Author

Adam Paganelli

Co-founder, NextCommit

Adam Paganelli is a co-founder of NextCommit. He played college baseball at Green River College, Sacramento City College, and Northwest Nazarene University after graduating from Tahoma High School in 2018, and he builds the AI outreach, Recruit Score, and coach database tools athletes use on NextCommit.

Background

Adam Paganelli co-founded NextCommit with Preston Viltz after both went through the college baseball recruiting process the hard way. Adam graduated from Tahoma High School in Maple Valley, Washington in 2018, started his college career at Green River College and Sacramento City College, and finished at Northwest Nazarene University.

At NextCommit he leads product and engineering: the verified coach database, the AI email personalization athletes send from their own inbox, the Recruit Score division-fit model, and the reply tracking that powers the response-rate research published on this site.

His writing focuses on baseball recruiting standards, coach outreach, and what the platform's own data says about when and how coaches reply.

Credentials

  • Co-founder, NextCommit
  • College baseball: Green River College, Sacramento City College, Northwest Nazarene University
  • Tahoma High School, Class of 2018

Covered by

Profiles

How NextCommit writes, sources, and corrects its guides is described in the editorial policy.

Guides by Adam

Recruiting Process

NCAA Transfer Portal Windows 2026-27: Every D1 Sport

Football: January 4-13, 2027. Men's basketball: April 6-20. Women's basketball: April 5-19. Baseball: December 1-15, 2026 or June 7 to July 6, 2027. Softball: December 1-15 or June 14-28. Every Division I sport's official window, and how the portal works.

Updated October 18, 2026

Coach Outreach

Baseball Pitcher Recruiting Email Template (2026)

A copy-paste email for baseball pitchers with a subject line formula, a filled example, the velocity benchmarks coaches use, a follow-up template, and when D1, D2, D3, and NAIA coaches can write back.

Updated October 18, 2026

Coach Outreach

Baseball Catcher Recruiting Email Template (2026)

A copy-paste email for baseball catchers with a subject line formula, a filled example, the pop time and exit velocity benchmarks coaches use, a follow-up template, and when D1, D2, D3, and NAIA coaches can write back.

Updated October 18, 2026

Recruiting Process

NCAA Eligibility Requirements 2026-27: Core Courses, GPA, and Eligibility Center Registration

Division I needs 16 core courses, the 10/7 rule and a 2.3 core GPA. Division II needs 16 core courses and a 2.2. Neither uses test scores. Here is how to register with the Eligibility Center, what it costs, and what to do in each year of high school.

Updated October 18, 2026

NIL

NIL Rules for High School and College Athletes in 2026: State-by-State Rules, Reporting, and Taxes

We checked every state's high school NIL rule against its association rulebook or statute: 42 states allow paid NIL, 7 do not. Here is each state's rule, what Division I recruits must report and when, the college rules under the College Sports Commission, and how NIL income is taxed.

Updated October 12, 2026

Coach Outreach

How to DM College Coaches on X (Twitter): Rules and Templates (2026)

You can DM a college coach at any age. When the coach can answer depends on the sport and division. Here are the 2026-27 rules, a step-by-step process, three short templates, and the fake-account scams to avoid.

Updated October 1, 2026

Coach Outreach

Should You Email or DM a College Coach? (2026)

Email is the record a coach can forward and file. An X DM is a short second touch where the coach is active and accepts DMs. The questionnaire is the third channel. Here is when to use each, a sample sequence, and how to avoid sending the same message twice.

Updated October 1, 2026

Comparison

Best College Recruiting Apps and Websites (2026): 8 Compared by Price

Eight recruiting apps and websites, from free to $199.95 a month, compared on the job each one does. Our pick for most athletes is NextCommit, the only one with a published free plan that writes a personalized email to each college coach and sends it from your own inbox.

Updated October 18, 2026

Comparison

SportsRecruits Review (2026): Cost, Free vs Pro, and Is It Worth It?

SportsRecruits is free to join, and its Pro price appears only after you log in. Here is what free and Pro include, what families report paying, who owns it, whether coaches use it, when it is worth it, and why NextCommit is the better pick for most athletes paying their own way.

Updated October 18, 2026

Comparison

FieldLevel Review: Cost, Free Plan, and Is Premium Worth It? (2026)

FieldLevel is free for athletes and coaches, and its Premium tiers cost $29 to $79 a month. Here is what each tier adds, what the free plan cannot do, how FieldLevel compares with NCSA and SportsRecruits, and why NextCommit, which emails college coaches for you free, is the better pick for most athletes.

Updated October 18, 2026

Comparison

CaptainU Review: Is CaptainU Legit and Worth It? (2026)

CaptainU is a real recruiting company with a free plan and paid tiers from $22.50 to $199.95 a month. It became Stack Athlete in 2025, went back to CaptainU, and got a new owner in April 2026. Here is what that means for families, what reviews report, what to check before you buy, and the alternative we recommend.

Updated October 18, 2026

Comparison

NCSA vs SportsRecruits (2026): Same Owner, Different Products

IMG Academy has owned both since 2025, but they sell different things: SportsRecruits is a profile network and tools, NCSA is human recruiting guidance. Here is how they compare on price, model, and fit, and why NextCommit, a direct outreach tool that starts free, is the better pick than both for most athletes.

Updated October 18, 2026

Comparison

SportsRecruits vs FieldLevel (2026): Price, Model, and Which to Use

Both networks are free for athletes and college coaches, and both wait for coaches to find you: your club puts you in front of coaches on SportsRecruits, your coach on FieldLevel. Here are the prices, the models, and why NextCommit, which emails coaches for you, is the better pick than both for most athletes.

Updated October 18, 2026

Comparison

Best Baseball Recruiting Websites (2026): Services Compared by Price

Baseball recruiting services do four different jobs: direct outreach, showcases, profile networks, and contact tools. Our pick for most players is NextCommit, the only one with a published free plan that writes and sends a personalized email to each college coach. Here is what every service costs in 2026.

Updated October 18, 2026

Comparison

Best Softball Recruiting Websites (2026): Services Compared by Price

Softball recruiting runs through club events, rankings, profile networks, contact tools, film, and direct email. Our pick for most players is NextCommit, the only one with a published free plan that writes and sends a personalized email to each college coach. Here is what every service costs in 2026.

Updated October 18, 2026

Comparison

Best Football Recruiting Websites (2026): Services Compared by Price

Football recruiting runs on film, X, and camps. Here is what every major football recruiting website and service costs as of September 30, 2026, what each one does, and why NextCommit, which writes a personal email to each coach from your own inbox and adds coach DMs on X on Pro, is our pick for most players.

Updated October 18, 2026

Comparison

Best Soccer Recruiting Websites (2026): Services Compared by Price

College soccer recruiting runs through club showcases and ID camps. Here is what each soccer recruiting website and service costs as of September 30, 2026, for men's and women's players, and why NextCommit, which emails each coach from your own inbox before the showcase, is our pick for most players.

Updated October 18, 2026

Comparisons

Best NCSA Alternatives in 2026: 7 Cheaper Ways to Get Recruited (Free Options Included)

NCSA packages run into the thousands. These seven alternatives range from free to $199.95 a month. Our pick for most athletes is NextCommit, the only one that writes a personalized email for each coach and sends it from your own inbox for free.

Updated October 18, 2026

Original Research

What Actually Gets College Coaches to Reply: How Many to Email, When to Send, and When to Follow Up (2026 Data)

Platform data from NextCommit athletes shows how many coaches to email, when a reply usually arrives, how much a follow-up helps, and the best months, days, and hours to send for your sport.

Updated September 6, 2026

Comparison

NCSA Reviews (2026): What Parents and Athletes Actually Say Before You Pay

NCSA reviews cluster into consistent themes: praise for structure and education, complaints about cost, sales pressure, and templated outreach. The best alternative for most families: NextCommit, free for 10 personalized coach emails a week with published prices.

Updated October 18, 2026

Recruiting Benchmarks

Average Exit Velocity by Age (10-18): Exit Velo Chart + D1, D2, D3 Benchmarks

See average and strong exit velocity ranges for every age from 10 to 18, what D1, D2, and D3 coaches look for, and how to raise your number before your next showcase.

Updated October 19, 2026

Recruiting Benchmarks

Average Baseball Pitch Speed by Age: Pitching Velocity Chart (12-18) + College Targets

See average and strong fastball velocity for every age, how fast D1, D2, and D3 pitchers actually throw, and the realistic ways to add velocity before your recruiting window.

Updated October 19, 2026

Recruiting Benchmarks

Catcher Pop Time by Age: What Pop Time Is in Baseball + MLB and College Targets

See average and strong pop times for every age group, the 1.85 to 2.15 second college benchmarks by division, and how to cut tenths off your time before your next showcase.

Updated October 19, 2026

Comparison

NCSA Cost: Families Report $2,000-$6,000+ Packages. What You Get & Cheaper Alternatives (2026)

Families report NCSA packages from $2,000 to $6,000+, priced through a sales call rather than a public list. Here is what you get at each reported tier, and why the best alternative for most athletes is NextCommit, free for 10 personalized coach emails a week, then $19.99 or $49.99 a month.

Updated October 18, 2026

Recruiting Process

College Baseball Recruiting Timeline: NCAA Baseball Recruiting Calendar 2026-2027 by Grade

Most baseball families start one year too late. Use this 2026-2027 NCAA baseball recruiting calendar for August 1 contact, D2 rules, showcase timing, signing dates, and grade-by-grade outreach.

Updated October 19, 2026

Recruiting Process

How to Get Recruited for College Baseball: The Complete (2026-2027 Guide)

The complete 2026-2027 guide to college baseball recruiting, with position-specific measurables by division, showcase strategy, and a step-by-step outreach process built for the post-House Settlement 34-man roster cap.

Updated October 18, 2026

Comparison

NCSA Cost, Reviews & Alternatives: Free AI Recruiting Tools (2026)

Compare NCSA reviews, reported $2,000 to $6,000+ costs, coach outreach, recruit scoring, advisor support, and NextCommit free AI-powered recruiting tools.

Updated October 18, 2026

Coach Outreach

How to Email a College Coach: 5 Copy-Paste Templates + Free AI Generator (2026)

Use a simple outreach structure, lead with the metrics coaches care about, and make it easy for a coach to decide whether to watch your film or reply.

Updated October 18, 2026