I learned along time ago, there are many students/parents that approach college as the "search for the $200,000 sweatshirt." That is they are looking for validation of their efforts by either attending or being part of a program that is well recognized.
99.9% of all college baseball players will never have any kind of professional baseball career. So the discussion really is about what kind of college experience you as a parent expect or your son wants.
College is difficult enough if you are going to get something out of it. Then you add the rigors of baseball and you have accepted the equivalent of a full time job being added to getting something from an education.
You add to it virtually everyone has to pay some or all of the cost of an education; I really question the merits of seeking a "walk on spot" so that you can sit on the bench of anyone's program.
I believe that the best advice we can give kids is:
- Go to a school where you will get an education and find joy in the experience.
- Go to a school where the financial obligation can be handled by the family without creating a hardship.
- Go to a school where playing baseball will be a positive part of the college experience.
- Go to a school where you will be prepared for the next phase of your life.
There are 1,000's of schools, which offer 100's of opportunities, to make a single decision in search of the "$200,000 sweatshirt" does not make sense of your evaluating a future where being a baseball player is highly unlikely.