Next Level Signings ?

[Between the Lines]

Who is moving up to next level in the next 2 years and where ?

[ManitouDan2]

Shawnee has a few SEO players joining us . Sr's --- Brooke Blevins - Unioto Haley Rawlins , So Point , Laiken Salyers Wheelersburg.
(SSU recruited a couple juniors and at least 1 Sr but were unsuccessful.)
Burg has M Cunningham going to LSU and Coleman going to Morehead . Howard is attempting to go to NKU , that might have materialized recently. Burg has a couple others going to play but I cant remember who is going where .
Symmes Valley has Payne going to Rio Grande
Meeks from Alexander to a school in NY .
Really a pretty thin senior class in Scioto Co. this year . Some great players but not much depth. Schools that usually have a college player or two didn't have them this time around .
I'm probably forgetting a couple , maybe someone can help me out .

[iam4osu]

MORRIS FROM FAIRLAND GOING TO ST JOSHEPS IN NEW YORK

[softballfan2112]

Burg also has Reyes going to Muskingham and Klaiber going to Long Island University

[Jif]

Meigs two seniors, Gilkey going to West Liberty, Fox going to OU-C. Had offers from others but was a good fit for her.

[softballfan2112]

Payne from Symmes Valley going to Rio Grande

[Falcon01]

Micheale Criner from FU is going to Rio. Not sure why... she should easily be playing D1. I'm not being a homer either. Pretty much everyone I've talked to from other places that see her play, are shocked when they find out she's going to Rio. She's gonna crush it down there.

[clevelandbrowns#1]

To be a Div 1 athlete from our area you have to be an amazing player. Your work habits, athletic ability has to be head and shoulders above anyone else. Why? Go watch Div.1 athletes play and you will understand why we don't turn out many. We have some but not many-Koch @ BG, Dillow @ BG, Coleman from Wheelersburg going to Morehead and Cunningham to LSU. I know there are more but if you are good enough DIV 1 will find you. The competition in this area is very weak!

[Gopher]

To be a Div 1 athlete from our area you have to be an amazing player. Your work habits, athletic ability has to be head and shoulders above anyone else. Why? Go watch Div.1 athletes play and you will understand why we don't turn out many. We have some but not many-Koch @ BG, Dillow @ BG, Coleman from Wheelersburg going to Morehead and Cunningham to LSU. I know there are more but if you are good enough DIV 1 will find you. The competition in this area is very weak!

CB1 - Good post. However, D1 schools will NOT find you, you have to get in front of them. The only way to do that is to play summer ball on the highest level teams. Just as the players you mentioned. I am sure that the LSU coach did not make a trip to Wheelersburg to watch Cunningham play. Instead she was noticed at a high level showcase either in Chicago, down south, or out west. As far as work habits, the national average for D1 Softball practice per week is 39 hours while taking a full class load and probably the mandatory 8-10 hours of study tables each week for athletes. So it truly is like having a full time job (with overtime) and going to college at the same time. Not many are willing to make that sacrifice.

[softballfan2112]

Why does everyone get hung up on D1 signings. Just because a player is able to sign a D1 offer doesn't mean they should. These girls have 4 years left of ball, period. Going D1 looks great on signing day, but if you sit the bench for 3 years was it really a good choice? Should a fringe D1 player go D1 and get lost in the shuffle, or go to a high level D2 school and contribute right off the bat, and enjoy all 4 years? Then there is the choice of going to a bottom tier D1 school, and never playing for a championship, or going to D2 and potentially playing for a national title. Winning is fun, losing not so much.

And don't let softball dictate where you go to school. A great D1 softball school may not be a great fit academically for a particular player. You get to spend 4 years playing ball, but a lifetime to spend with what you get out of it academically. It is great if both are good fits, but if not, I would go with great academics.

[Between the Lines]

I agree with your statement Softballfan2112 ! Sometimes it's were the best fit is. Bigger is not always the answer. D1 or a NAIA school. .1 It's about the education .2 Best deal money wise. (Remember not all D1's get full scholarships) 3. The fit vs. school for each person. I've seen kids go to a D1 school and the next year transfer to a NAIA school because it just wasn't a fit. I'm sure some NAIA players could play D1, Keep in mind no matter if its NCAA or NAIA it's all a business. $ $ $ is the bottom line for school and most students, and a student loan is not fun paying back. Sometimes small schools can offer a better package ! Also not very many college softball players go pro after college, so the course of study is the main objective.

[ManitouDan2]

Excellent post BTL . This year at the NAIA level we have played against many players that have played at , or were offered D1 rides . Graduating with a usable degree and not being 6 figures in debt is a smart choice . Plus having some fun along the way

[clevelandbrowns#1]

First of all, if you are a Div 1 athlete you WILL be found. I promise you that if your son or daughter is the best pitcher that throws it 86-90's baseball speed, dominates the league in hitting against very good competition your son or daughters name will be out there. If they aren't Div. 1 material on and off the field they will not be offered a scholarship. Remember it is a business $$$. A Div 1 coach is not gonna offer a scholarship to someone who doesn't have the ability or work ethic to make him/her some more $$$. Winning for those schools means more $$$. Some of you are correct that the best fit and education is the important thing. If your son was offered a scholarship to Ohio State, Shawnee State, Tiffin, a Community college, etc... which one would your kid choose??? If you had to pay say $10,000 a year for your son/daughter to go to OSU, Kentucky, Wake Forest, etc... or pay $2,000 a year for them to go to a NAIA school what would you choose?? Make sure you all know that I'm not putting down any college here. A scholarship whether it is an academic or an athletic one is a great thing.

Manitou Dan, you said," played against many that have played at, or offered div. 1 rides"?? Name me 5 and where they went or who offered them rides? Most of the time the reason why a player chose to leave a Div 1 school and play at NAIA elsewhere was either they couldn't play at that level, got homesick and came home or the coach wasn't good. Come on Man!!! You also said plus have some fun?? What makes ball fun is; winning, playing, being successful, getting my education paid for. Fun is not; losing (record 11-35 or 15-30) not playing, or hitting .125, not scoring any runs, pitching and going 4-18, not being successful and paying for my education.

[softballfan2112]

College coaches are not coming to high school games, especially those not near larger cities. They have their own seasons going on. If you don't go to the showcase tournaments, and/or college camps you could very well be a D1 level talent, and never be seen. Even if you play in the showcase tournaments you better be e mailing coaches letting them know you are interested in their school, and what times you play.

[leftyfastpitch]

Heard ball state pitching coach was at a mid state league game last week

[clevelandbrowns#1]

Think what you want, but Div 1 coaches aren't going to come and watch NAIA caliber talent. If you are good enough to play div 1 and can help them win they will show up to see you ANYWHERE.

[softballfan2112]

They are going to show up to watch a player compete against South Webster (No offense to South Webster)? What are they going to see? Are they going to love the fact that you can hit a pitcher who throws in the mid 40's? If you advance to the state tournament where the competition is adequate they might come and see some games. The next time you see a D1 coach at an OVC or SOC game you let me know.

[ManitouDan2]

Browns fan I'm not going to surprised if you don't buy what I' selling , that's fine . Campbellsville Ky has a team full of D1 level players , understand I'm not saying a team full of SEC , Big Ten type stuff, but they have 4-5 players at a min that would fit in the MAC perfectly fine . They been ranked top 5 nationally all year . Have you seen them play ? Just curious , maybe you are really in tune with the top level teams in the Mid South conference. Their ace is a 2 time NAIA All American . To throw out a couple that their coaches said turned down small % major d1 rides to accept full rides at the NAIA level - Jenna Firestein SR CF for Lindsey Wilson, said no to 25 % at Auburn U . Murielle Vansach CF for Judson Univ , said no to Texas A&M .
These type kids are exceptions to your general statement that theres a large gap between D1 and NAIA , and there is a gap . No doubt about that . But the gap between top ten NAIA's ( in which the mid south conference has 2 teams in that level) and the bottom of the MAC is not much at all. Rio beat Miami U 3-2 last fall throwing their # 2 pitcher . Miami plays for the MAC tourney championship this weekend . And while Rio is really good there is 20 or so NAIA teams ranked ahead of them .

[ManitouDan2]

And SSU is adding a d1 transfer for next season as well .

[Gopher]

And SSU is adding a d1 transfer for next season as well .

Bet I know who that is. She will be a huge asset to your team.