D1 versus D3

THE BIGGEST difference is that D1 schools can offer athletic scholarships. D3 schools can NOT. I think the D3 schedule may be different (play less reg season games that D1), but I'm not sure.

Beyond that, you really have to look at the options presented by each school. Start looking at fit. Do a search on this board with FIT. You will find a lot of great info.

The key is the schools in question---there are many Division III programs that can beat Division I programs and get a lot of exposure


There is no general rule

i have a friend that plays D3 ball and he saya any one of those kids could find a D1 place to play if they wanted. So from what it seems the talent level shouldnt be that big of a diffrence.

Generally, you would expect that DI is a bigger school (student population), plays more games, and gives athletic scholarships, which carries with it you might say, more committment on both sides, because money for playing is involved. Having said that, closer inspection can oftentimes reveal very little difference, and other times, a huge difference.

The differences include D3 not offering athletic scholarships, playing a 40 vs 56 game schedule, athletes not receiving any privileges not afforded regular students(i.e. tutors/note takers and the like), and a lesser amount of time for Fall practice.
In terms of the quality of play, our son played at a very good DIII in TX. They certainly had some players who were DI quality, even high DI quality.
But, to be candid, DIII in TX is not likely to be the quality of DI play. The reason is DI's, even mid level, have more pitching and pitching depth. Additionally, the 6-9 hitters in a DI are likely to be better that the 6-9 hitters on a top DIII.
Certainly there can be some exceptions. The quality of DIII baseball in TX has risen dramatically. UT Tyler, UT Dallas, TLU and Trinity are at the top of the DIII's and they have players who are top DI quality as evidenced by the June 2007 draft.
In the overall, though, DIII baseball in TX should not be as good as a DI which is fully funded, over the course of a season.
If your son is one receiving that type of interest, the other signficant difference can be playing time. DI quality players in a DIII program, if they work hard, are usually going to play nearly every inning of every game from the time they are freshman. If they are at the DI, they likely will not see too much action until their sophomore/junior years.
Hope this summary is of help to you.

Thank you all, it does help

One thing I should have mentioned about DIII. Most every player is playing because they love the game. There isn't a scholarship to drive them. They wake up at 5:30am to lift because of the relationships with their teammates and their coaches. They race from classrooms to practice and games because academics take priority.
Nearly every one knows they will not play after college.
They are also driving themselves in the classroom and graduating in 4 years seems to be the norm, not the exception.
Most players are there because they want to, not because they have a scholarship requirement. The overall quality of the games might not be equal with DI baseball, but the intensity certainly is, both on the field and in the classroom.

Even though it's softball I'll share my daughter's experience. She was recruited by some middle of the pack D1's from major conferences and the cream of D3. She chose the D3. She figured she would start at least three years, maybe all four. I also scared her out of playing D1 from explaining the commitment when I played baseball.

Coming out of fall ball freshman year she won the one open position. She immediately expressed a concern the competition was not as challenging as the 18U elite travel competition she faced. She tore up the pitching her freshman year, got bored and transferred to a D1. She decided to take the challenge rather than not be challenged the next three years. How did she do at the D1? Don't know. She's starting her sophomore year now.

My daughter was under the impression the D3 wouldn't work her that hard in the off season as a D1. She was wrong. The only difference between last year and this year will be hopping on planes instead of buses more frequently, and more missed class time.

The moral of the story is if a player is good enough to be recruited by a D1, look closely at at. Don't end up disappointed in the competition.

I think most of these post's have hit the difference on the head. A good D3 team can play well and beat a lower tier D1 on any given day. What we saw during the process was that on average the D1 will consistently play against fairly solid competition whereas the D3 may have several weekend series against some considerably weaker opponents. One thing to look for at the D3 three level is the track record of the coach placing his players in competitive summer leagues.

If you can find A D3 team that makes the post season regularly and gets the players exposure during the summer it can be a very good experience because generally a top recruit at D3 will get playing time almost immediately, that isn't necessarily the case at any level of D1

And don't forget to figure academics and that famous "fit" into the equation.

Texan

And don't forget to figure academics and that famous "fit" into the equation.

Academics are very good, what do you mean by fit?

If you visit some campuses, chances are that your son will have one of three reactions. First, he may say "It's alright." Second, he may say "You know, I really liked that one." Third, he may say "No.... I don't think so."

Many components of "fit" exist, and they are not the same for every person. They may include campus locale, campus appearance, student body demographics, friendliness, size, etc.

That is why it is so important to spend some time on campus, aside from just the formal tour, roaming around and getting a feel for the school's atmosphere.

Gotta it

He knows what fits for him, lets hope they think he will be a fit!!!!

You dont know if the shoe fits properly until you wear it for awhile

that's true, he believes that he knows which school will be the right fit