Hello - I'm new to the site and this topic caught my attention.
My son is not D1 material but he has received some good interest from Jr. Colleges in the northeast that we really like (dorms, beautiful rural area, affordable, small class size, awesome facilities).
Several coaches talked to him on the phone for about 10-15 minutes, they have texted and emailed him, sent him Merry Christmas letters and asked him to apply to admissions, and invited him for a visit. One of them even followed up on the admissions process and another sent him a personal Merry Christmas note hand written. One of the coaches said on day one that he feels he will be a good fit for his program.
I'm really excited about all of the schools and I'm hoping maybe someone can estimate what level of interest the coaches have based on the information above. We're hoping to commit before spring season is over but don't want to be pushy. At the same time we would like to express our interest and get an idea of their level of commitment. Is there a correct way to come out and ask the coach if they feel a commitment is close? Perhaps ask "...Coach - what can I do to earn a spot on your team...?"
Thanks and have an awesome New Year 
I'm trying to get a better understanding of your son's situation. I think it will help everyone here give better advice. Why JC's in the NE? You live in Florida, right? Most JC's are made up, largely of local players - more so than any other college level. Most JC's are quite inexpensive for area residents. Some are quite more expensive for out-of-state players. Typically, the quality of education doesn't warrant paying out-of-state tuitions. What is the appeal? What is the connection? If you don't mind answering, what are the tuition and other cost factors you are looking at?
Hi - thanks for your reply
My son will not be ready for JC in FL - way too competitive.
We've been looking at JC's for the smaller class sizes. My son has an IEP and will do much better in a smaller environment. We're looking in NY and ME because out of state tuition is affordable, they have dorms and the ones we're looking at are in quiet rural areas and also very close to very good friends of mine from the military. He has former teammates that play up there as well. It's basically everything we can ask for. I understand JC's are mostly made up of locals and that's why I'm trying to get a better understanding of their level of commitment. We can only afford a couple visits this spring and want to make sure we spend wisely.
Thanks
OK, cool. That starts to make more sense. I think, then, the best I can offer from my end is some general warnings - things to look out for.
If a school is not offering athletic scholarship $, there is no commitment on their part to the player. So, if a coach just says "we'd love to have you come out for the team in the fall" or "we think you may be a good fit" or "we could see you possibly earning playing time", these are all encouraging but non-committal. They have nothing to lose. The more good players they can get to show up in the fall, the better chance they have at putting together a decent roster.
I am very familiar with JC's on the west coast but not familiar with those in the NE. Many of the California JC's will get 60-90 players show up in the fall, most of whom are good players and who have been "encouraged" to come out. Then, after a cattle call fall, dozens of decent players are cut and don't make the spring roster. This may not be the same where you are looking but you will still want to ask questions that give you a realistic picture as to whether they actually see your son as a contributing member of the team or at least someone who will likely have a solid hold on a roster spot. Hopefully, you are able to arrange your visits so you can sit in on either practice or a game so you two can make an intelligent determination yourselves as well.
I would not suggest your line of questioning that you mentioned "what can I do to earn a spot on your team?". This makes it real easy for a RC to view him as some one trying to make the team instead of someone they have seen and expect to be part of the program. Ideally, you want to find a school that has enough interest in your son that they will be telling you they see him as a contributing member and they can be somewhat specific about what they like about him and how his skill set may fit into the needs of the program. So, his questions should be more like "where do you see me fitting in the program?" Now, if your son is totally happy with the school even if he doesn't make the baseball team, that's a different story.
Even though I am not familiar with the NE JC's, I have found it common that all HS players underestimate the level of play and required commitment to play college baseball at any level. So try to see some games in the league/s he is considering and also ask as many questions as you can about practice schedules, workout schedules, classes required and other requirements of student athletes at each school you consider. Also, JC's in our area are run under a different entity than NCAA or NAIA and actually have less restrictions. In many cases, this results in more practice time and/or workout time, which results in less time for school work and other activities.
