There are many things that matter concerning where you go to college regardless of whether you play baseball or not. Distance matters to some, and like you, it does not for others. I live in the southeast and there are plenty of good baseball programs close to home. If you live in the great white north and want to play baseball in a warmer climate you are going to travel farther away.
IMO it is more of a commitment to go 800 miles or 2000 miles away to school; namely time and money. My son travels 100 miles and is overjoyed to be there. I really enjoy having a 100 mile trip to see my son; there is also much less risk to my son traveling home in 1.5 hours. I agree that you have to meet "his" needs and most important decisions involve trade offs and weighted factors against the pros and cons you put together. Distance is a factor in this decision; in your case it got no weight.