Be seen by some of the best coaches at these top-notch summer baseball camps for high school athletes.
Many high school baseball stars are making the most out of their summer break by participating in a challenging sports camp. Colleges across the country hold these camps every year for two important reasons. The first is to help promising young baseball players improve the skills. The second is to let coaches see some of the top talent, so they can think about who to recruit in the coming years. If you’re serious about college baseball, consider signing up for one of these top baseball camps held at colleges.
Titan Baseball Academy
State University, Fullerton may not be one of the most well-known colleges, but when it comes to baseball everyone knows their name. Consistently ranked high among Division I teams, this university offers its popular Baseball Academy every summer. The camp is geared towards the top high school prospects. The camp includes instruction for individual techniques like hitting, pitching, catching, infield and outfield. Coaches also supervise and teach during games. Most importantly, this camp includes a pro-style showcase where players are able to showcase their skills in front of numerous coaches, giving them a great opportunity to make possible recruitment contacts.
Many baseball camps hosted by colleges offer both a commuter and an overnight camper option. While commuting is cheaper, the overnight option includes the opportunity to stay in a dormitory and get a better feel for the life of a college athlete.
Location: Cal State Fullerton in Fullerton, California Duration: 5 days Cost: $350
Sun Devil Baseball Academy
Another top-ranked baseball school, Arizona State University does a good amount of recruiting through its annual Devil Baseball Academy. Multiple camps are offered through this academy each summer, several of which focus on specific skills like pitching, catching, defense and hitting. For high school athletes who really want to demonstrate their talents, there’s also a skills camp and showcase option which includes an opportunity to participate in instructional sessions and scrimmages in front of top coaches. Sun Devil Baseball Academy camps take a comprehensive look at the game by including instruction on the mental side of baseball in addition to intensive skill work.
Location: Arizona State University in Tempe Duration: 2-4 days Cost: $199-$699
LSU Baseball Camps
Want to learn from one of the top college baseball coaches? Check out the Baseball Camps at Louisiana State University. These camps are led by the school’s head baseball coach, Paul Mainieri. The high school camps are all about showing your skills to the LSU coaching staff. Each day-long program includes a 60-yard dash, batting practice and a defensive evaluation. Then, the day ends with a 12-inning game. Players sign up for the camp according to their position as pitcher, catcher, first baseman, infield or outfield.
One parent had this to say about the camp: “Thanks so much for working with us and Beau last week at camp. He enjoyed the camp and learned a lot. I was impressed with the mix of instruction, completion and fun. I’m sure he will be ready to return next year. Looking forward to the new season!”
Location: Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge Duration: 1 day Cost: $45-$250
Vanderbilt Baseball Camps
Vanderbilt University has a solid, highly ranked baseball program year after year, making their Baseball Camps some of the most highly sought-after in the region. One perk of going to this camp is the individual attention each player gets – there’s one coach to every eight players for each camp. The high school camp at Vanderbilt includes coaching from Tim Corbin, the school’s head coach that has led Vanderbilt to several championship titles. In addition to daily instruction in individual positions, players also participate in strength training and agility exercises tailored specifically to the game of baseball.
Location: Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee Duration: 5 days Cost: $405-$505
Quick Tips
- Always find out whether the camp requires players to bring their own equipment. This is fairly common for baseball camps, but it means that players may have to bring along a glove, bat, cleats, helmet and – in the case of catchers – full catching gear.
- Many baseball camps hosted by colleges offer both a commuter and an overnight camper option. While commuting is cheaper, the overnight option includes the opportunity to stay in a dormitory and get a better feel for the life of a college athlete.
- If you hope to be seen by coaches at the camp, try to get in touch ahead of time to let them know you’ll be attending and that you’re interested in the prospect of playing at their school.