Army/Navy/Air Force baseball programs

Army is a great program with exceptional facilities and one of the best young coaches (Coach Sottolano) just a great guy. School history, speaks for itself. Should have another solid season with many pre-season honors and expectations.

Bulldog19,

Any of the academies would be an excellent choice. As mentioned, Army's program, coaches, and facilities are outstanding. Coach Sottolano has established the baseball program at Army at a very high level. Army will probably be competeing year in and year out in the post season NCAA tournament.

Navy's program has been down for quite a few years. They have a new coach from Maine this year, and it will be very interesting to see how their program unfolds over the next few years. I think it is safe to say that it will take a couple years of solid recruiting/rebuilding for Navy to become competitive again, but they are deinitely putting the financial resources into the program. Look for Navy to start to come on strong when Coach Kostacopoulos' recruiting begins to manifest.

Air Force has also struggled in recent years. I'm not really sure what the source of their problem is, but they play against pretty strong competition in the Mountain West Conference with TCU, UNLV, New Mexico, San Diego State, BYU, and Utah. Air Force is hoping that this will be a break out year after several years of rebuilding.

Any of the Service Academies would be outstanding choices academically as well as athletically. If you have not yet done so, you should make contact with the various coaches to let them know of your interest. The Service academies operate under slightly different rules because of the longer application process (i.e needing congressional nominations, etc.). Consequently, the coaches are able to call you during your Junior year (which is now if you are an '07)

Of the three programs, Army is definitely the strongest at the present time. My son is also an '07 with Army as his #1 school. We are pretty familiar with the process so feel free to PM me if you have other specific questions.

GO ARMY! BEAT EVERYBODY!

Bulldog,

I forgot one very important point as another reason to make contact with the coaches. Although the process is the same whether you are or are not a recruited athlete, there are some subtle differences, and probably an advantage to being a recruited athelete.

I can only speak with some direct knowledge about Army. If one is a recruited athlete, the admissions staff are not allowed to make any contact with the athlete in order to avoid violating the NCAA rules that do apply to the academies. All contact from the schools is handled through the athletic department. If you are a recruited athlete, some parts of the gruelling application process will be easier.

I actually attended the Air Force Academy and worked out with the team in the fall of 2002 before leaving. I ultimately decided the military was not the direction I wanted to go in life. I did very well there, so I didn't just quit because I couldn't handle it. It just wasn't for me. The baseball was very competitive - not to say they can play with big time SEC/ACC schools, but the Mountain West is not shabby in any sports.

The experience you will gain there goes far beyond baseball. It will prepare you for the real world.

Let me just say this from personal experience and my classmates/squadmates that I was there with: DO NOT GO TO A SERVICE ACADEMY TO PLAY SPORTS. YOU GO TO A SERVICE ACADEMY TO BECOME AN OFFICER IN THE MILITARY. THAT IS YOUR ULTIMATE GOAL AND THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE INVESTING THEIR TIME AND MONEY IN YOU FOR. YOU WILL BE MISERABLE IF YOU HAVE NO DESIRE OF THIS AND ONLY WISH TO PLAY BALL.

Good luck in your decision making!

Navy Baseball is two thumbs up (as are the other service academies, including Coast Guard).

Several Marylanders have attended the Naval Academy and played baseball in the past few years. Most of them are now enjoying Naval Air flying.

Also, my nephew, who played baseball for two years, will be graduating from the Air Force Academy in May this year. He has is pilot's license prior to entering. He is on break this week, and is awaiting to be assigned for his tour. Send me your email, and you can call him!

Regards,
Bear

quote:

DO NOT GO TO A SERVICE ACADEMY TO PLAY SPORTS. YOU GO TO A SERVICE ACADEMY TO BECOME AN OFFICER IN THE MILITARY. THAT IS YOUR ULTIMATE GOAL AND THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE INVESTING THEIR TIME AND MONEY IN YOU FOR. YOU WILL BE MISERABLE IF YOU HAVE NO DESIRE OF THIS AND ONLY WISH TO PLAY BALL.

This point cannot be overemphasized. Plus, the graduate will very soon travel overseas into a hot zone...

I agree with you 100% about not going to a school like this just to play sports. That's not my objective at all. Baseball is 3rd on the list of priorities when I'm looking at a college right now. I want to join the Army as a Commissioned 2nd LT therefore my first thing is the military training. The second is the education. West Point is regarded as one of the top schools in the nation. I have challenged myself by applying to such an institution. Baseball, if it happens, will be great. If it doesn't, then there are more important things for me to worry about at that time than why I'm not playing baseball there.

This is also why I have made a trip out to West Point already to visit the campus, have applied for the Summer Leadership Seminar, contacted all my Senators and Representative before even considering contacting Coach Sottolano at ARMY. I understand athletics are not the main function of the Academy, but "Every Cadet an Athlete"

From memory, the last pro player that was able to sign and continue his service committment after graduating. attended the Naval Academy.

LHP = Matt Foster. I am unable to recall any other service academies officers who played pro baseball (although a couple come to mind for pro basketball and pro football, and both also went to Annapolis)

Bear,

Last year (2005), Schuyler Williamson - Army (catcher) was drafted and was able to defer for a period of time to sign a minor league contract.

Also, Josh Holden a 2003 graduate of Army is playing with the Billings Mustangs (Cinncinatti Reds organiszation) while still honoring his service commitment.

Army recently made a policy change to allow for the possiblity of pro-ball. That said, everyone else is entirely correct. You don't go to a Service Academy planning to be drafted!

My son is currently being recruited by Army, and here is how coach Sottolano explained the pro ball scenario...

If signing after graduation, you spend your next two off seasons on active duty as an Army Recruiter. If still playing pro ball after that, they take your next 3 years of obligation, double it to 6, and put you in the reserves. You also have to come up with a sum of money, currently $33,000 I believe he said, to pay off the education. He told us that any pro team still considering you a prospect pays that for you. If at the end of two years, you elect to leave pro ball, you would begin active duty serving out the remaining three years of your 5 year committment.

I do like coach Sottolano's tag line on all his correspondence...

Beat Everybody

Nick Hill is a senior lefty pitcher at Army and a member of Team USA this past summer.....he for sure will be drafted.....talk to him
Even though my son competes against Army in the Patriot League....they are good, well coached and West Point is one heck of a place....

According to the 11/11/06 edition of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, a Steve May, '07 from Parkway West High School in St. Louis County, MO, signed a NLI with Army...

That's interesting, kb, because I didn't think any of the Service Academies were a part of the NLI program. This would be due to all of the different things the candidates have to do to gain an appointment and such.

.

Here is a perfect lead for you Bulldog 19...

AcademyDAD has successful sons at BOTH Air Force AND Navy...

I'm shoot him a PM...

44

9

Hi everyone on this thread... Observer44 asked me to "chime in"....

My oldest son, Karl Bolt, is one of the team captains at USAFA. He's a senior there and has had a prety good run... 25 dingers so far and career .325 Looks like he could go as high as top 10 rounds this year... BUT.... Air Force has no clear cut method of allowing their players to go pro.

My youngest is in the fight of his life (with the way things are going in "the sand box", I hope that 10 years from now, it will still have been the fight of his life) for the starting spot at SS for USNA. He's in his Plebe year.

Correct, there is no NLI with the Academies. Most recruits don't find out until usually earliest late January, whether their Appointments come through. Some as late as May, and non-athletes can often hear just days before Basic Training starts. The Appointment process is an intense one, which usually starts as early as June of your Junior HS year. It includes applications, letters of introduction to your Congressman/Senator, interviews with same, or same's committees, Physical Fitness Testing Exams, Physicals, etc.

I did just hear that even though there are no NLI's, that USAFA just offered Nathan Carter from Norcal (DeLaSalle HS)a letter of comfirmation. Carter was recruited by over 40 schools, and is considered to be the fastest white kid in northern California. AFA wanted this kid badly, and showed that hard and fast rules can always be bent to get a kid to commit. Nathan has wanted to be a fighter pilot since he was 8 yrs old... I was there the day he commited. I will never forget the twinkle in his eye and the Cheshire Cat look on his face when he and his dad told me he was getting to go. I'm so proud to have been part of his recruiting process.

The pro ball deal is not perfectly clear cut at any of the campuses though. Mitch Harris at Navy, a Junior this year should get drafted... he's ranked in the top 35 P's in the country. Some say he will stick it out through Senior year...which I think is smart. A degree from USNA will open doors for your entire life.

The problem with pro baseball in the eyes of the Academies is "the minor leagues". David Robinson got to go partly because the notoriety of him playing in the NBA gave USNA great prestige and press. Minor League Baseball just doesn't give the military enough assurance that the experience will pay back to the govt who has financed the education.

There are rumors that buying out your education could get factored in... but the education is currently valued at somewhere over $250K. Now if a kid goes in the top 5 rounds, that usually can get covered in signing bouses etc. There is also talk of trading 9 years Reserve time for 5 years of Active Duty.

One thing that gets in the way of many kids deciding not to go to an Academy, is this concept of "owing the military 5 years" when you graduate. The process has certainly shown us that this is a total misconception. The bottom line is that when you graduate, you are not peeling potatoes in a fox hole or working in the motor pool at Travis Air Force Base. Actually you might be running the motor pool. You come out as a 2nd LT, making around $50K, and get to work in a profession that your education dictates. Many go the pilot route... my oldest turned his pilot slot down to work in Logistics. After 5 years in the AF, he will be a very hot commodity in Supply Chain Mgmt for Hewlitt Packard, WalMart, et al. Or he can pursue a career in the AF.

The bottom line that Coach Hutcheon at USAFA tells us is that if Karl puts up a break out year and goes high in the Draft, they will do whatever is necessary to try and make it desireable for both sides. Active Duty in recruiting, ambassadorship, etc is in the eyes of many as important as ordering toilet paper for Kandahar (well, maybe not to those with an urge in the desert).

All three programs are unique, though I'm not as familiar with Army's. Air Force plays in a very tough Mountain West Conference with UNLV, TCU, San Diego State, BYU, Utah, and New Mexico. High elevation baseball is not for the faint of heart... especially amongst pitchers. Very high ERA's. Someone said a ball hit last May in Colorado Springs (7500' elev) hasn't come down yet. MWC also has some of the top venues in the country. Two of the ballparks are AAA (SLC and ALBUQ).

Navy has a brand new stadium and in all sports has taken a completely new view on the "power of winning". With a new coach, Kostacopoulos, from Univ of Maine, who has over 500 wins at a young age of early 40-something, they could very well go to the NCAA's here very soon. Don't know much about the Patriot League yet, but hope to make at least a third of the games this year.

The best part of the deal however is the education and the leadership and discipline taught at the schools. Having said that, it is not a normal college experience. Long days, 21 credits even during the season, military uniforms and responsibilities, and lots of getting yelled at. Zero tolerance on drinking and drugs. But as anyone will tell you, if you make it through, you're set for life.

Sorry so verbose... Anyone with questions, on the thread or "quietly", please feel free. I'll get off my soapbox now.

Gentlemen (and ladies...) at ease.

cadDAD

+++++++

very informative post caddad. curious if a rotc student will come out of school as a 2nd lt. is their commitment the same?

wondering about the coaches? my son was recruited by coach K at me. so i know he isn't in the military. are these coaching jobs government jobs? are some of them in the service?just started me thinking,what a great job.

congratulations on your son's school joices. two boy's in such prestiges school's you must be very proud.the admission process alone appears mind boggling.

i thank them in advance for wanting to defend our freedom's.

Saw the thread thought I would give my two cents.

First, congrats to Steve May o7 for his choice of Army. I think CadDad is correct and the newspaper is confused. My son received a "letter of confirmation" to Army. This was an indication to the player he has been accepted to WP if all goes well with the appointment process. I do not think there is any NLI at the academies.

Bull Dog 19....I think you are making a good choice for the right reasons. Fist officer then studies and baseball. This really can be difficult. But if completed, you can consider yourself a "man" above the rest. The committment is 5 years. You can look at it in two ways....that it is tough and a long commitment or it is a great, long term job while everyone else is stumbling along. The Army is a sure thing. My son spent four of his greatest, toughest, most memmoriable years there. Meeting the president is just one event that we all coveted. I look forward to hearing more about your future.

CPLZ... good luck.

IF you all have any questions about Army, I would be happy to help. Army is the best. Coach Joe, just simply put, loves it there. He was my son's mentor while at the academy.

20Dad,

Yes, the ROTC student will be commissioned as a 2Lt (Army & Marines), Ensign in Navy, not sure about Air Force officer designations. The commitment is usually 4 years unless you are selected for pilot training in AF or Navy, and then I think it is up to 10 years active duty for pilots.

The majority of officers in the US military come from the ROTC programs. ROTC offers 4 year nationally competitive scholarships out of high school, and also 2 & 3 year scholarships through the individual ROTC units.

The pay and the benefits are the same for both Service Academy graduates and ROTC students.

http://www.whc.net/rjones/USN/USN_team.html

Check it out.
You get to learn cool thing's like this.
Awesome.
EH

Good article on the service academies today in the San Francisco Chronicle...

Hope this will come up as a link...

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/1...ollege&sn=004&sc=849

44
.

Very interesting and informative thread. Thanks everyone!

I thought that was strange, too...that the STL P-D had Steve May as signing an NLI to play at "Army," but here's the link (in case anybody thinks I made it up):

Steve May signs w/ Army

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Can one of the West Point Dads give some advice on how to get to West Point? What is the closest major airport(s) and how far a drive? Are there plenty of hotels near the campus? Recomendations?

Looking at going to the USMA/Navy series from Columbus, OH.... can you get there on Southwest?


cadDAD


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Academydad, as far as airports, Stewart Airport (SWF) is located in Newburgh, only about 20 minutes from West Point. At this time it's not a major hub and you won't get too many direct flights from the west coast. Jet Blue is currently flying direct from 3 Florida locations. Always check there first.

The other 2 major NY airports, JFK and LaGuardia are about an hour or so south and every airline flys into either/or. Albany, NY is just over 1 1/2 hours to the north and WP is a straight shot down I87. Southwest does use Albany and JFK.

There are plenty of hotels in the surrounding community. They range from the Hotel Thayer (Top of the line) to you regular drive up motels.

I live about 45 minutes from the WP campus. If I can be of any assistance drop me a PM.

AcademyDad--My son is in his second year at West Point and has thived there both academically and on the baseball field. We have found it's easiest(less traffic hassels and easier to navigate) to fly into Newark Airport. The drive is is about 45 min to 1 hr 15 min depending on the time of day. The motels in Highland Falls were built in the 50's and 60's. There is a new Holiday Inn Express there now. Newburgh does have many of the newer chain hotels. Good luck to both of your sons.

.

Co05Dad...

You going to the Navy/Army baseball series? How does the Army squad look this year?

Any further word on whether they would let Nick Hill play some pro ball?

cadDAD

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ADad,
At Army, they have the (I think it's called) Pro Service Option. They will allow their athletes to go to pro sports, either through the draft or free agency. Their first two years of pro play, they work off seasons as an Army recruiter. If still playing after that, they owe the Army a specified sum of money for the education (which the baseball coach explained that the pro team pays), and take your remaining three years of active duty, double it to six and place you in the reserves.

I have come to find out that all the academies have different policies, this one is Army's. So the long answer to your short question is, yes, Nick Hill can go play pro ball if he so desires (along with Milan Dinga). There have been two Army baseball players that have gone that route since enactment a few years ago.

.

The following was posted on The General Items Forum. Thought for reference it should get posted here as well, as several of the Army guys you mention are featured.



http://www.perfectgame.org/stories/07_03_29_banner_year...e_service_academies/

AcademyDad you have a PM.

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Rankings came out this past week for colleges around the country, and once again, US Air Force Academy came out very high in MANY categories. Granted, not a "normal" college experience, but nice to see their academics are getting recognized:



http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123065009


Academy Academics Rank Amongst Best In Nation



U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AFPN) -- The Air Force Academy was named the best baccalaureate college in the west, and received top rankings in several engineering programs, according to the U.S. News &; World Report's America's Best Colleges 2008 rankings, released Aug. 17.



U.S. News &; World Report evaluated the 320 universities in the nation that offer only undergraduate degrees, and ranked them in four geographic regions: west, north, mid-west and south.



In the west region, the Academy led the list as best baccalaureate college. This region includes Texas, Oklahoma, and every state north, south and west of Colorado, including Alaska and Hawaii.



The ranking was based on a wide range of university-wide statistics, including student-faculty ratio, percentage of full time faculty, acceptance rate, average class size and freshman retention rates. At the Air Force Academy the student-faculty ratio is 8-to-1, 100 percent of the faculty is full-time, the acceptance rate is 19 percent and 81 percent of classes here have fewer than 20 cadets in the classroom.



Several of the Academy's undergraduate engineering disciplines also received top national rankings. Overall, the Academy's undergraduate engineering programs are tied with Pennsylvania's Bucknell University for seventh best in the nation this year. Several undergraduate engineering specialties also were ranked among the nation's best.



The Academy ranked second in the nation in aeronautical and astronautical engineering for the seventh consecutive year, behind only Embry Riddle University.



In civil engineering, the Academy tied Virginia Military Institute, Pennsylvania's Lafayette College and Illinois' Bradley University for the seventh slot.



In electrical engineering, the Academy tied New Jersey's Rowan University for the eighth best in the nation.



The Academy's management department also made the charts, tying for 83rd in the best undergraduate business program rankings.



For the business and engineering disciplines, the rankings are produced after examining a weighted combination of factors. These start with peer assessment by university deans and senior faculty (25 percent), and then include graduation and retention rates (25 percent), faculty resources (20 percent), student selectivity (15 percent), financial resources (10 percent), and alumni giving rate.



The rankings are separated by which universities offer graduate education programs, and those which have only undergraduate programs, such as the Air Force Academy.

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And now for the Princeton Review:


AIR FORCE ACADEMY LEANS TO RIGHT, SURVEY SAYS


By Patrick Winn - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Aug 20, 2007 16:28:29 EDT

The Princeton Review's influential college rankings hold up Air Force Academy students as the nation's least likely to smoke marijuana, most likely to find professors accessible and among the most religious and right-leaning politically.

The rankings rate 366 colleges, universities and academies through the eyes of students, who are asked to evaluate 66 aspects of campus life through surveys. More than 120,000 actively enrolled students participated, an average of about 325 per school.

The academy ranked No. 1 in two categories: "Professors Make Themselves Accessible," the third straight year the academy has topped the list, and "Don't Inhale," a scoring of schools where marijuana use is low. It was No. 7 in "Stone-Cold Sober Schools," a look at drinking culture.

The academy was No. 11 in both "Is it food?," a ranking of schools with the worst dining options, and "Students Most Nostalgic for Ronald Reagan," a ranking of schools with conservative students.

It was ranked No. 19 in "Students Pray on a Regular Basis."

The "faint-hearted need not apply" to the academy, according to the Princeton Review.

On surveys, cadets portrayed the academy as academically stringent and demanding of their time and energy. It's hardly a party school, the review reported, with campus anti-drinking measures tightly enforced and freshmen restricted to a handful of passes allowing them to leave. Cadets also touted the unique training opportunities — combat, freefall and laboratory training — and the big payoff: becoming an Air Force officer.

Brig. Gen. Dana Born, dean of the academy, said she was particularly pleased with cadets' evaluation of professor accessibility.

"I think we attract a different student body than other schools," Born said. Air Force Academy cadets could "get into just about any of the top-ranking schools. Yet they make a decision to serve their country and go through a very rigorous program that will ultimately lead to them" joining the armed services and "potentially serving in harm's way."

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USAFA plays Navy in a Fall series this coming Friday, Sept 28 (3PM) and Saturday, Sept 29 (8AM). This doesn't usually happen but the Air Force baseball team is reportedly hitching a ride with the Football team (I think on a C17 out of Peterson AFB to Andrews AFB)for their game at Navy this Saturday. Should be a good outing.

Anyone in the Baltimore / DC area, looking for a little FallBall... this should be good stuff.

Go Air Force!
Go Navy!
Beat Army!!!

cadDAD

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A-D:
Thanks for the heads up! I didn't know they were playing. Will try to make it.

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What you get to do if you graduate high enough in your class:


http://alt.coxnewsweb.com/ajc/swf/blueangels/blueangels.swf



cadDAD

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Wanted to get this back close to the top...vested interest kind of thing now...

quote:

Originally posted by theEH:
http://www.whc.net/rjones/USN/USN_team.html

Check it out.
You get to learn cool thing's like this.
Awesome.
EH

EH,

No, you don't. As an athlete, you will miss many of the drill formations, especially during the season.

.

DBo...

Care to elaborate on how this is a "vested interest kind of thing now"?

You got a cadKID playing ball?

cadDAD

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My son received his official offer of appointment to the United States Military Academy this weekend. He should be joining Colo05Dad's and CPLZ's sons on the Black Knights baseball team this fall.

Congratulations to your son. The end of June when he has to report for basic training will be on you before you know it. I wish him great success.