Baseball Showcase Prep Checklist: What to Bring, Do, and Track

Show Up to Your Showcase Ready, Not Rattled.

A complete prep checklist for baseball and softball players. What to bring, what to practice, what to track, and what to do after.

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2 Weeks Before: Fundamentals

Confirm your recruiting profile is current (stats, video, GPA, test scores, graduation year)

Email or DM the list of college coaches attending to introduce yourself

Get 2 to 3 practice sessions in with a radar gun so you know your current velocity/exit velo

Scout the venue: field dimensions, surface (turf vs grass), travel logistics

Rest 48 hours before the event. Do not try to impress with a max-effort bullpen the day before

1 Day Before: Logistics

Pack your bag (see equipment list below) and confirm uniform numbers and colors

Charge your phone. Bring a battery pack. You will want photos and video of your reps

Print 10 copies of a one-page player profile (name, position, stats, contact info) to hand to coaches

Set 3 alarms. Know travel time with a buffer. Arrive 90 minutes early

Eat a familiar meal the night before. Hydrate. No experiments with new food

Equipment Checklist

The bag every player should have packed the night before.

Glove, bat, batting gloves, helmet

Cleats (primary + backup pair)

Turf shoes (in case conditions change)

Full uniform + backup shirt in event colors

Catchers gear (if applicable)

Sunscreen, sunglasses, hat

Water, sports drink, snacks (trail mix, banana, protein bar)

Tape (athletic tape, bat tape), scissors

Basic first aid: band-aids, blister pads, ibuprofen

Resistance bands and jump rope for warm-up

Radar gun (Pocket Radar or similar) if you want your own readings

Printed player profile copies (10+)

Showcase Day: Performance

Arrive 90 minutes early. Light warm-up, dynamic stretching, short throwing progression

Eat a small pre-event snack 45 minutes before first rep. Nothing new

Introduce yourself to the event coordinator and any coaches you contacted beforehand

Give max effort on velo/pop time/60 reps. These are the headline numbers that show up in reports

Be the player coaches want to coach. Hustle on/off the field, help with equipment, be coachable

Stay off social media between reps. Stay warm and focused

Take photos or video of your scrimmage innings. You will use this later

Get a business card or email from every coach you speak with

Within 48 Hours After: Follow-Up

Update your recruiting profile with any new measurements from the event

Email every coach you met: thank them, mention a specific conversation point, attach your updated profile link

Post one clip from the event on your public social/recruiting profile. Tag the event

Request event metrics from the organizer (60 time, pop time, exit velo readings) if not emailed automatically

Review video with your coach. Identify 1 to 2 things to work on for the next showcase

Add event results and measurements to your CoachBall profile so scouts checking your link see the latest

Top 5 Mistakes Players Make

Trying to throw harder than normal. Overthrowing leads to mechanical breakdown and lower velo readings

Skipping the follow-up email. A thank-you email with your profile link is free and sets you apart

Not tracking metrics before the event. You cannot know what to improve if you do not measure

Wearing new gear. Never break in cleats or a glove at a showcase

Focusing only on the headline drills. Coaches watch how you carry yourself between reps too

Frequently Asked Questions

A showcase is an event where high-school-age players perform in front of college coaches and scouts. Players run timed 60-yard dashes, hit for exit velocity, throw for velocity, and play a scrimmage. College coaches evaluate and take notes.

Most showcases are most valuable for juniors and seniors. Freshmen and sophomores can benefit from smaller local events, but big national showcases are typically a better investment in late high school when your measurables are closer to college-ready.

Quality over quantity. Two to four well-attended events per year is usually enough. Focus on showcases where the schools recruiting you will be present. Ask your travel coach for specific recommendations.

Measurables first (velocity, 60 time, pop time, exit velocity) because they filter. Then mechanics, projectability, attitude, coachability, and how you compete in scrimmage situations. Your profile and academics come into play afterward.

One bad event does not end a recruiting path. Follow up professionally, learn what happened (fatigue? injury? mechanics?), and address it before the next event. College coaches understand variance. What they do not forgive is poor attitude.

CoachBall holds your recruiting profile, stats, velocity trends, and video. One link that coaches can check before and after the showcase. Time-limited scout links track which coaches are viewing. Free to start.

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Show Up to Your Showcase Ready, Not Rattled.

Most Players Prep for the Day. The Best Players Prep for the Follow-Up.

2 Weeks Before: Fundamentals

1 Day Before: Logistics

Equipment Checklist

Showcase Day: Performance

Your Profile Is Your Introduction. Make It Ready.

Within 48 Hours After: Follow-Up

Top 5 Mistakes Players Make

Frequently Asked Questions

The Players Who Get Recruited Are the Ones Who Prep

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