D3 Offers

umm... what did they offer you?

Dlock:

What kind of "offer" are you looking for? With D3 schools at best you will get to a point where a coach commits to supporting your application. Some can't even do that. From a baseball perspective, they will normally give you a realistic projection of where you fit into their program. For example, you have a chance to start as a corner outfielder for us as a Soph. Both schools are interested in you and are saying they believe you can play at the level they play. If they are schools that you are interested in then demonstrate it and return their interest. You can also use their evaluation of you to help you figure out where you can play. Other schools in their conferences for example. I'd suggest you pick the schools you are interested in and let them know you are interested. If other schools show interest you should evaluate them and decide if you might include them in your list of potential schools.

My son was at HF also. Since then, he has been told he was a "top prospect" from one school who also invited him for an overnight. Another school called and said he could make "an impact" his freshman year. They also wanted to know where their school stood on his list even though he has not even visited yet.
One other D3 acted surprised that my son was even talking to them and that he should shoot higher
These are all D3.
I have no idea what any of that means, except an overnight must be a good sign, i would think.

My son did well at Hf but its almost like the D3 schools dont have much to lose hy bringing you in.

DLOCK15 and BK35,

This is like dating. The schools are interested in you, but no offer ("marriage proposal") was made. They want to know you are interested in them. Reciprocate. Make a date.

Go see the school, spend some time with the coaches and team. Rinse and repeat for all the D3 schools you are interested in. Depending on the D3 coach/school, they may ask you if this is your #1 school. In exchange for the coaches support through Admissions, they may ask you to commit and apply ED/EA. If a coach asks you about ED then you need to be sure this is the right school, and exactly where you are in their recruiting/baseball plans....otherwise you may want to consider applying RD (regular decision).

Getting an overnight invitation by a coach is very good thing. Follow up on it immediately, and show them you are genuinely interested if you are.

quote:

BK35 said....One other D3 acted surprised that my son was even talking to them and that he should shoot higher
These are all D3.

HF is mostly a D3 showcase. THere are many, many D3 levels. Truthfully, I wouldn't get too caught up in that coaches comment. Every Fall this message board is full of posts from freshmen parents about how difficult it is for their son to earn starting spots at the D3 level. If your son feels strongly about D1 over D3 then possibly he should pursue it. But, be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it.

If the coach guarantees you a roster spot your freshman year, that's a D III "offer". Some do this, some don't. That's about all they can "offer" athletically speaking. When D I's and D II's offer, it's monetary and is sometimes a mix of athletic money, grants, and different programs that provide money for your son's schooling.

We have a D3 near us that usually plays .500 ball. I know of alot of good players that have not even made the team, let alone see the field. They get 75 kids for the fall tryout.

quote:

Originally posted by hokieone:
If the coach guarantees you a roster spot your freshman year, that's a D III "offer". Some do this, some don't. That's about all they can "offer" athletically speaking. When D I's and D II's offer, it's monetary and is sometimes a mix of athletic money, grants, and different programs that provide money for your son's schooling.

Hokieone hit it on the head. We just went through D3 recruiting, so I can offer you an example.

My son had visited several schools who were "interested". He heard some of the same things about expected to contribute from day one, develop into all-conference pitcher, etc. One coach did say that he had a roster spot (but the school was too expensive and didn't offer non-need based scholarships).

When decision time came, I told my son that what he wanted to hear was "you have a Spring roster spot" from the coach. That is about the best "guarantee" you can get but sometimes, you have to ask the question (which is what my son did). Well, one school said that they needed to see him pitch in the Spring season (this was after they had seen him pitch well in the Fall for 100+ pitches against a highly rated showcase team with D1 recruits). The coach of the other school (which was his #1 choice) replied that he definitely had a roster spot. My son is really excited and is working hard so he is ready to compete for playing time.

One thing though, D3 is not a guarantee like D1 and D2 with a signed NLI. You are going on the coach's word as he is relying on yours. Also, do your homework. Look at the rosters over the years and see what type of "retention" there is from year to year. Don't be afraid to ask about it if you see a lot of freshman one year and a sudden drop off the next year in the sophmore class. HSBBW is a great place to start. People here can tell you about the reputation of a baseball program and the coach. That is how we found out about the great reputation of the coach at the school my son will be attending.

Good luck!

quote:

Originally posted by VaRHPmom:

One thing though, D3 is not a guarantee like D1 and D2 with a signed NLI. You are going on the coach's word as he is relying on yours. Also, do your homework. Look at the rosters over the years and see what type of "retention" there is from year to year. Don't be afraid to ask about it if you see a lot of freshman one year and a sudden drop off the next year in the sophmore class. HSBBW is a great place to start. People here can tell you about the reputation of a baseball program and the coach. That is how we found out about the great reputation of the coach at the school my son will be attending.

Good luck!

Excellent post, but I must make one important point of slight disagreement. There are no "guarantees" anywhere. Plenty of times, I have seen guys with guaranteed scholarships cut after fall workouts, often to keep another player who has no money. No matter where you go, you must compete against other talented players and you must compete successfully.

jemaz makes an excellent point. There have been situations where Div. I scholarship athletes were cut after fall workouts, even with the coach knowing that his spring roster limit would now be 34 instead of 35. (A Div. I athlete who is or was on an athletic scholarship that year has to count against baseball's 35-man roster limit.)

What is most challenging is trying to balance the student athlete's level of academics with their athletic capabilties. There are many highly competitive D-3 academic programs coupled with quality baseball programs. You guys nned to make sure you get the exposure. Also make sure you have the grades and test scores to be elligible to be accepted at the college you would like to play ball at.