Baseball Academy
650 Parkway Blvd.
Broomall, PA 19008
610-355-2411
Ballpark@Duluth
1770 Breckinridge
Building 200
Duluth, GA 30136
770-717-9425
Baseball Factory****
3290 Pine Orchard Ln. #D
Ellicott City, MD 21042
800-641-4487
www.baseballfactory.com
Champions Baseball
1819 Taylor Ave.
Louisville, KY 40213
502-458-9090
College Select****
P.O. Box 783
Manchester, CT 06040
800-782-3672
Fax: 800-860-645-1067
www.collegeselect.org
Doyle Baseball
P.O. Box 9156
Winter Haven, FL 33833
941-439-1000
www.doylebaseball.com
East Coast Professional*****
601 S. College Rd.
Wilmington, NC 28403
910-962-3570
EJ Sports Showcase
P.O. Box 2989
San Ramon, CA 94583
925-735-2350
http://ejsports.com
Mark Cresse Baseball
33-700 Date Palm Dr.
Cathedral City, CA 92234
760-324-5600
www.bigleaguedreams.com
Metro Showcases
984 Aspen Valley Ave.
Las Vegas, NV 89123
888-818-0044
Perfect Game****
1203 Rockford Rd. SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
319-298-2923
www.perfectgame.org
Pro Select Baseball****
P.O. Box 36
Franklin lakes, NJ 07417
201-337-7440
Top Guns****
7800 N. Franklin Rd. #2
Cour D’Alene, ID 83815
208-762-1100
