Swampboy, thank you very much for the reply which did answer some questions. I just don't have the nerve to ask the coach about money.
The #1 goal for my son is a great education, which he'll get at this school with or without baseball. There are benefits which come with being an NCAA athlete, but it's also a huge commitment, time-wise. I've told him that if his grades take a hit this spring because of baseball, with no scholarship, I can't justify him being on the team and putting academic scholarships out of reach. I was told that if he was an in-state athlete, this wouldn't be an issue, but without being fully funded, the team can't afford the 25% mandated scholarship (out-of-state tuition is 4X higher).
Over the break he told me that it looks like he's earned a spring roster spot with his fall work. With that opportunity, I hope he can help his team out and build some scholarship leverage for next fall. In other words, if he performs well, maybe they will find the money. Writing that 5-figure check for spring tuition and fees has me thinking about this stuff all over again.