@fenwaysouth thank you for the advice. Definitely prioritizing academics over baseball. I'm a former educator that has taught thousands of high schoolers. I've observed that grades basically come down to three factors: intellect, effort, and rigor.
High intellect in an easy course doesn't require much effort for a good grade. Low intellect in a tough course would require hardwork for a good grade. Ideally the level of rigor shouldn't be beyond the student's combined intellect/effort abilities and it should still provide growth opportunities.
My son has been tested to have a slightly below average IQ. He primarily takes the regular level courses, with a few "honors" courses in areas that will challenge him within his capabilities. He has a 504 qualifying disability that provides him with accommodations. He has always struggled to perform well on standardized tests, which is why colleges offering test optional applications are wonderful. He has worked very hard to have a 3.8GPA.
So he's not overlooking schools because they are maybe D3 for baseball. He's truly looking for a school that will provide him with the right level of academic rigor, provide academic support/accommodations for his disability, have programs he'd be interested in studying that would lead to a solid career, and also not run him into the ground with debt. He's narrowed his list down significantly based on these considerations, and that is why he'd be willing to redshirt in order to have an opportunity to be apart of the baseball team. So he is indeed chasing the academic fit programs that have baseball too.