Introducing The HSBN College Tour – Summer 2017 – SoFl Series
Tired of paying premium prices to play summer baseball? Tired of traveling all over the country with desperate hopes of getting seen by real college coaches? Tired of throwing out your arm and getting few results from an endless parade of summer tournaments? If you answered yes to any of those questions, then HSBN has a new and innovative program built just for you.
Introducing, the first annual HSBN College Tour. The first annual tour will focus its attention on South Florida and will span eight Sunday’s during the summer in 2017, from June 18th through August 13th.
The premise is simple. HSBN will build eight teams of players, each comprised of 18 position players and five pitchers. Each Sunday, the teams will meet at a different South Florida college where four games will be played. The process will be repeated each Sunday until the players have worked out and played in front of all eight colleges.
“We did not like the direction in which summer baseball has gone over the past 15 years,” said HSBN Vice-President and Director of Operations, Anthony Uttariello. “We have been searching for a way to offer players a more affordable solution to getting recruited and we think we finally found it.
“Local players have colleges right in their backyard where they can play baseball while earning a degree. With that in mind, HSBN has worked hard to partner with many of the premiere college programs in South Florida. The goal is to offer players a real chance at getting signed, while also saving their families money.”
All current freshman, sophomores, juniors, and seniors who are not yet committed to a college are eligible to participate.
The programs with whom HSBN partnered, and the dates on which the tour will visit their campus are as follows…
⚾ Lynn University – June 18th*
⚾ Nova Southeastern University – June 25th*
⚾ Barry University – July 9th*
⚾ Florida International University – July 16th*
⚾ St. Thomas University – July 23rd*
⚾ Florida Memorial University – July 30th*
⚾ Keiser University – August 6th*
⚾ ASA College – August 13th*
* Rainouts will be made up throughout August.
Players will meet each week and go through a batting practice and a full infield/outfield before their game. The teams will be managed by a high school manager and members of the host college will be in uniform: coaching, scouting, and getting to know the players throughout the day. At the end of each game, the teams will take a tour of each college and have a question and answer session with the college coaches.
The games themselves will be structured so that position players will receive at least three at-bats on each college field and pitchers will throw two innings every Sunday, facing 12 batters each week.
Nova Southeastern’s manager, Greg Brown, was thrilled about partnering with HSBN.
“We are excited to have the opportunity to showcase Nova Southeastern University and our program with the HSBN College Tour,” Brown said. The Sharks are the defending Division II National Champions.
“I believe that this experience will be very beneficial to the prospective student-athletes to interact with the different coaching staffs, as well as learn more about each institution to make a more informed decision on which school is the right fit for each individual player,” Brown said.
Something so amazing has to come with a high cost, right? Nope. HSBN has ensured a cost of less that $63 per Sunday. The entire program will cost $500 per player, which will include personalized jerseys, hats and guaranteed participation in all eight Sundays at the different college campuses.
ASA College manager, Jonathan Hernandez, agreed on the value of this groundbreaking summer series.
“Being able to be a part of the first HSBN College Tour is definitely a benefit for our program at ASA College,” Hernandez said. “The opportunity for the young and uncommitted guys to exhibit their talents and also gain knowledge of our program is what I am looking forward to the most.
“We appreciate HSBN for allowing us to participate in the first of what looks like many HSBN College Tours.”
It is simple to reserve your spot in the HSBN College Tour, Summer 2017, South Florida Series, but we expect rosters to fill up fast so it is imperative that you signup today.
The payment structure is as follows… pay 50% down and pay the remaining balance of $250 in the spring (before the May 1st deadline).
Local high school coaches agree that kids should participate in this series.
“HSBN hit a home run partnering with local college programs to provide a weekly summer exposure program without the out of town expenses,” said Pompano manager, Joe Giummule.
Players should be aware that in order to participate they must have grades that make them eligible to be accepted to each of the college programs on the tour. Each player must play at a high level and must conduct themselves in a professional manner.