By LOU PAVLOVICH, JR.
Editor/Collegiate Baseball

CORVALLIS, Ore. — Nate Yeskie has been named Collegiate Baseball’s Pitching Coach of The Year for 2017.

The Oregon State pitching coach will be the 15th recipient of this award at the American Baseball Coaches Association Convention in Indianapolis this January. He is the first two-time winner of the award.

Yeskie completed his ninth season at Oregon State in 2017 and guided the staff to the lowest ERA in the nation at 1.93, nearly one run better than No. 2 Illinois-Chicago’s mark of 2.65.

It was the lowest ERA in school history.

OSU held opponents to two runs or less in 39 of 62 games, and the Beavers produced 23-game winning streaks twice during the 2017 season as OSU was ranked No. 1 for a record 14 consecutive weeks by Collegiate Baseball.

The staff also finished with a national-best 6.27 hits allowed per nine innings, a 0.98 WHIP (walks plus hits per nine innings) and 14 shutouts. OSU had the fewest runs allowed at 141, the fewest earned runs at 121 and the team’s 2.59 walks per nine ranked seventh.

The Beavers also held opponents to a Pac-12 Conference low .196 batting average and set the program’s single-season record with 506 strikeouts while only allowing 162 walks.

Over 62 games, the pitching staff and catchers only allowed 17 stolen bases in 33 attempts.

It marks the second time that Yeskie has been named Pitching Coach of The Year. He was also honored in 2013 by Collegiate Baseball.

Unusual Season
“You set out with ideas at the beginning of the year of how you plan on using pitchers,” said Yeskie.

“Often, that plan doesn’t work out. Somebody will pitch better than anticipated and earns more of a spot in the rotation or bullpen. You get the other side of that as well when somebody doesn’t meet expectations from what he has done the year before. Typically everything is fluid with pitching staffs.

“Last season, we utilized 13 pitchers. Out of the shoot, pitchers did well. The way that games played out, everybody got to get their feet wet, and they did their job.

“As the season unfolded, it was almost like we were replaying those first couple of weeks over and over again. Everybody had a moment.

“Mitchell Verburg didn’t throw a lot of innings (9 2/3 with a 0.93 ERA) but he got a save to clinch the Pac-12 title against Oregon. He also pitched in a huge Sunday game at UCLA where we won the series. Here’s a guy who only pitched a little over nine innings, and he had three important outings.

“Jake Mulholland was a freshman last season and did some great things in save situations. Sam Tweedt was a guy who was in the rotation early in the year and pitched in some big spots out of the bullpen. He won an important game against Vanderbilt in the Super Regionals.

“I have never been involved with a team which had so many pitchers produce like last year’s ball club. When you look at the history of college baseball, it would be difficult to find a staff of 13 pitchers who accomplished what they did.”

Having Your Pitcher’s Back
Starting with the 2011 season, Yeskie utilized a unique plan.

He grew tired of some pitchers never pulling for their teammates while others simply sulked when they didn’t get to pitch. This goes with the territory in competitive sports.

Yeskie’s plan was to have every pitcher and catcher on the staff walk to the bullpen as the starting pitcher warmed up for the game.

When he was done and walked off the bullpen mound toward the dugout, the entire pitching staff and catching corps was waiting for him in a line as each player individually shook his hand or hugged him in a show of solidarity.

Instead of the pitcher being alone with his own thoughts after warming up, he knew every pitcher and catcher on the staff had his back. His mindset switched to not letting his teammates down instead of hoping he had a good performance.

“It was the start of something very valuable in our program, and we have continued it for the past seven years,” said Yeskie.

“It was simply a way of showing your teammate that everyone had your back. I’m here for you. Whatever it takes is whatever it takes today. If you give us four innings, and that’s all you got, I got your back. I will pick you up if I’m the next guy up. If I don’t pitch today, and you go nine or a couple of other guys around me pitch behind you and we win, I still have your back.

“I’m your biggest fan in the dugout, and we’re in this thing together. It is human nature for individuals to think about excelling individually in sports. You want to have a lot of strikeouts or a high batting average. But being that baseball is a team game, we have to count on one another. And we have to support one another when it is going our way and at times when it’s not so we can establish some type of consistency.

“It’s funny how far this has gone. One of our position players, Cadyn Grenier, picked up on it and came out to meet out starting pitcher from the bullpen with a handshake. Then Steven Kwan started doing it. Then it spread like wildfire. When the pitchers were done with the starting pitcher, they turned around and did the same thing with our position guys. That is players doing it on their own which has led the team to being closer.”

Disarming Potential Bomb
Yeskie said he tries to disarm the potential bomb of a pitcher sulking and not actively backing his fellow pitchers in games.

“That’s why I tell each pitcher that he won’t pitch because everybody else stinks. You’re going to pitch because you have performed. I tell pitchers to be up front enough and man enough to understand that you will support that guy no matter what. At the end of the day, he is part of your team, and how he performs, good or bad, really has no bearing on how you should go about your work. The focus needs to be on your work and supporting your teammates.”

Yeskie said this philosophy of pitchers having everyone’s back is not something that is talked about from day one of fall practice.

“We have been doing this since 2011, and all the returning pitchers understand what is expected and relay this to new pitchers. We talk about it usually after we get back from Christmas break to use it as a point of focus to establish what we are doing here.

“There are added things that go into that such as our overall approach. To me, this is the last piece of the puzzle prior to playing games in the spring. It gives kids something to rally around and something good to feel about so they can feel good about being part of this program.

“That’s what I try to remind everyone. When someone chooses to be part of Oregon State, they choose to be part of a program. They didn’t come here just to be a superstar on their own accord. That doesn’t work anywhere to be honest with you. And that is especially true in a team environment.

“When someone is feeling sorry for himself in the dugout or pouting without supporting his teammates, it infects your team instead of affecting them in a positive manner.

“I don’t think it is any coincidence that in 2011 we started to turn a corner with our pitching staffs as far as what I thought we were capable of doing on an annual basis.

“I saw friendships formulating. We have a young man now from Boise, Idaho who lives with a kid from Agoura Hills, Calif. They are the best of friends. Baseball brought them together, and they have established a special bond that will last a lot longer than their baseball careers will.

“Again, when we started this back in 2011, it was an opportunity to shake the starting pitcher’s hand, look him in the eye and tell him you have his back. That’s not just on game day. It is all the time.”

Selfish Element Gone
Yeskie said that the selfish element of players is tossed aside when they become true teammates who care for each other.

“It takes the singular focus away from it. It isn’t about you anymore. It is about your teammates.”

Oregon State’s baseball sports information director Hank Hager has been tracking quality starts by OSU pitchers for years.

He defines a quality start as three earned runs or less in six or more innings pitched in a start.

Since 2011, the numbers have been revealing:

2011: 23 quality starts in 60 games (38.3 percent)
2012: 29 quality starts in 60 games (48.3 percent)
2013: 39 quality starts in 65 games (60 percent)
2014: 41 quality starts in 59 games (69.4 percent)
2015: 36 quality starts in 57 games (63.1 percent)
2016: 24 quality starts in 53 games (45.2 percent)
2017: 39 quality starts in 62 games (62.9 percent)
Total: 231 quality starts in 416 games (55.5 percent)

To read more of this article, purchase the Jan. 5, 2018 edition of Collegiate Baseball which is the 2018 College Preview edition or subscribe by CLICKING HERE. Yeskie delves into why being brutally honest with pitchers is essential, why constantly educating yourself as a coach is crucial, utilizing video and why this tool can be great or bad for pitchers.

He also explains why getting back to basics is important when everything hits the fan, the importance of catchers, why the game doesn’t change. . .only the variables a bit, how Oregon St. prepares for opponents, the value of utilizing pitchers with many different skill sets, his recruiting philosophy and much more.

Past CB Pitching Coaches of Year

• 2016: Jason Dietrich, Oregon
• 2015: Alan Dunn, Louisiana St.
• 2014: Karl Kuhn, Virginia
• 2013: Nate Yeskie, Oregon St.
• 2012: Shaun Cole, Arizona
• 2011: Phil Cundari, Seton Hall
• 2010: Mark Calvi, South Carolina
• 2009: Jerry Weinstein, Colorado Rockies
• 2008: Scott Forbes, North Carolina
• 2007: Dan Spencer, Oregon St.
• 2006: Gordie Alderink, Grand Valley St.
• 2005: Tom Holliday, Texas
• 2004: Derek Johnson, Vanderbilt
• 2003: Mark McQueen, Va. Commonwealth

By LOU PAVLOVICH, JR.
Editor/Collegiate Baseball

CLEVELAND, Tenn. — The next time you watch the National Anthem being played prior to an NFL game with different players choosing to kneel instead of stand at attention, remember Mark Brew.

Mark is one of the elite coaches in baseball at Lee University.

He directed his first seven teams at Lee to the NAIA World Series before leading the transition to NCAA Division II and the Gulf South Conference in 2014.

In 11 years with the Flames, Brew has a 510-168-2 overall record.

What many people don’t realize is that Mark is heavily involved in local veterans’ groups who have served our country with honor and put their lives on the line when necessary to make America safe.

Brew has sponsored Military Appreciation Day each season over the last five years.

Approximately $50,000 has been raised which has helped:

• A new pavilion be constructed at the Veterans’ Cemetery.
• A van to transport veterans.
• Wheelchairs and wheelchair ramps for veterans.

“I didn’t serve in the military, but my father did,” said Brew.

“He passed away in 2010, and part of being executor of his estate, I went through some old archives that he had. I knew he served, but I didn’t know in what capacity. As I researched more about him, I became intrigued.

“It became a personal mission of mine to honor what he had done in the military as we have honored members of the military for the last five years.

“I told my wife one time that if I wasn’t coaching, I probably would be serving in the military. I have always wanted to be a part of a team and something bigger than me. Our Military Appreciate Day was born from that idea.

“We take a day each spring to honor these wonderful people who have served our country. We have two goals in place.

“No. 1, we want to honor and recognize the service men and women in our community. And No. 2, we raise funds. We’ve helped the Disabled American Veterans Association here in town and the Bradley County Funeral Honor Guard, among others.

“We also helped raise money for a big renovation at the local Fort Hill Cemetery which has an beautiful area designated for veteran burials. They needed a nice area to stage events from. We partnered with them and the resources we made from Military Appreciation Day to help them out.

“One of the other projects was a veterans’ park here in town. It is a place of reflection and a place where local veterans can sit down and reflect on their service. That’s under construction by the city. But we were able to make one of the lead check donations as they started the project.”

Brew said there are approximately 7,000 veterans living in the Cleveland, Tenn. area.

“For a smaller community in Bradley County which has about 55,000 residents, it is a big percentage of people. We have a National Guard armory here and the 252nd Military Police Unit stationed in town.

“There is a rich tradition of service here and a natural tie-in. The businesses in town have really gotten on board, and we do T-shirt sales to raise money. The Bank of Cleveland sponsors that project as players help sell the T-shirts.

“Restaurants have donated a percentage of their earnings toward the event.

“The last thing is the event itself. We host the event and have over 1,000 members of the community in attendance at our baseball facility. We raise money through concessions and selling different items. We have vendors set up. Most of them donate the proceeds from what they make back to the event.

“It’s a great community event. It is not just a Lee University or Mark Brew event. It is something our community has embraced which is something we are proud of.”

To read more of this article, purchase the Jan. 5, 2018 edition of Collegiate Baseball or subscribe by CLICKING HERE. The rest of the story explains how Lee players honor veterans each time the National Anthem is played at games and why they practice doing it correctly. Mark Brew survived a broken home during his youth and talks about the amazing mom he has who made ends meet as a bus driver and worker at a local cafeteria. Plus, he explains how baseball coaches filled the void of his father not being around.

This story is in Collegiate Baseball’s 2018 College Preview Issue. It features a rundown on the top teams and players on all levels of college baseball. It also includes a rundown of the top 92 draft eligible college players in the nation who have a chance of being picked in the first three rounds of next June’s MLB Draft, plus much more. To purchase this issue, CLICK HERE.

By LOU PAVLOVICH, JR.
Editor/Collegiate Baseball

ESTHERVILLE, Iowa. — B.J. Johnson has faced a turbulent life so challenging that he lived in a car as a high school student for 5-plus months in Tallahassee, Fla.

Every night, he parked his car in one of 20 locations he felt safe at after eating a burger or two from McDonalds from money friends and teachers gave him so he wouldn’t starve.

When B.J. was just a baby, his dad Keith was sentenced to life in prison without parole while his mother Theresa was in and out of jail fueled by drug addiction.

His saintly grandmother Shirley Ann Edney took on the mammoth responsibility of raising B.J. and his five brothers and sisters from the time he was six months old until her death Sept. 27, 2013 — nearly 17 years.

Currently the rightfielder for Iowa Lakes Community College (Estherville, Iowa), this young man never told anybody at Rickards H.S. in Tallahassee about being homeless until his signing day to Iowa Lakes late in his senior year of high school.

He simply didn’t want to be a burden to anyone. At signing day, it gave him the opportunity to tell people what a torture chamber of hell he had endured through his young life.

This powerful message was presented to help people understand they can overcome anything in life.

B.J., who was the captain of his baseball team and elected Mr. Rickards H.S., only wanted his friends and teachers to see the positive side of him day to day with a smile that has melted thousands of hearts in Florida and Iowa.

He grew up in a 3-room, 2 bathroom trailer home owned by his grandma, and he cherishes everything he receives in life. It is the way he was brought up by this marvelous lady.

“It was difficult growing up,” said B.J, who is now 20 years old.

“My grandmother raised me from the time I was six months old, and she meant the world to me. She drove me to visit my father in prison. My grandmother took custody of me and my five other brothers and sisters when I was six months old. My mom was on drugs and in and out of jail. And my dad was in prison.

“I’m not absolutely sure what my dad did to get a life sentence since he really wouldn’t tell me. But my dad acknowledged he was convicted of eight felonies. I do know one was attempted murder and a couple of robberies. He has a life sentence without the prospect of parole and is serving his sentence at Liberty Correctional Institution in Florida.

“As far as my mom, I knew she was doing drugs. But I didn’t know what type of drugs since I was so young. I have been told by my brothers and sisters she was hooked on crack cocaine.

“That was only one of the drugs she used. It was really, really bad, and she couldn’t stop. She also loved her alcohol.”

Life Changing Death
B.J. said without his grandma, he doesn’t know how his life would have turned out.

“My first memories of her was when I was three years old. I was told that I went back and forth between my mom and grandmother at an early age because of my mom’s drug problems and being in and out of prison.

“My grandmother lived in a trailer house which had three bedrooms and two baths. My grandmother didn’t like my mother, honestly. She didn’t like her due to the fact that she was on drugs constantly and left my brothers and sisters and me on the street.

“I was 16 years old when my grandma died as I was attending Rickards High School.

“When she passed, it was a time when three of my sublings had moved out. But three of us still had to be cared for, and we were able to stay at my grandma’s trailer for a period of time.

“My older brothers and sisters were always coming back to my grandma’s house. Either something was going wrong, or they needed a place to stay. When my grandma died, my oldest sister Shevonn took over the house briefly. But then she started going through her own ‘storm,’ so she decided to move to New Jersey.

“At that point, nobody was able to pay the bills on the house. My aunt from New Jersey had to shut it down. At that point, we had to move in with my mother in another location in Tallahassee. She came back into our lives when my grandmother passed away, which was a blessing.

“She was living with a friend named Nick. So I stayed with them for a few months along with my sister and brother. It got to a point where I felt Nick really didn’t want us there. In my heart, I didn’t want to be somewhere that I wasn’t wanted.

“My grandmother left me her car which was a blue 2002 Chevy Cavalier. I had a driver’s license, and my aunt helped me get it insured.

“I could have stayed at Nick’s if I really had to. But again, he really didn’t want me there. I didn’t have anything to give this man even though he was giving us a place to stay. So I decided to just live in my car. My goal at that time was to make it as a college baseball player.

“So for a little more than five months, I lived in my car and slept there. All of my brothers and sisters as well as my mom and friends wanted to know where I was staying. I would tell them that I was staying at friends’ homes and was fine. I never told anybody that I was living in grandma’s car. The last thing I wanted to do was have them panic or worry over what I chose to do.

“But the reality was that I was parking the car at night in probably 20 different locations. It might be at a park one night or a lake. Then another night, I might park it next to my friend’s home after asking permission and making up a story of why I needed to leave it there. Then the next morning, I would drive to school.

“The key was being in a place that was safe. I had a pillow and blanket inside the car plus some clothes to change into.

“I chose to sleep in the driver’s seat at night because that is where my grandma sat when she drove. I wanted to be as close to her as possible. I was able to lower the back of the seat down.”

Johnson said never during this 5-plus months of sleeping in his grandma’s car did a police officer knock on the window in the middle of the night to inquire what he was doing in the vehicle.

To read more of this inspiring story about B.J. Johnson, purchase the Jan. 5, 2018 edition of Collegiate Baseball or subscribe by CLICKING HERE. The rest of the story explains how he survived day to day and what his source of food was. It also explains how incredible people from Rickards High School helped him out, including the Guidance Counselor who ultimately became his mom.

The story also delves into his superb baseball skills as he signed with Iowa Lakes Community College and how he became an instant celebrity on campus as he swiped 19 bases last season as a freshman and earned a Gold Glove in right field for his defensive skills. B.J. was also involved in one of the greatest moments in Iowa Lakes baseball history last season as he became a leader on the team.

This special feature story is in Collegiate Baseball’s 2018 College Preview Issue. It features a rundown on the top teams and players on all levels of college baseball. It also includes a rundown of the top 92 draft eligible college players in the nation who have a chance of being picked in the first three rounds of next June’s MLB Draft, plus much more. To purchase this issue, CLICK HERE.

By LOU PAVLOVICH, JR.
Editor/Collegiate Baseball

TUCSON, Ariz. — Jerry Kindall, who led the University of Arizona to three national championships in 1976, 1980 and 1986, died the evening before Christmas at the age of 82 after suffering for several days from a massive stroke.

Revered by all, the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer spent 24 years as the head coach of the Wildcats. He holds the all-time wins record at Arizona with an 860-579-7 mark.

Kindall also was a member of Minnesota’s 1956 College World Series team that ironically defeated Arizona for the national title.

Kindall was the first person to win a College World Series title as both a player and a head coach.

The former Major League second baseman, who played eight years with the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins, served as the President of the ABCA in 1993 and worked on the Board of Directors, Ethics in Coaching Committee and Lefty Gomez Award Committee.

A three-time National Coach of the Year, Kindall won three Pac-10 titles and a Western Athletic Conference pennant at Arizona. His teams advanced to the NCAA post-season 12 times during his tenure at Arizona and played in five College World Series.

His players garnered 34 first team All-America honors during his time with the Wildcats while 71 earned All-Conference recognition. A total of 209 players under Kindall signed professional baseball contracts, including 32 who went on to play in the Major Leagues.

Kindall coached three College World Series MVPs, four Pac-10 South Players of the Year, and he coached current Cleveland Indians Manager Terry Francona to the 1980 Golden Spikes Award, presented annually to the nation’s top collegiate baseball player.

Kindall was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007, the Arizona Athletics Hall of Fame in 1996 and the University of Minnesota Athletics Hall of Fame in 1995. In January of 2004, Arizona renamed its baseball facility Jerry Kindall Field at Frank Sancet Stadium.

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes honored Kindall by naming its Character in Coaching Award after him.

• Collegiate Baseball NCAA Div. I Fabulous 40

• Collegiate Baseball NCAA Div. II Top 40

• Collegiate Baseball NCAA Div. III Top 40

• NAIA Top 25

• NJCAA Div. I Top 20

• NJCAA Div. II Top 20

• NJCAA Div. III Top 10

• Southern California Junior College Top 20

• Northern California Junior College Top 20

• Northwest Junior College Top 10

By LOU PAVLOVICH, JR.
Editor/Collegiate Baseball

INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA Div. I Recruiting Calendar in baseball is being refined for the sixth time since 2003.

A select panel of 16 coaches from across the USA met in early December to discuss changes that will allow the Recruiting Calendar to be more efficient for all programs on this level.

Coaches included Erik Bakich (Michigan), Ed Blankmeyer (St. John’s), Andrew Checketts (U.C. Santa Barbara), Tim Corbin (Vanderbilt), Craig Cozart (High Point), Brian Green (New Mexico State), Rick Heller (Iowa), Josh Holliday (Oklahoma St.), Rich Maloney (Ball State), Mark Martinez (San Diego State), John McCormack (Florida Atlantic), Dan McDonnell (Louisville), Kevin O’Sullivan (Florida), Chris Pollard (Duke), John Savage (UCLA) and Jim Schlossnagle (TCU).

The group agreed on the following core principles:

Current Student-Athlete Development

• Current student-athletes’ time spent with coaching staff on training as well as personal development.
• Coaches missing as few practices and games as possible.

Coaches’ Livelihoods 

• Work-life balance.
• Development as coaches.
• Longevity in profession.

Prospective Student-Athletes

• Schedules and academic time missed.
• Overuse/over-participation.
• Arm care.

Other Items Of Note

• All issues voted on were unanimous or nearly unanimous.
• The group felt that college coaches should determine the recruiting schedule. The intention is that outside entities will be able to adjust to the new recruiting calendar as well as college programs’ fall training schedules.
• The proposed changes to the recruiting calendar apply to both high school and junior college PSAs.
• Other items were discussed and may be addressed in future meetings and surveys.

The American Baseball Coaches Association surveyed all NCAA Division I head coaches and assistant coaches who are ABCA members about the items on the proposed Recruiting Calendar via e-mail to find out what their views are.

The Recruiting Summit recommendations, as well as the results of the surveys, will be discussed during the NCAA Division I Coaches Meeting on Jan. 4, 2018 at the ABCA Convention in Indianapolis.

Proposed Changes to NCAA Rule 13.17.1
Baseball Recruiting Calendar

13.17.1 Baseball. The following periods of recruiting shall apply to baseball: (Adopted: 4/24/03 effective 8/1/03, Revised: 12/5/05, 7/30/10, 5/22/13, 4/28/16 effective 8/1/16)

(a) The third Monday of August through the second Thursday of September: Quiet Period

(b) The Friday following the second Thursday of September through the second Sunday in October: Contact Period

(c) The Monday following the second Sunday of October through the month of February [except for (1-2) below]: Quiet Period

   (1) Monday through Thursday of the week that includes the initial date for the fall signing of the National Letter of Intent: Dead Period

   (2) The first official day of the national convention of the American Baseball Coaches Association through the day of adjournment of the convention: Dead Period

(d) March 1 through the Sunday immediately before the third Monday of August [except for (1-4) below]: Contact Period

    (1) Monday through Thursday of the week that includes the initial date for the spring signing of the National Letter of Intent: Dead Period

    (2) The last Monday in May through the following Monday: Dead Period

    (3) The third Saturday in June through the following Monday: Dead Period

    (4) July 3-5: Dead Period

Current Calendar
August 1, 2017-July 31, 2018

(a) August 1-27, 2017: Contact Period

(b) August 28 through September 14, 2017: Quiet Period

(c) September 15 through November 5, 2017: Contact Period

(d) November 6-9, 2017: Dead Period

(e) November 10, 2017 through February 28, 2018 Quiet Period [except for (1) below]:

      (1) January 4-7, 2018: Dead Period

(f) March 1 through July 31, 2018 [except for (1) below]: Contact Period

      (1) April 9-12, 2018: Dead Period

Proposed New Calendar
If implemented Aug. 1, 2018-July 31, 2019

(Note: The earliest this could be implemented is for 2019-20.)

(a) August 1-19, 2018: Contact Period

(Effectively March 1-August 19 except Dead Periods)

(b) August 20 through September 13, 2018: Quiet Period

(c) September 14 through October 14, 2018: Contact Period

(d) October 15, 2018 through February 28, 2019 Quiet Period
[except for below]:

      (1) November 5-8, 2018: (NLI) Dead Period

      (2) January 3-6, 2019: (National Convention) Dead Period

(e) March 1 through July 31, 2019 [except for below]: Contact Period

      (1) April 8-11, 2018 (NLI) Dead Period

      (2) May 27-June 3, 2019 (Memorial Day through following Monday) Dead Period

      (3) June 15-17, 2019 (Day before through day after Father’s Day) Dead Period

      (4) July 3-5, 2019 Dead Period

Rationales For Recommended Changes

Dead Period Following Conference Tournaments – Allows for a regroup time for college coaches after the regular season and before the busy summer begins. Families can plan on a small window to possibly take a family vacation if they aren’t in the postseason. Unanimously recommended by Recruiting Summit Group.

Dead Period on the First Weekend of the College World Series – Allows for a small break to showcase the championship of our sport. The dates of the Dead Period are centered around Father’s Day. Unanimously recommended by Recruiting Summit Group.

Dead Period around Fourth of July – Allows for a small window in the summer for coaches to celebrate the Fourth of July with their families. Recommended in a 15-1 vote by Recruiting Summit Group.

Quiet Period late August to mid-September – Allows coaches to recover after a long summer of recruiting; be with their families; be present as their teams come back on campus and begin early fall workouts/skill hours.

Contact Period from mid-September to mid-October – Four-week period of early-fall recruiting. The group felt that any meaningful events that happen outside of this time could be moved into this time period, for both high school and junior college prospects.

Quiet Period from mid-October to March 1 – Allows coaches to be on campus and present for most/more of their team’s fall practice period or skill hours. This hopefully will encourage high school prospects to “shut down” earlier in the fall for much needed rest and arm care. It also gives coaches more work/life balance.

Final three recommendations voted on together, recommended in a 14-2 vote by Recruiting Summit Group.

Calendar Notes

• Memorial Day is always the last Monday in May.
• Father’s Day is always the third Sunday in June.