How long ago was your son a college freshman baseball player? – 10 years ago
What level was he playing? Juco, D3, D2 or D1? Something else? – D1
Did he stay at that school through graduation? If not, how many different colleges did he attend? – One school all 4 years
How much did your son play as a freshman? If he did not play, was he redshirted? If he was redshirted, when was he told about it? – My son was passed over on the travel team for their 1st Spring series despite having a very good Fall. He worked his way onto the travel team for the next series in the Spring. When conference play started, he had earned a starting pitcher spot.
What were the biggest surprises and challenges for your son freshman year? – Too many to detail. But if I had to pick one thing it would be how he stayed on top of his studies while playing college baseball. Time management was never his strong suit in high school. It became absolutely essential in college. Something kicked in when he got to college.
Overall, how was your son's experience as a freshman baseball player? Did it meet, surpass or miss his expectations? How about in regard to your expectations as a parent? – I think it surpassed his expectations. He had a great pitching coach and he was learning new things. As an introvert, the college baseball social experience was new to him so he had to adapt. My expectations centered around playing time and fairness. I expected the Coach to always be fair and reward the best players by putting them in the lineup. That didn’t always happen. M son saw it too, but said very little about it.
Based on your son's experience as a freshman baseball player and your's as the parent, what advice would you have for the freshman player and his parent? – This has been detailed on HSBBWeb many times. But I’ll distill it down to 5 points. First, show up in the best physical and baseball shape possible. Second, competition for playing time is fierce. It will be a grind. Be prepared to compete like your baseball life depended on it. Third, stay on top of your studies and don’t let anything trip you up academically. Manage your time like it is the most valuable thing in the world. Fourth, be a great teammate and support everyone. You don’t have to like all your teammates but you have to support them. Fifth, don’t give the HC a reason to keep you out of the lineup.
PS...edited. One more thing, college coaches seem make their minds up very quickly about incoming freshmen. I hesitate to use the word "judgemental" but that is surely what it looks like. The recruit is part of the solution or he is not. Very few are given a second chance. My son told me about a couple of very talented players that played it "cool" and nonchalant during the Fall of freshmen year. It did not work out well for them at all despite what they did in practice after freshmen year...the HC had his mind made up. Again, be ready to bust your hump immediately and make a positive impression. College HC have many options. The recruit has significantly less options.
Did your son complete 4 years of college baseball eligibility? If not, why? – No, he has a year of eligibility left. He was hurt his junior year and therefore has a year left. I don't see him taking advantage of that as he is working full time, married, has a mortgage and is getting a masters degree.