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Chasing Baseball DreamsAuthor: Bobby Minor
You're spending thousands a year on travel baseball. A better team. A bigger showcase. More lessons. A higher ranking. And you still have no way to know if any of it is actually working.That's not an accident. That's the machine.Chasing Baseball Dreams is the only baseball parent podcast hosted by someone with no financial stake in where your money goes. I don't run a travel team. I don't sell lessons. I don't coach for an org. I have no reason to steer you in the wrong direction. I'm Bobby Minor... former Division 1 player, 35 years coaching select baseball and high school, former travel organization director, over 1,000 college recruiting assessments, and a college baseball dad who almost lost 2 sons to this game for 2 very different reasons, with one currently playing college baseball.Every episode, I sit down with former Major League players, college coaches, scouts, and baseball dads who've lived through the same grind you're in right now. People who've been inside this industry long enough to tell you the truth about how it actually works.Here's what you can expect.Real conversations about what actually matters at each age from 8U to signing day. The questions you should be asking before you commit to a team, a coach, or a showcase. The stuff the industry doesn't want you to hear, from people who've been inside it long enough to say it out loud. And the truth about recruiting, development, and where your money is actually going.No hype. No recruiting promises. No "get your son seen" nonsense. Just the one voice in this space with full-stack credibility and no financial tie to the machine that's taking your money.New episodes weekly. Follow @chasingbaseballdreams on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook for daily content between episodes. Language: en Genres: Baseball, Kids & Family, Parenting, Sports Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Episode #11: Cameron Rupp | College Baseball Recruiting, Travel Ball & What Coaches Actually Want
Episode 11
Wednesday, 2 September, 2026
What do college baseball coaches actually look for when recruiting a high school player? And how much do Perfect Game rankings, showcases, travel baseball teams, character, and parents really matter?Former Philadelphia Phillies catcher and current University of Texas at Arlington assistant coach Cameron Rupp joins Bobby Minor on the Chasing Baseball Dreams Podcast for a conversation every baseball parent with a son who wants to play at the next level needs to hear.Cameron played at the University of Texas, competed in the 2009 College World Series, was an All-Big 12 selection, and was drafted in the third round of the 2010 MLB Draft before spending five seasons with the Phillies.In this episode, Cameron explains why he doesn’t care about a player’s Perfect Game ranking, what catches his eye when evaluating recruits, why he wants to see players fail, and why character matters to college coaches.They also dig into college baseball recruiting, JUCO baseball, the transfer portal, showcases vs. college camps, specialization, multi-sport athletes, positional versatility, catching development, swing-and-miss rates, recruiting emails, and how parents can help or hurt the recruiting process.Cameron’s message to baseball parents is simple: stop trying to project where a 12-year-old will be six years from now. Let him develop. Let him play. And let him run his own race.Timestamps00:51 Meet Cameron Rupp: Phillies catcher to college coach02:01 Biggest developmental mistakes parents make04:38 How early is too early to specialize?05:50 Why projecting a 12-year-old as D1 makes no sense06:52 D-BAT, Clayton Kershaw and DFW baseball09:17 How travel baseball has changed09:58 How college baseball recruiting actually starts10:38 Do Perfect Game rankings matter?11:37 Why Cameron wants to watch recruits fail12:48 Does character matter in recruiting?14:46 High school, JUCO and portal roster construction15:21 Who should consider the JUCO route?17:59 Power Four vs. mid-major recruiting20:18 What college coaches want from catchers22:21 The truth about showcase pop times24:35 The four most recruited positions25:28 The one tool that can change a game26:52 Why swing-and-miss matters28:38 Positional versatility and getting in the lineup31:50 Why young players shouldn’t be locked into one position34:21 What college coaches truly value37:14 Power Four recruiting and the transfer portal39:16 Performance wins playing time40:49 Failure and mental toughness43:03 How parents can help players handle failure45:54 In & Out with Cameron Rupp46:38 One thing youth baseball parents should stop doing47:09 Cameron’s favorite Phillies memory48:18 Advice for every 14-year-old catcher49:04 The best players Cameron played with50:05 College camp or showcase?52:19 Are college camps money grabs?53:09 Camp invites vs. genuine recruiting interest54:53 When players get on recruiting boards56:08 Can a parent hurt his son’s recruitment?58:25 Final advice: Run your own race59:30 Where to follow Cameron Rupp
