Since the term "recruited walk-on" is frequently used when coaches, prospects, and parents are talking about recruiting, I thought I would provide some information that may be helpful to HS prospects and parents, especially if they are being recruited by, or if their goal is, a Division I baseball program. The point I want to make with this info is that if a baseball player is considering a transfer from one four-year school to a Division I program, it may be better to not be "recruited."
The link below will take you to an article I wrote on our website in 2011, but which is still relevant today. That link will, in turn, take you to another article from 2012 which defines a "recruited athlete" for purposes of the NCAA rules.
Just keep in mind that when coaches are using the phrase "recruited walk-on", "recruited prospect", or "recruited athlete", they may not be using that term in the same way "recruited" is defined in the NCAA Manual. The key is that as little as two phone calls from four-year college coaches will define a prospect as "recruited" even though they may get a hundred e-mails from the same coaching staff, and they would not be "recruited" per the NCAA definition.
Here's the link to the article:
http://www.informedathlete.com/walk-on-transfer-rules
I should also add that, while I didn't specify it when I wrote the article in 2011, the same rule applies for a player transferring to a Division I program from any other four-year program if they were "recruited" to the original program.