No doubt that there are different levels in all levels of college baseball. However, the gap at the DIII level is the largest IMO. The highest level is highest level baseball. Many that play at that level of DIII could easily be playing DI baseball. Then there is... Lets call it the middle level... It is very good baseball, good baseball players and good baseball programs. Then there is the lowest level, this level of DIII teams would get beat like a drum playing against any of the best 16U teams around the country. It wouldn't be a contest in most cases. There are 16U teams that have most of their roster already committed to high level DI colleges.
I won't name any of these colleges but it is disappointing to see some of them mentioned right here on the HSBBW. Parents posting about their son's being recruited by some of them. Granted some of them are high academic type colleges and that is all good. But if baseball is important, and a player has some talent, some of these colleges are going to be a very big disappointment.
Sometimes it actually gets tough for the kid that loves competitive baseball and also has unbelievable grades and test scores. Everyone wants you, but how do you know they really want you for baseball or if they just want you as a student. It's not that they don't want good players, but they keep their jobs by bringing in good students rather than winning baseball games. Travel ball is absolutely unnecessary in this case.
I think more excellent players should be looking into opportunities at NAIA colleges.