The Official 2021 Summer Ball Thread

#329
#329
TN_gal said:
Ryan Schumpert (formerly of Volquest, now with Rocky Top Insider) has an article about the Vols and summer league play:

Where Are Tennessee Baseball Players Playing In Summer Leagues
Click to expand...
Someone fill me in on how this summer ball works. Is it by invite? coaches suggestion? Why a particular league over another? Can a player pick what league he wants to play in? Why didn’t Steenstra participate in summer ball? I have so many lame noob questions!
GBO!!
 
#330
#330
cobbwebb0710 said:
Someone fill me in on how this summer ball works. Is it by invite? coaches suggestion? Why a particular league over another? Can a player pick what league he wants to play in? Why didn’t Steenstra participate in summer ball? I have so many lame noob questions!
GBO!!
Click to expand...
I can try to help answer some questions.

The Cape is the best, no doubt about it (but if you can play for Team USA, do that, IMO). Depending on who you ask, our league (the Coastal Plain League) is the second or third best, but I'm biased. The author of a story by ESPN said we were the step below the Cape. A number of our guys will play on the Cape a year or two after they play for us.

Speaking from my perspective, we get our own players, but that happens in a few ways. Our coaches have the bulk of the responsibility of filling the roster, but my partner in the team and I also are involved in getting guys. We all have our own connections. For the most part, our head coach has the final say- that's what we're paying him to do. We've built relationships with coaches and college programs over the years where college coaches know who they're sending their players to for summertime development. As coaches move around, our relationships continue. You'll see guys on our roster from as far away as Long Beach State and in the past Washington State- we know the coaches, and they know us. Our roster for 2022 will be mostly set by this fall. We'll also get unsolicited calls, emails and videos from college coaches (and players too) wanting to place guys with us. We're fortunate enough to be able to be picky.

As a Tennessee alum, I take pride that we can help out the UT baseball program. We also have interns, and twice in recent seasons, the most interns from one school came from UT. This past spring I got an upper level marketing class at UT to take us on as a class project, and we've used some of their suggestions/material.

We get guys from D1, D2 and occasionally D3. There are good players on all levels. This season we had a guy from Princeton pitch a three hit complete game; he was on absolute fire.

Other factors college coaches consider include facilities, food, and the length of bus trips. We play in a very nice ballpark with a great playing surface. Some leagues play on high school fields. Some leagues charge the players to play- we don't. We provide good postgame meals to both teams, some places give concession stand leftovers. We travel on a nice charter bus, and outside the playoffs we don't go much more than 3 hours for an away game (I'm aware of a league that will go six hours one way, play the game, and then turn around and go back all the same day). We have Trackman and the other analytics which we share with a player's school. We draw MLB scouts to games; I like to see who they're scouting.

Some players want to play close to home, which I understand. Often their coaches are good with that, so they go to a league near home. Some players don't play at all for different reasons- pitched too much, nursing an injury, need to go to summer school, etc.

Parents of players also come to games. This past weekend, I visited with parents of players from Notre Dame, Tennessee, UNC- Charlotte and Clemson. A Long Beach State family is coming from California soon. Families will come all summer.

We're a small market team. I'll sell you a spot on our outfield wall (hint, hint to anyone who wants to advertise in North Carolina- do I have a deal for you!), I've designed ballcaps, tshirts, done crazy promotions, carried bags of ice and made group sales. It allows me to be creative. My partner in the team pours his heart and soul into it.

College baseball is my favorite sport, hands down. I'm thankful that my wife has been supportive of my love of baseball for decades.

GBO.
 
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#331
#331
@1RBFjr said:
I can try to help answer some questions.

The Cape is the best, no doubt about it (but if you can play for Team USA, do that, IMO). Depending on who you ask, our league (the Coastal Plain League) is the second or third best, but I'm biased. The author of a story by ESPN said we were the step below the Cape. A number of our guys will play on the Cape a year or two after they play for us.

Speaking from my perspective, we get our own players, but that happens in a few ways. Our coaches have the bulk of the responsibility of filling the roster, but my partner in the team and I also are involved in getting guys. We all have our own connections. For the most part, our head coach has the final say- that's what we're paying him to do. We've built relationships with coaches and college programs over the years where college coaches know who they're sending their players to for summertime development. As coaches move around, our relationships continue. You'll see guys on our roster from as far away as Long Beach State and in the past Washington State- we know the coaches, and they know us. Our roster for 2022 will be mostly set by this fall. We'll also get unsolicited calls, emails and videos from college coaches (and players too) wanting to place guys with us. We're fortunate enough to be able to be picky.

As a Tennessee alum, I take pride that we can help out the UT baseball program. We also have interns, and twice in recent seasons, the most interns from one school came from UT. This past spring I got an upper level marketing class at UT to take us on as a class project, and we've used some of their suggestions/material.

We get guys from D1, D2 and occasionally D3. There are good players on all levels. This season we had a guy from Princeton pitch a three hit complete game; he was on absolute fire.

Other factors college coaches consider include facilities, food, and the length of bus trips. We play in a very nice ballpark with a great playing surface. Some leagues play on high school fields. Some leagues charge the players to play- we don't. We provide good postgame meals to both teams, some places give concession stand leftovers. We travel on a nice charter bus, and outside the playoffs we don't go much more than 3 hours for an away game (I'm aware of a league that will go six hours one way, play the game, and then turn around and go back all the same day). We have Trackman and the other analytics which we share with a player's school. We draw MLB scouts to games; I like to see who they're scouting.

Some players want to play close to home, which I understand. Often their coaches are good with that, so they go to a league near home. Some players don't play at all for different reasons- pitched too much, nursing an injury, need to go to summer school, etc.

Parents of players also come to games. This past weekend, I visited with parents of players from Notre Dame, Tennessee, UNC- Charlotte and Clemson. A Long Beach State family is coming from California soon. Families will come all summer.

We're a small market team. I'll sell you a spot on our outfield wall (hint, hint to anyone who wants to advertise in North Carolina- do I have a deal for you!), I've designed ballcaps, tshirts, done crazy promotions, carried bags of ice and made group sales. It allows me to be creative. My partner in the team pours his heart and soul into it.

College baseball is my favorite sport, hands down. I'm thankful that my wife has been supportive of my love of baseball for decades.

GBO.
Click to expand...
You are living the dream.

That is awesome.
 
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#335
#335
@1RBFjr said:
I looked on the team’s website and he wasn’t there. Any idea if he had a conditional/temporary contract?
Click to expand...

He was there, he played…I would be making an assumption that he was a temp, but it would be a reasonable assumption, he was released on Monday. The 4th of July weekend is usually about the time.
 
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#341
#341
@1RBFjr said:
I can try to help answer some questions.

The Cape is the best, no doubt about it (but if you can play for Team USA, do that, IMO). Depending on who you ask, our league (the Coastal Plain League) is the second or third best, but I'm biased. The author of a story by ESPN said we were the step below the Cape. A number of our guys will play on the Cape a year or two after they play for us.

Speaking from my perspective, we get our own players, but that happens in a few ways. Our coaches have the bulk of the responsibility of filling the roster, but my partner in the team and I also are involved in getting guys. We all have our own connections. For the most part, our head coach has the final say- that's what we're paying him to do. We've built relationships with coaches and college programs over the years where college coaches know who they're sending their players to for summertime development. As coaches move around, our relationships continue. You'll see guys on our roster from as far away as Long Beach State and in the past Washington State- we know the coaches, and they know us. Our roster for 2022 will be mostly set by this fall. We'll also get unsolicited calls, emails and videos from college coaches (and players too) wanting to place guys with us. We're fortunate enough to be able to be picky.

As a Tennessee alum, I take pride that we can help out the UT baseball program. We also have interns, and twice in recent seasons, the most interns from one school came from UT. This past spring I got an upper level marketing class at UT to take us on as a class project, and we've used some of their suggestions/material.

We get guys from D1, D2 and occasionally D3. There are good players on all levels. This season we had a guy from Princeton pitch a three hit complete game; he was on absolute fire.

Other factors college coaches consider include facilities, food, and the length of bus trips. We play in a very nice ballpark with a great playing surface. Some leagues play on high school fields. Some leagues charge the players to play- we don't. We provide good postgame meals to both teams, some places give concession stand leftovers. We travel on a nice charter bus, and outside the playoffs we don't go much more than 3 hours for an away game (I'm aware of a league that will go six hours one way, play the game, and then turn around and go back all the same day). We have Trackman and the other analytics which we share with a player's school. We draw MLB scouts to games; I like to see who they're scouting.

Some players want to play close to home, which I understand. Often their coaches are good with that, so they go to a league near home. Some players don't play at all for different reasons- pitched too much, nursing an injury, need to go to summer school, etc.

Parents of players also come to games. This past weekend, I visited with parents of players from Notre Dame, Tennessee, UNC- Charlotte and Clemson. A Long Beach State family is coming from California soon. Families will come all summer.

We're a small market team. I'll sell you a spot on our outfield wall (hint, hint to anyone who wants to advertise in North Carolina- do I have a deal for you!), I've designed ballcaps, tshirts, done crazy promotions, carried bags of ice and made group sales. It allows me to be creative. My partner in the team pours his heart and soul into it.

College baseball is my favorite sport, hands down. I'm thankful that my wife has been supportive of my love of baseball for decades.

GBO.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info!
GBO!!
 
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#346
#346
CNT: Stars vs. Stripes Game 6





AUDIO BROADCAST: Starting the second half of the 2021 Collegiate National Team Stars vs. Stripes series in Bristol, Va


 
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#350
#350
As he did with Blade, John Wilkerson has a new interview with Drew Gilbert. Part 1 aired yesterday, Part 2 airs today (presumably on Sports Talk). I'll post it once it's available.

Part 1 (From 25:39-33:58):




John also noted afterwards that Blade is slated again sometime this weekend (perhaps Saturday?).

ICYMI, Blade’s interview with John:

 
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