DIII schools

1. How did your player get the interest of a DIII coach? Local team saw him at the local D1 team's November on-campus showcase. Pitching coach is also a teacher at son's HS. They had never shown interest until word got out that rival D3 schools had scheduled official visit.

2. Do DIII's commit to a player with a guarantee of a roster spot (not playing time)? Some do, some don't. Our coach said point blank that "If I am recruiting you, and I am, then you will be on the team. The playing time, is up to you and how you perform."

3. What month do DIII coaches get serious about recruiting players? I think they generally wait until the D1 early signing period is over, although they ARE out looking at prospects and making their list.


4. Do DIII coaches recruit players in the summer of the Jr. year? Good question. I am sure they are out shaking the trees, but I would CONTACT THEM to get your son on the radar.

5. Do DIII coaches recruit players in their Sr. year of High School? The call for JT, Jr came in January. The other schools interested saw him on his fall showcase team in the fall his senior year.

6. Do DIII's over recruit? Here is a great thread on this:
http://hsbaseballweb.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/4686003481/...171006831#3171006831


Paging infielddad and Krak...I know they will have something to add.

JT

Fantastic!!! Thanks. Your answers have raised more questions.

Did the DIII school your son ended up only see him at that one local DI's showcase?

Did that DIII school contact your son immediatly after that showcase?

If going to showcases are not possible what then?

Might be a dumb question but when is the D1 early signing period is over?

Thanks for the link = great info.

quote:

Originally posted by gimages:
Need some help with DIII recruiting info. Need some specific answers from all of you that have gone through the DIII process. Am very confused.

1. How did your player get the interest of a DIII coach?

Ours attended the Stanford Camp and was seen/actually coached by the DIII coach who later recruited him...after giving him a terrific evaluation that said he could play at the top DI level...if he got bigger and continued to improve.


I know about sending letters and emails but everyone does that. Coaches due to budget do not travel to see players son is interested in several DIII's out of state.

There are DIII's that recruit nationally and attend camps like Stanford and Headfirst. Emory is one, Williams and Amherst do the same, Millsaps and Trinity also attend many of the camps.

2. Do DIII's commit to a player with a guarantee of a roster spot (not playing time)?

Not sure how to answer that one. I think what you should hear is what the Coach likes about your current skills, what they would like to see improve, and where you fit if you work very hard, compete very hard, and improve a lot. I don't think a DIII coach will commit to a roster spot.

3. What month do DIII coaches get serious about recruiting players?

November/December of your senior year in high school.

4. Do DIII coaches recruit players in the summer of the Jr. year?

No!

5. Do DIII coaches recruit players in their Sr. year of High School?

Yes beginning just as the NLI process ends. Expect DIII's to start making contact toward the end of October/beginning of November. If you get a contact before then, it is either a coach who has a lot of energy and resources, one who has not been burned by the DI signing period, or one who really wants your son. Ours got his first contact in late September/early October of his senior year.

6. Do DIII's over recruit?

Some clearly do. Some don't and still end up with 20-25 players in the Fall. If a school is very popular at the DIII level and the baseball program has been successful, there seem to be a number of players who show up on campus wanting to play, without having been recruited. I don't know about many other programs, but what I saw is each was given all of Fall ball to prove they could play and deserved a roster spot. Some surprised but most did not, and knew they could not compete.

There seems to be a lot of specific info on the process of being recruited by a DI program but DIII seems to be a mystery. To me anyway.I am sure I will have few more questions just have not thought of them yet.

Here in the Northeast where we have more Division III programs than most regions they recruit not much differently from the D-I and DII programs

We just finished our Norwich Showcase and we had a multitude of Division III programs with us, many of them powerhouse programs including Trinity the Division III Champion this past spring

Since they have no scholarship allotments they basically recruit all year---in fact last year we got one of our players into a D-III powerhouse in May--- he had been accepted academically but wanted to play baseball as well---


There is no steadfast rule regarding their procedures---each coach seems to do things his way---early application academically is a key item in the process around here

quote:

I don't think a DIII coach will commit to a roster spot.

Well, with the exception of JT's son!!
Of course when you see how well Jeff is producing, and his improvement year over year, you can see why the Lynchburg coach made that commitment. Good coaching!!!

infielddad,

Thanks so much! Tons of meat in your answers. Missed out on Stanford camp this summer. Was not sleceted in the lottery. That hurt. A couple of follow up questions please.

1.Is the only way to be contacted in Nov-Dec by a DIII coach for them to have seen son at a showcase?

Several DIII schools he is thinking of but can not find any of them on any showcase lists.

Any advice on approaching these schools?

Only had the $$ for one showcase and that was the headfirst in Rocklin Calif.. Several DIII's in attendance. Two coaches in particular son was inpressed by.

Since DIII coaches do not recuit the summer of Jr. year is it a waist of time to contact them now?

Should we wait until Nov-Dec. to get agressive and contact DIII coaches?

Thanks.

How did your player get the interest of a D3 coach?

He gained his college coach's interest primarily because he posted top 5% SAT scores and was all-state and all-metro (Kansas City) as a junior. Coach Becarria's first question is ALWAYS abut test scores/GPA. He found our son, rather than the other way around, making the approach with a hand written letter. We replied with a skills video, but the coach never personally saw HaverSon play before enrollment.

Do D3's commit to a player with a guarantee of a roster spot?

The only reliable roster spot "guarantees" will be likely attached to the coach's face-to-face assurance "I expect you to contribute right away." Obviously, the best teams present the fewest such expectations.

Do 3's over recruit?

The existence of D3 jr. varsity teams would indicate they do.

Here is a another thread on the subject.

Ask for information and you get it on the HSBBW. Infielddad --- great post!

HaverDad.

Thanks.

Your answer was what I was looking for since son probaly will not get visual exposure to some D3 schools he is interested in.

I am assuming that when your son went to the D3 school there was no question in your, his and coaches mind that he was on the team.

How did the coach find out about your son's fantastic academic scores and his bb awards?

We're going through this for a second time now. I hope this info helps:

1. How did your player get the interest of a DIII coach?

TWO COACHES IN PARTICULAR WERE INTERESTED IN OLDER SON. ONE SAW HIM PLAY IN STATE TOURNAMENT. THE OTHER NEVER SAW HIM PLAY. INSTEAD, WE GAVE HIM A VIDEO AND HE TALKED TO PERFECT GAME, WHO HAD SEEN HIM AT ONE OF THEIR SHOWCASES. WITH OUR YOUNGER SON, CONTACT HAS COME FROM A VARIETY OF PLACES, INCLUDING COLLEGE CAMPS, SHOWCASES, COLLEGE SCOUT DAYS, BEST IN VIRGINIA, AND EXPOSURE IN THE STATE TOURNAMENT.

BOTH SONS WERE PROACTIVE IN SENDING LETTERS AND LETTING COACHES KNOW WHERE THEY WOULD BE PLAYING/SHOWCASING. OLDER SON WAS INJURED DURING HIS PRE-SENIOR SUMMER (SHOULDER INJURY ON A CATCHER) AND DID NOT GENERATE A SINGLE LEAD FROM A SHOWCASE. I THINK THERE'S A LESSON THERE FOR PEOPLE WHO ASK WHETHER OR NOT THEY SHOULD GO WHEN THEY'RE HURT

2. Do DIII's commit to a player with a guarantee of a roster spot (not playing time)?

NOT IN SO MANY WORDS NECESSARILY, BUT YOU'LL KNOW. HOWEVER, DO NOT EQUATE CERTAINTY OVER ROSTER SPOT WITH CERTAINTY ABOUT PLAYING TIME.

3. What month do DIII coaches get serious about recruiting players?

YOUNGER SON HAS BEEN RECEIVING CALLS AND LETTERS SINCE MID-JUNE.

4. Do DIII coaches recruit players in the summer of the Jr. year?

NOT OUR EXPERIENCE, BUT I'M SURE IT HAPPENS.

5. Do DIII coaches recruit players in their Sr. year of High School?

AGAIN, NOT OUR EXPERIENCE. OLDER SON MADE DECISION IN OCTOBER AND APPLIED EARLY ADMISSION.

6. Do DIII's over recruit?

YES!!! SOME ARE FAMOUS FOR IT. I WON'T NAME NAMES, BUT IF YOU DIG AROUND THIS SITE YOU'LL KNOW WHAT I KNOW.

7. Did the DIII school your son ended up only see him at that one local DI's showcase?

YOUNGER SON WAS RECRUITED HARD LAST YEAR BY A COACH WHO SAW HIM AT A LOCAL D2'S (NOW D1) SHOWCASE, SO IT DOES HAPPEN. IF HE DIDN'T DECIDE TO DO A PREP YEAR HE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE GONE TO THAT SCHOOL.

8..Did that DIII school contact your son immediatly after that showcase?

ALMOST RIGHT AFTER. THIS YEAR HE HAS RECEIVED MULTIPLE LETTERS/CALLS THE DAY AFTER OR WITHIN A WEEK AFTER SHOWCASES/CAMPS.

9. If going to showcases are not possible what then?

CAMPS ARE LESS EXPENSIVE AND SEEM TO BE EFFECTIVE. IT ALSO HELPS TO PLAY FOR A SUCCESSFUL HIGH SCHOOL OR SUMMER TEAM.

I am assuming that when your son went to the D3 school there was no question in your, his and coaches mind that he was on the team.

There was no doubt, but honestly, Haverford had been "down" for quite a while, and HaverSon was actively recruited by 4/5 D1s. It was just obvious he would play right away.

How did the coach find out about your son's fantastic academic scores and his bb awards?

Perhaps this sounds strange but no-one can remember... although all-state teams are simply a matter of public record, i.e. internet searchable. The only showcase we attended was a waste of time.

My single suggestion, however, is for you to assemble the best zero-frills skills video that you can. Game action, by far, carries the most weight. There are several threads across this site that discuss making skills videos.

The big idea is to make a direct approach to every D3 school of interest. Track it all on a spreadsheet. You can distribute up to 100MB of skills video, free, using the internet.

I don't want to steal this topic but I have a question about DIII's as well.

I recently found some DIII schools in Texas that I would like to pursue. I realize a lot of these schools don't recruit out of state because it cost more and they have enough talent in their backyard where they don't need to. I have not sent out any letters to coaches yet, I have a list of 40 schools and I was going to send my first letters out this fall/winter, but I was wondering what I would have to do to get these Texas schools interested in me and on their radar? Thanks.

If you know the situation why do you want to chase a ghost----look where the opportunity is good

Our Story may not be the 'norm', but here it is.

In the winter of my son's junior year, we started contacting coaches at schools son was interested in. We'd started making a list in the fall (being overseas, this was all done by looking at websites, reading books like Loren Pope's "Colleges That Change Lives", Peterson's, etc. Based on ALL aspects of what my son (and my wife and I) wanted out of the college experience (small student body size [him], rigorous academics [wife and I], excellent baseball [he and I], attractive campus [all], good location [all]), all criteria pointed to DIII. We never just looked at baseball....it had to be the whole package.

Several of the coaches he'd sent initial contact to were at both Stanford Camp and HeadFirst. He did really well, ended up as a serious recruit at those schools (and a handful more)....but really clicked with one particular coach. Went to visit the campus a couple weeks later (this is now July of junior year), and coach made it very clear they wanted him.

That was it. Next was the application process which was rather hairy at times (tough school), but he finally learned in April that he'd been accepted. Deposit sent, coach notified, and in just a few weeks we will be dropping him off at the school that became his dream school in every way (and which mom and I are more than pleased with).

For us, the whole process was slightly peculiar due to our having to work all these things from the other side of the planet, but I believe the same process path can work for anyone, provided your player also has the skill to be put at or near the top of the recruit list and sticks to his guns about exactly the kind of student-athlete situation he can see himself enjoying.

gimages,
If I recall right, your son attends Woodside?? If so, he probably has the right academics.
On the baseball side, many DIII coaches fully understand that CA produces players who can play. Many, many DIII programs covet players from CA.
If you and your son are looking at better academic DIII's, many will be at PG showcases that emphasize academics.
If I recall right, Vanderbilt has a camp sometime in the Fall and you are going to find a number of top DIII's in attendance.
Finally, your son can use his HeadFirst evaluation very successfully with DIII progams nationally. He just needs to be very, very persistent.
We are just down the El Camino. I am more than happy to help.

Austin9,
The availability of DIII baseball in Texas is just as vast as the size of the State.
Part of your options will depend on academics, part with depend on ability, and part will be a combination of each. For schools like UT Tyler, UT Dallas, it will be hard to get seen and recruited. Being part of the UT system, they have a vast pool of players with the advantage of being in state.
If you have very good academics, then look at schools like Austin College(not in Austin) but very good baseball and academics, Southwestern University in Georgetown, Tx(just outside of Austin) nad Trinity U in San Antonio. Of those 3, only Trinity, to date, recruits outside of Tx to any extent but the other two schools are also very, very good.
Check the SCAC website for a number of great academic schools with very good baseball.
I can assure you that good academics will open many doors to DIII baseball in Texas and the South...just be persistent.

I agree with virtually all that has been written. I would like to add one piece that was different from what others have contributed.

We added a face-to-face visit with every school that my son had an interest in playing. Once the coach met my son, became aware of his baseball backgroud, seeing him play became unecessary.

During the fall of his senior year we would send any kind of clipping from his local newspaper that mentioned our son. This along with a 2-3 minute video that I shot one afternoon at a local JC was enough to get several schools to make sure that they considered my son a "prime prospect."

As to fall events, I strongly recommend the Arizona Fall Classic. It is well attended and many schools use this as the last chance to see kids before their senior year.

I second infielddad's offer, I am just up 280 from Woodside and would be more than willing to help.

DIII coaches do not have much recruiting budget. Therefore, they have to recruit locally, attend limited showcases, and rely on on players coming to them.

Early decision is the vehicle for them to lock up key prospects, but recruiting goes on all year because there is no NLI involved.

Good luck.

Did the DIII school your son ended up only see him at that one local DI's showcase?
No, they had seen him in HS, but they were not sure he would hit enough or put on enough muscle. He was at the showcase as a MIF, but got tired of rotating innings and decided to bide time in the OF, too, as they were short, and LC was in need of OF. You just never know. The biggest thing to the success infielddad alluded to is simply work ethic. He's spent a great deal of time in the weight room as well as speed training, and it carried over to his batting

Did that DIII school contact your son immediatly after that showcase?
No...it was several months later, once word of interest from the rival D3 school got "leaked."

If going to showcases are not possible what then?
This is where I would be pro-active, and contact schools you are interested in. Take the product to THEM.

Mine was seen at a showcase, and his older brother was on the team via transfer from a D-II. When he was called by the D III where he now plays, he was offered a guaranteed roster spot his first year, which was all they could really give. Playing time was up to him and his efforts, but he was told he was guaranteed on the roster for his first year. His school does not have a reputation for over-recruiting. If they recruit you, you will be on the roster your first year. After that, it's effort/result-based, like everywhere else. They hold open tryouts in the fall but typically a player will earn his way through the tryouts about once every other year.

As far as scouting goes, the coaches seem to attend several showcases, for the most part in or close to Virginia, have camps, and host a showcase. They also go out and watch players on their radar screens in their high school games.

"Pro-active" is a very good thing, at any level.

My son will be a senior this fall. He played in a tournament last month in Fayetteville, AR. There were a couple of scouts there from DIII schools along with the other divisions and a couple of these guys found my son after the games and gave him their card and told him to "be in touch" if he was interested. His team played in the 17U WWBA tournament and within a couple of days of getting home he got a very nice packet in the mail from a DIII school outside Atlanta. It had a had wrttien note from the coach with copies of newspaper clippings and college info. Very nice college but my son will be a young freshmen and I don't know if his mother would want him to go that far away his first year of college even though he may feel differently-haa haa!!!

1. How did your player get the interest of a DIII coach?

Local D1 camp/showcase where D3 head coach was an instructor.....In person at Legion Playoffs

2. Do DIII's commit to a player with a guarantee of a roster spot (not playing time)?

Mine did, although possible, there were no walk ons at his school.

3. What month do DIII coaches get serious about recruiting players?

First call in November, serious calls in January

4. Do DIII coaches recruit players in the summer of the Jr. year?

Did not have any do this.

5. Do DIII coaches recruit players in their Sr. year of High School?

absolutely.........well into the year, and even into the summer after graduation.

6. Do DIII's over recruit?

absolutely.........I have seen teams with rosters of 25.........and 40......

I'm confused. Is an early decision application an important of D3 recruiting? If so, why are the D3 coaches not making calls until the Nov-Jan time frame (which is after the early decision application deadline)?

My son starting getting calls from D III's in August before his senior year, but most D III's wait to see what guys are going DI and DII, and calls are more frequently made in the mid to late fall; so many have D-I dreams that until reality sets in and D I offers aren't coming, some players won't seriously consider D III's.

Good point hokie.

My son didn't begin to see calls until mid fall when the D1's and D2 calls were not coming in as he had hoped for.

I think the D3 coaches have almost got it down to a science. They're smart in waiting for all the Big school/programs to make their calls. About this time most kids and parents realize that perhaps the NAIA/D3/JUCO route might be best suited for them.

When I started this thread I was very confused and a bit depressed. I am in a much better place now. Thanks to you all answering my specific questions with specific answers. I have learned so much from hearing of all the different roads many of you took toward finding a place for your son to play bb. I am encourged by the sharing of your experiences. All your advice is very valuable and I will use it to help my son.

infielddad and ILVBB thanks for your kind offer of help. I plan on taking you up on it. TRhit thanks.

I look foward to more advice and stories of the DIII recruiting process. Thanks again to all.

"About this time most kids and parents realize that perhaps the NAIA/D3/JUCO route might be best suited for them." (quote from above)

Just a reminder that many guys make a conscious decision to play DIII for a variety of reasons -- and could have played DI. It's not always about the trickle-down -- some guys just feel the fit is right all the way around -- they love the coach, they love the campus environment, they have the academic program(s) they want, the degree is highly regarded, whatever the case may be. Just don't want people to fall into the trap of thinking that DIII is somehow the bottom of the barrel by any means (YGD, I know that's not what you meant, btw; just clarifying for new readers!)

Krak,

Good point; if anyone thinks D III ball is "High School Plus", you'd be sadly mistaken. I've watched a good summer wooden bat league for years (Valley League), and you can only tell the DIII's by the published rosters; on the field, you see no difference. Two summers ago, a D III catcher was league MVP.

They are better and weaker conferences and players at every level, but an awful lot of good baseball is played at D III schools. Our top pitcher signed as a free agent with the Orioles and last night after the O's lost...again...it was neat to hear the announcers talking about "young Kenny Moreland" in the Appy (rookie) League.

gimages - your attitude is quite refreshing.

I agree with what all others have said in this thread but here are some different takes for you to consider as well.

I have said before, if the only opportunity for my son to play past high school was at a college on a North Dakota Indian Reservation he would have played there. D3 coaches recruited him heavier than every other division. One called our house just about every day from July after his junior season until he committed to his current college in November. From our experience, D3 recruiting was about the same as D1 recruiting other than signing a piece of paper. In other words, the coaches made it clear what your role on the team would be and what your chances were. None of them said anything nebulous like "We don't know what our roster will look like until everyone shows up in the fall." They seemed pretty clear about what their intentions were for a player, what their team would look like, what their goals were, and whether or not there was a roster spot for them. Thus, in my view, and in general, college recruiting is college recruiting. All coaches are looking for the best players who meet the academic standards of the respective institution.

That said...

Not sure where your son is in his high school career but I am not sure you are in position to rule any opportunity in or out at this point. For instance, there may still be opportunities at the D2 and/or D1 level. You can find out about those opportunities by continuing to attend showcases or target specific college camps where there may be a fit. I totally agree with infielddad that in California, there are more D1 players than roster spots available in that state. Thus, there may be a spot open at a fine Eastern school (or other local) yet you (or they) are currently unaware.

In our case, a college coach saw my son play in a tournament (July before senior season in hs) and inquired about him after the game. We had never heard of that school before. From that point on, we recruited them. My son attended their camps and figured out on his own how to turn those coaches heads. There were great risks involved but the rewards have turned out to be great as well.

Finally, I totally agree that there are D1 caliber players playing at the D3 level and visa versa. If your son has aspirations of playing past college here are some facts to consider. In 2007, 19 players out of 1500 drafted were from the D3 level. In 2008, the statistics were exactly the same, 19 players drafted. These numbers could likely be higher as I am guessing some scouts may be biased about scouting or drafting players from D3. infieldad's son was one of the elite few to be drafted from that level so it can be done. JT's son had a teammate drafted this past season and his son is following that same path by dominating at that level.

What you can do at this point is target schools from all levels. Find some D3's that your son would be totally comfortable with and find some coaches who would also like him to play there. Do the same with some targeted D2's and D1's if you feel those are possible. That is what we did. At the same time, we kept our options open (until November of senior year) and ended up with a situation beyond either of our wildest dreams.

Good luck

In considering what division to play bb at son's first consideration is the size school. He wants to attend a small school. He likes a small campus, student body and class size. DIII and some DIIs fit the bill. We believe that there is very good baseball at the DIII level and the oppurtunity for a wonderful education. We are putting much of our effort to find a DIII school thus the reason I started this thread. We will also look and contact some California State Universities and several JC's but our focus is DIII. A CSU would be my choice dollar wise. I have been told DIII's have plenty of money to help students and with that help the cost could be very close to a CSU. Will wait to see on that one.

Gimages:

Many a D3 has an endowment that when the put together a financial package can make the cost of attendance comparable to attending a CA state school.

My youngest is off to a very good southern D3, he is your basic "B" student. The schools scholarship program was such that the cost of attendance was equal to a CA state school.

I can guarantee you that a CA kid, with solid grades and test scores (they don't have to be great) can find a school that will provide scholarship money that will make attendance comparable to attending a public school in CA.

My son was attending a DI camp at a school he was very interested in attending. There was a DIII close by that is a great school and has a good baseball program with great facilities. We arranged to meet the coaches before the camp and let them know son would be at the DI camp. The head coach wasn't scheduled to attend the camp but went to the camp to watch son play, talked to us and sent a letter after the camp showing their interest. They also called a couple times. Son didn't end up at either school, but he loved the DIII and felt like it was a good "Plan B" school if some of the others talking to him didn't work out. So, you might let the DIIIs know when you will be attending a showcase or camp.