Boston College

I went to a couple of games last spring. I asked some parents what's going on? BC went from mediocre to horrible last year. Comments I heard more than once were poor recruiting and alienating current players. 

 

I believe BC will aiways have trouble being anything more than middle of the ACC pack. The best northeast players go south. The players coming north are second tier southern players who can't catch on with a southern school.

 

It did work for Tony Sanchez though. No one in the SEC or ACC was interested except BC. He came north, matured and was the #4 pick in the draft. That was their best team with Sanchez (from FL/Pirates-1st round, Belfiore (from NY/1st round/called up in Sept by Orioles) and Wiswall (local kid/7th round/Mariners system).

BC won 4 games in the ACC last year.  The next closest ACC school(s) won 9 games.  They are not in the middle of the ACC pack.  They are the runt of the litter.   They are not keeping pace with their ACC competition that seems to be investing more and more into their baseball program and infrastructure..that would really concern me as a recruit.  I agree a lot of southern players come north seeking opportunity and playing time that they ordinarily would not have earned.

 

Sanchez was awesome.  I saw him play a bunch of years ago against my alma mater, and I think he had a career day.  He was a stud at BC.

 

9and7dad,

 

I feel for you.  Your son loves the school, and I sense the passion in your post.  If baseball isn't the only reason in choosing BC then it may be an easier decision.   You are doing the right thing in seeking information and going into this with eyes wide open.  Nobody likes losing even those kids playing for the love of the game.  BC is in a tough spot, and everybody knows it.  You may want to ask the recruiter some very pointed questions even if this is his #1 choice.  JMO.  Good luck.

 

Sure everyone would like to play for Texas, SC, FSU, etc but realistically that's not an option for many, and for those that have the option it may involve sitting on the bench waiting for a turn that may never come.  At the very least BC offers the opportunity to show your stuff against some very good ACC competition each weekend. Its not like they are in the bottom of a weak D1 league. My son knows the BC coach and thinks he's a pretty good guy in addition to knowing baseball.

 

The important questions are:  do I like the school, do I like the coach, does the coach seem to have a keen interest in my future? 

 

 

 

 

BC has been fighting NIMBY over a new baseball facility since they joined the ACC. They have the land and the blueprints. One problem is the land is over the town line in Boston where BC has no power and city hall corruption lead the way of doing business.

 

My kids see Boston as a second home. The house I live in used to be a second home/beach home until my son (youngest) headed off for college. I once took my son by BC over Thanksgiving weekend. He was very turned off the baseball field is used as a parking lot for football in the fall. He saw that as lack of commitment and respect for the baseball program. He also thought the campus was very crowded and cramped. They seem to be building on every foot of open grass.

 

My daughter visited BC for softball in February. I can't repeat word for word what she said about not going to school in the area. I was a little surprised by her choice of words. It's not how she talks.

Thank you all for your insights into BC.  We found the campus at BC to be very nice and located in an upscale area.  The issues with the field and the new stadium are a concern and are a legitimate issue.  The facilities are good at BC, the field is substandard.  However, for us this is more than a baseball decision.  It's a top 30 ranked university that plays in the ACC, albeit poorly at this point.  Frankly my biggest concern is not with the coach wanting my son, it's how long can he survive with his job if they don't get better soon.  

 

The problem is that with a lousy field and a poor recent record, how do you get better recruits.  Further complicating is bad weather and a tough travel schedule.  Lastly, though there are some fine schools in the ACC, it would seem as though getting athletes with the grades to go to BC would be a further challenge.

 

Decisions, decisions.

I had read about some pressure to drop baseball and pick up men's lacrosse. The club team on campus is very strong as is the sport in the Northeast.

Five years ago I had conversations with the parents of BC players about high school grades. I was surprised how low some of the high school gpa's of then current BC players were. 

Given the athletic department's apparent lack of commitment to the sport, the coach's prospects ought to be better than if he were at a school that took the sport seriously. 

 

BC is a terrific school, and I have all of the respect in the world for its baseball players and coaches; but, if my son were considering BC, I'd want to make certain that he was motivated overwhelmingly by a desire to go to BC...which seems to be your son's orientation.

 

Best of luck to him!

I assure you that is not the case with my son.  Further, one of the other recruits in this class appears to be on track to be class valedictorian at a prestigious private school not far from where I live.  My son's academic record was an important factor early on in their conversations.

There are thirty-five players on the team, not two. It's also possible they may have changed their approach which would cover players from five to eight years ago. I was told there were players with 2.3 high school gpa's on the team.

9 and 7 DAD,

I  assume you are aware of the growing pains that the BC team went thru last year with the coach making the conscious decision to play many new freshman and build his team for the future.  You will see an improvement this year.  Bc had a tough season last year on many levels including many 1 or 2 run losses and a pattern of very bad weather that seemed to follow them everywhere on their very difficult travel schedule.  The young coach is very knowledgeable and has recruited some very strong young players.  You have to be a tough kid to want to play at BC.  Not only the weather and travel but the academic environment is challenging.  If your son likes Boston College I would not hesitate to send him. While the stadium currently is substandard the playing surface in spring is well above par. They do a great job preparing the field and working with what they have.  The Boston Globe reported two weeks ago that final approval for the Brighton project  which  includes the new stadium, which is fully funded, has been approved.  Your son will have the opportunity to play in a new stadium with the current coach.  He will still be at BC. They are an up and coming team. Your son will receive a degree from a top university and play in one of the best leagues for baseball in the country. 

Thank you diamondad for your post.  Seems you have knowledge of the program that is both recent and relevant to the current situation at BC.  That was what I was hoping to get.  Not necessarily good news or bad news about where they are headed, but was hoping someone could shed valuable information about their future potential.  Thanks for taking the time to post.

I have absolutely no knowledge of BC's baseball program, but I did see a link to this story on another college baseball message board, which I'm posting here as information for those who may be interested.

 

http://www.bcinterruption.com/...ls-fall-world-series

 

Much ado about nothing.  was a rainy weekend the team practiced rather than scrimmage   no serious injuries

From talking to the parents that travelled to our series with them last spring, the facilities are terrible and seems that people up there could really care less. I can not speak for the coaches. Record speaks for itself...

 

HOWEVER, it IS in the ACC. Not everybody will make FSU, NC, Clemson...and BC can give a player looking to get into a top level D1 conference a chance.

 

Just my $.02 for what its worth.