For most baseball athletes who want to stay in their sport, there are two main options: go into the draft right out of high school and play Minor League Baseball (MiLB), or play in college for at least two years. While most go the MiLB route, this is not always the case. New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge was selected in the 2010 MLB Draft at 18 years old, but opted to enroll in Fresno State where he played college baseball before being selected again in the 2013 MLB Draft. 

If you're like Aaron Judge and want to pursue a college education before a professional baseball career, or if you're aspiring to play college baseball without any desire to play in the MLB, we wanted to share some information with you on how to successfully navigate the college baseball recruiting process.

1. Sign up for Showcases

As is the case with every college sport, you want to showcase your talent in front of as many college coaches and scouts as possible. There are a few different organizations that host baseball showcase events throughout the country, but there are significantly more regional showcases. If you need a starting point, Perfect Game Baseball and Prep Baseball Report are two very well known organizations that routinely hold national showcases. Rising Prospects is a great example of a region-specific organization in California. 

Google is your best bet to locate a worthwhile baseball showcase in close proximity to you. While finding the dates and locations of showcases doesn't require much expertise, knowing how to successfully prepare for them, what to keep in mind when you're there, and the proper ways to follow up with any prospective college coaches or scouts you may meet there does. 

2. Come Prepared

You definitely don't want to wing a college sports showcase. Instead, try to be as proactive as possible. If you have access to a list of coaches or schools attending the showcase, reach out to begin establishing a relationship with a prospective coach beforehand and invite them to watch you play. This will give you a great head start. If you can't find a list online, it's worth calling the organizer of the event to see if they're able to share that information with you. Something as quick as sending an email prior to meeting a coach in person can go a very long way. Regardless, it's definitely beneficial to come to the showcase knowing who will be evaluating you.

3. Brush Up on Your Skills

Once you know who you'll be showcasing your talents to, you also want to make sure you're physically prepared to perform at your best. Going into a showcase “rusty” is something to definitely avoid. If you're a pitcher, throw some practice pitches the night before and a few the morning of. If you're a hitter, do some batting and field practice the day before (if you can). Even if you can't, make sure to be physically prepared. Running, stretching, and other warm-up routines will give you the best opportunity to perform at your peak and avoid getting hurt.

4. Act Professionally

Coming from someone who is known to joke around occasionally at questionable times, there's no doubt a time for fun and a time to act professionally. A college showcase – and anytime you're interacting with a prospective coach during the recruiting process – is definitely a time to stick to behaving professionally. When meeting coaches, make sure to be polite, enthusiastic, etc. Force yourself to do things you may view as corny or old-fashioned, like greeting a coach with a firm handshake, smiling throughout the conversation, and maintaining eye contact. You don't want to leave the showcase with coaches thinking you don't care. Present yourself as respectfully and professionally as possible.

5. The ‘Little' Things Make a Big Difference

Things like running hard to first base even if you hit a routine ground ball out or running hard if the ball is popped up with two outs are sometimes viewed by athletes as ‘little' things, but many coaches are looking at those specifically. Coaches want players who consistently work hard and have a ‘never quit' mentality. When you're playing high school baseball or travel league baseball, you may not even notice if you're jogging when you think the play is over. Make sure to pay close attention to those details when playing in front of college baseball coaches.

6. Compete Hard and Don't Forget to HAVE FUN

This one might be challenging to a lot of athletes, especially if you tend to get nervous, but do your best to genuinely have fun at the event. Pretending to have fun is easily recognizable and won't give off a good first impression. This can be especially tough if the day isn't going the way you hoped it would, but a poor performance can largely be salvaged by positivity and enthusiasm. Have the mentality of someone who is enjoying playing the sport they love, while always competing hard. Good college coaches understand you'll have more than one off-day in college sports; you'd be surprised by how many coaches are looking as much at how you respond to your performance as the performance itself.

7. Be Proactive and Ask Questions

You've probably heard some of the best professional players in the world – in various sports – call themselves “students of the game.” That's how you want to be perceived by college coaches. If you get the opportunity in the middle of the showcase to ask a coach for their thoughts about a particular play, or advice when you make a mistake, take advantage of that. College coaches are looking to recruit athletes who have the desire to continue developing their game as players in college. This is another great way to leave the showcase with a positive impression, even if you didn't perform at your best.

8. Follow-Up

If you don't already have it, before you leave the event make sure to get the contact information of any coaches or scouts from schools you may have interest in playing for. If you already have it, still engage with the coach and thank them for their time in coming to the event. Follow up with a creative email that differentiates you from other recruits. Some coaches have a very large number of recruits reaching out to them, so try to stand out and avoid a simple generic “thanks again for your time” email.