Saw the top-ranked 2027 player this weekend

[Orange Socks]

Remember not all D1 can be lumped in the same pile. It's a stratification even in P5. DD played with an against P5 kids over the years. Some of those kids are good but I was not blown away by most. I guess I was just used to seeing these players every weekend. But when they got to their school's that's when they shined. There is definitely a stratification within the players at these programs. But yeah, there are those 2% players that you know immediately they have talent and work ethic. They just carry themselves differently than others. That's what those coaches are looking for.

 

[uncdrew]

I've always wondered what it would be like to see a top tier prospect. We play on a fairly strong regional A level team in the Northeast. We are not going to Colorado or Georgia for tournaments. In all of the years my daughter has been playing ball, I've seen 2 girls that I thought have D1 talent (or what I think is D1 talent). Both pitchers - one a 2027, that has since moved on to the National team for her organization. The other a 2028, who is throwing 60 at 12u. I'd love to see a D1 prospect position player, just to see if they would stand out to me - not a Jocelyn Alo type, but a middle of the pack D1 player.

My DD completely lucked out to grow up in a softball hotbed of sorts, here in Georgia. We have some girls on the team that you simply know will play D1 if they want to. Everything just looks so easy, so natural, so fluid. It's impressive stuff. We play top-level tourneys and have girls legitimately batting over .500 (against very good pitching). Again, it just looks so ridiculously easy for them.

 

[uncdrew]

Good to know. I guess I just figured that those type of players would be easy to spot by 14u - especially when you heard stories of 12-14 year olds getting scholarship offers before they changed the rules.

Jana Johns (of OU fame) grew up in the town where a few of our players live. She has her name and jersey retired on their high school field. She helps with our practices some and I was chatting with her one day and she told me she got her scholarship from South Carolina when she was in 8th grade. Our current team is all 8th graders. Simply crazy to think they'd be getting offers at this age.

 

[Orange Socks]

Jana Johns (of OU fame) grew up in the town were a few of our players live. She has her name and jersey retired on their high school field. She helps with our practices some and I was chatting with her one day and she told me she got her scholarship from South Carolina when she was in 8th grade. Our current team is all 8th graders. Simply crazy to think they'd be getting offers at this age.

That was our reality when DD was in 14U. We felt like we were behind. She committed to her school fall of Jr year, which was on time for D3 schools back then. Now most kids are not committing that early for most D1's. They are just starting their visits.

 

[uncdrew]

That was our reality when DD was in 14U. We felt like we were behind. She committed to her school fall of Jr year, which was on time for D3 schools back then. Now most kids are not committing that early for most D1's. They are just starting their visits.

Wow. I know there's anxiety around the Sept 1 of Junior Year date, as I witnessed it with some of the high school girls this year. And as I expected, none of them got calls that day/week/month.

I can't imagine what players thought when that stretched out for 4 years. Yikes.

I'm already nervous about the process for my 13 year old. Not much, really, and I don't think of it much. But I can see it coming. I just tell her to focus on her grades and having fun getting better at softball.

 

[_MIA_]

Remember not all D1 can be lumped in the same pile. It's a stratification even in P5. DD played with an against P5 kids over the years. Some of those kids are good but I was not blown away by most. I guess I was just used to seeing these players every weekend. But when they got to their school's that's when they shined. There is definitely a stratification within the players at these programs. But yeah, there are those 2% players that you know immediately they have talent and work ethic. They just carry themselves differently than others. That's what those coaches are looking for.

Not many kids signing in 8th grade were going to mid majors..that was my point.

 

[Orange Socks]

Not many kids signing in 8th grade were going to mid majors..that was my point.

Understood...but they were still committing at 8th grade back then to any school that would give an offer. I know a kid who committed to a mid major in the Philly area in 8th grade. Everyone was scratching their head when she committed. She just completed her Soph year this season. Ho hum stats. She was great in rec ball and on all the mediocre 3rd tier TB teams she hopped to and from. Mom posts unaware ridiculous stuff on social.

 

[DropcityUSA]

I've always wondered what it would be like to see a top tier prospect. We play on a fairly strong regional A level team in the Northeast. We are not going to Colorado or Georgia for tournaments. In all of the years my daughter has been playing ball, I've seen 2 girls that I thought have D1 talent (or what I think is D1 talent). Both pitchers - one a 2027, that has since moved on to the National team for her organization. The other a 2028, who is throwing 60 at 12u. I'd love to see a D1 prospect position player, just to see if they would stand out to me - not a Jocelyn Alo type, but a middle of the pack D1 player.

I know 6 pitchers in the area (NJ, Eastern PA, Delaware) that throw 60mph at 12u, including all 3 on my DD’s team. (There could be more.) I’m guessing you’re talking about the lefty. She’s really good, but my DD’s team has surprising had her number recently. I think 60mph is more common outside this area . A 12-u girl for the Bandits has hit 67mph in game - now that’s a D-1 prospect.

 

[Vertigo]

Understood...but they were still committing at 8th grade back then to any school that would give an offer. I know a kid who committed to a mid major in the Philly area in 8th grade. Everyone was scratching their head when she committed. She just completed her Soph year this season. Ho hum stats. She was great in rec ball and on all the mediocre 3rd tier TB teams she hopped to and from. Mom posts unaware ridiculous stuff on social.

There was one particular mid-major in the Philly area notorious for getting a lot of young girls to commit, especially local players from the area. Saw a few of those girls decommit and move on to much better SB schools, while some got dropped by the coach right before being able to sign their NLI. I know that coach is long gone now - but it was crazy to watch it happen before they changed the rules.

 

[Vertigo]

I still firmly believe it comes down to genetics for pitchers to be able to throw a lot of innings and never get injured. Everyone is built differently, and the shoulder area could have slight variances in structure that make it more susceptible to overuse injuries in some pitchers. In those particular players, it is probably extremely important in what they do in pre-season and before and after each game they pitch which can either help prevent or cause them to be more susceptible to injury.