SPRINGDALE -- Not too long ago, the top high school baseball players flocked to area American Legion teams for "summer ball."
Players from Washington County usually ended up playing for the Lindsay Dodgers out of Fayetteville. And while the state of Arkansas still features several solid legion teams, the majority of top prep prospects are finding summer homes on showcase squads such as those fiellded by Perfect Timing NWA, among others.
"It's different -- and it's good and it's bad," said Zac Bottoms, the Arkansas scouting director for Prep Baseball Report. "These are more of a showcase to show what you have, show off your tools, while American Legion was how to win baseball games.
"I miss some of the American Legion competitiveness, but this will transform more to that as it all gets switched to showcase teams."
That was evident this past weekend during the four-day Mid-America Super 16 tournament, powered by Prep Baseball Report. Twenty-three teams from the five states played 50 games on five fields, including the Baum Stadium in Fayetteville, Arvest Ballpark in Springdale and Veterans Park in Rogers.
A pair of Farmington right-handed pitchers were on display during the showcase in seniors-to-be Tyler Gregg and Drake Vinyard. Both showed excellent velocity -- Gregg's fastball was in the 86-87 mph range while Vinyard topped out at 84 mph -- despite running into control problems.
Gregg pitched at Arvest Ballpark in front of Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn as well as coaches from Pitt State, Missouri State, Central Arkansas and Drury College. Vinyard pitched against some of the top hitters in the state, including Arkansas State commitment Pierce Mitchum of Heber Springs and Arkansas Razorbacks pledge Casey Martin of Conway.
In American Legion baseball, a pitcher may have only faced one or two players of that caliber per game, but showcase teams are loaded with talent. For example, Gregg's team, Rawlings Arkansas Prospects-Menard, featured eight players who have already committed or signed with a college.
"It gives [college] coaches a chance to see pitchers against top hitters, and that's important in making an evaluation," Bottoms said.
Similar showcase tourneys are hosted at college campuses across the country. For those wanting to get noticed by college recruiters, playing in the showcases is becoming a vital part of the process.
"It's been really good for the evolution of kids getting recruited and is similar to what AAU has done for basketball," Bottoms said. "Overall, it makes it easier on college coaches because if you're the host site, it's huge for exposure as far as coaches getting to see kids play and for the kids who may not know much about your campus and facilities.
"It's getting more kids on your campus, and for four days, before recruiting really gets started."
Bottoms grew up in Prairie Grove and gradated from Greenland in 2005. After coaching college ball at Arkansas Baptist for five years, we started PBR in Arkansas two years ago in hopes of elevating baseball prospects across the state. He watches between 150-175 games per year.
Because of showcases and combines put on by services such as Prep Baseball Report and Perfect Timing NWA, the number of prospects getting missed by college recruiters is dwindling. Prospects get complete evaluations, are highlighted on video and are measured by statistical metrics "that everyone takes stock in now," Bottoms said. Before, a top player from a small high school may have gone unnoticed unless their team made it into a state championship game.
"It's becoming a lot harder to be an unknown," Bottoms said. "Tournaments like this one are really helping to keep those kids from flying under the radar -- and that's a very good thing."
Sports on 07/13/2016