There was a time when July 1st held a considerable amount of clout, a date high school baseball prospects and college coaches would circle with great anticipation. July 1 is the official day college baseball coaches can contact high school seniors-to-be off campus.

The intent of the coach is obvious: show prospects they have an interest in their services as a collegiate student-athlete. In some cases, the contact resembles a full-court press, including a monetary scholarship offer right on the spot. In other instances, the process can be defined as kicking the tires. You know, the particular prospect is a fall-back just in case preferred prospects other college destinations.

"We generally don't make calls until about 10 a.m.," said Ed Mathey, head coach at Northern Illinois University. "But some programs will make calls right at midnight. They're off to the races."

Prior to July 1, any contact a high school player has with a college consists of either a visit to the campus or phone calls initiated by the recruit. The two parties can also make contact through emails, which has hastened the recruiting process and has afforded a growing number of sophomores the opportunity to verbally commit early. A coach can invite a sophomore prospect to his campus via email and then make him an offer on campus. There's no need to wait until July 1st after a prospect's junior season. It's a case of the early bird catching the worm. Which is why the July 1st date carries less significance.

"Recruits get a lot of their questions answered by exchanging emails with the college prior to July 1," said Mathey, who just completed his eighth season at NIU. "They can request literature about the school and the program. They have a head start."

Another factor in recruiting is travel ball. Top players compete in travel tournaments and showcases throughout the summer, allowing college coaches multiple opportunities to evaluate. And, in many cases, make a scholarship offer early in the prospect's high school career. Again, eliminating the significance of the July 1st date.

"I think  what travel ball has allowed college coaches to do is see a higher group of kids playing at one place," Mathey said. "All the top high school players compete at the same tournament for a weekend. A higher caliber of ball provides a better evaluation. It has allowed colleges to see more kids. It's given kids more exposure." What it doesn't provide, according to Mathey, is the true character of the player. That, more than his ability to hit a fastball or throw a curveball when behind in the count, will dictate whether he will survive the college lifestyle.

"You want to know what the kid is like during high school, because it's a similar setting to college" Mathey said. "Does he pay attention in class, does he handle himself well in the hallways, does he put in as much time in his studies as he does in baseball. Those are some of the demands at college. Because that tells me more about his character and how he'll adapt to college.