Does anyone have a son or knows someone who played at any of the following schools?
Alabama A&M
Coppin State
Fairleigh Dickinson
Maryland Eastern Shore
Mississippi Valley State
Mount Saint Mary's
Prairie View A&M
Saint Peter's
How was the experience playing there?
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Interesting list. Five public HBCUs plus 3 small private schools. You will find them all at the bottom of any D1 ranking list most years. I think you'll find what you would expect from schools that lose a lot... higher than average turnover.
I've known kids at UMES and Delaware State (which would fit your list). All white kids attending HBCUs. At both schools the draw is an affordable education and honestly, just being able to say that they play D1 baseball. Very high turnover with the ones I've known. I think the problems were mostly the losing and/or lack of playing time, more so than cultural. Also, just a bad fit academically because they didn't give that much thought going in.
But I've also known a couple who graduated. Played baseball (the main draw), got their degree, and didn't accumulate huge debt.
I didn't even know some were HBCUs. I just picked random D1s that ranked really poorly over the last few years.
Coppin State was a brutally bad joke for years (sub 200 BA, 10+ ERA). They had trouble scheduling non conference opponents. No one wanted to waste their time. There were years they had trouble fielding a roster of more than fourteen or fifteen players.
A new coach came in a few years ago. Coppin is now competitive in their conference. Teams are willing to play them in non conference games.
@RJM posted:Coppin State was a brutally bad joke for years (sub 200 BA, 10+ ERA). They had trouble scheduling non conference opponents. No one wanted to waste their time. There were years they had trouble fielding a roster of more than fourteen or fifteen players.
A new coach came in a few years ago. Coppin is now competitive in their conference. Teams are willing to play them in non conference games.
But it was D1! :-)
@Francis7 posted:But it was D1! :-)
There was a kid here years ago who wanted to play D1 regardless of the competency level of the program. Personally, I believe this is an absurd perspective. Getting hammered every game sucks. I told him if he doesn’t mind losing 15-1 most games he can make the Coppin roster just by showing up. The Coppin program has improved immensely. But the conference is still one of the lowest rated D1’s.
My kid started playing travel at 8u.
The years from 11u to 14u were not filled with winning teams. Great instruction but not powerhouse teams. More losing than winning.
15u and 16u were much better in terms of being on teams that could compete. It's a world of difference...playing where you know you are going to lose versus knowing that you can compete most of the time and win often.
Nothing worse than going into a game where losing by less than 5 is a victory of sorts. It's a terrible experience to be like that in most of your games.
Why anyone would want to do that in the last 4 years they will be playing baseball is beyond me.
Francis, what is it, exactly, that you want to know? Trying to figure out why on earth you would want to pull a list of some of the worst...
I think the idea that you should blindly go to the most competitive school is just as bad as the idea that you should go to any D1.
I'd rather get spanked every game and be a daily starter than be competitive and have no role other than to cheerlead and carry equipment. Years when I sat the bench when I was one of the younger guys on the teams (6th grade on the middle school team, soph year on varsity) I was barely invested. The outcome mattered less to me. When I was starting and playing, even on bad teams, I never wanted it to end.
Schools like the ones listed catch a lot of slack on here about not being competitive. Maybe, but some would rather lose to Kansas St, Bryant, Seton Hall, Rhode Island, UConn like FDU than play at an average D2/D3 and win 30 games against schools you've never heard of. For some, playing the best competition is part of why they want to go D1, not necessarily because of the clout. Worrying about how much fun you're going to have with baseball is the equivalent of only choosing a school for the party scene. Sure you may have the best time ever, but it means nothing once you finish.
I'm not saying either is right or wrong, but I'm sensing a lot of "D1=bad" around here. I really don't think it's the case and once I get past schools that may have an impact on advancing my baseball career, I'm putting factors like education, affordability, and geography before I'm considering the winning percentage of the program. I have a 2022 who wants to play D1 baseball. If he doesn't get the offers he wants, he will try to walk on somewhere. It's a personal preference.
When I first saw the OP's title, I thought he was listing 8 schools eliminating their baseball program (like Furman).
@cabbagedad posted:Francis, what is it, exactly, that you want to know? Trying to figure out why on earth you would want to pull a list of some of the worst...
He doesn't want to know anything. He enjoys this. Some people like playing golf, some like jogging. He gets off on the endorphins released when people reply to his post. So he looks for a reason to post.
@Francis7 posted:Why anyone would want to do that in the last 4 years they will be playing baseball is beyond me.
I'll bite. Because they love baseball.
@cabbagedad posted:Francis, what is it, exactly, that you want to know? Trying to figure out why on earth you would want to pull a list of some of the worst...
Just wondering why someone would elect to play with that particular type of program as opposed to another viable option that's more competitive at a non-D1 institution?
@SomeBaseballDad posted:He doesn't want to know anything. He enjoys this. Some people like playing golf, some like jogging. He gets off on the endorphins released when people reply to his post. So he looks for a reason to post.
I get nothing when someone replies like this...so, there goes that theory.
@PABaseball posted:I think the idea that you should blindly go to the most competitive school is just as bad as the idea that you should go to any D1.
I'd rather get spanked every game and be a daily starter than be competitive and have no role other than to cheerlead and carry equipment. Years when I sat the bench when I was one of the younger guys on the teams (6th grade on the middle school team, soph year on varsity) I was barely invested. The outcome mattered less to me. When I was starting and playing, even on bad teams, I never wanted it to end.
Schools like the ones listed catch a lot of slack on here about not being competitive. Maybe, but some would rather lose to Kansas St, Bryant, Seton Hall, Rhode Island, UConn like FDU than play at an average D2/D3 and win 30 games against schools you've never heard of. For some, playing the best competition is part of why they want to go D1, not necessarily because of the clout. Worrying about how much fun you're going to have with baseball is the equivalent of only choosing a school for the party scene. Sure you may have the best time ever, but it means nothing once you finish.
I'm not saying either is right or wrong, but I'm sensing a lot of "D1=bad" around here. I really don't think it's the case and once I get past schools that may have an impact on advancing my baseball career, I'm putting factors like education, affordability, and geography before I'm considering the winning percentage of the program. I have a 2022 who wants to play D1 baseball. If he doesn't get the offers he wants, he will try to walk on somewhere. It's a personal preference.
At some level, it's understandable. While it's not as much fun playing for the Pirates as much as the Dodgers, it's still the big leagues. But, that said, are you playing because you want PAs and IP only? Or, is winning and being part of a winning team more important than your individual playing time?
@Francis7 posted:At some level, it's understandable. While it's not as much fun playing for the Pirates as much as the Dodgers, it's still the big leagues. But, that said, are you playing because you want PAs and IP only? Or, is winning and being part of a winning team more important than your individual playing time?
Are you really part of a winning team if you don't contribute to it? I doubt the bullpen catcher and the starting shortstop feel the same way about wins and losses
@Francis7 posted:I get nothing when someone replies like this...so, there goes that theory.
OK.
At some level, it's understandable. While it's not as much fun playing for the Pirates as much as the Dodgers, it's still the big leagues. But, that said, are you playing because you want PAs and IP only? Or, is winning and being part of a winning team more important than your individual playing time?
So this is something that keeps you up at night? It relates to your kid? Or it's just something to post about. Don't be ashamed. It's not any worse than the endless "those parents" post this forum has been taken over by.
@PABaseball posted:Are you really part of a winning team if you don't contribute to it? I doubt the bullpen catcher and the starting shortstop feel the same way about wins and losses
At a younger level, sitting the bench is terrible and it will drive a kid out of the game - even at the HS level for some.
At the college level? I would think that the kid who only had 40 PA would enjoy wearing that championship ring as much as the kid who started 40 games.
Really at that level, isn't it about team first? As a player, your responsibility is to be so good that it forces them to play you, or, be so good that it forces the other players at your position to be even better than you in order to start over you. Either way, it benefits the team.
Maybe people don't think this way and that is why the transfer portal is full? It's really not helping anyone. I would assume coaches prefer players who are team first and "me" second.
@SomeBaseballDad posted:I'll bite. Because they love baseball.
My son played with this exceptional 2021 player. RHP / SS Athletic type. Total gamer, clutch player and star of every team he played on (deservedly). He moved down to NC. Got his FB up to 88 MPH and had to get Tommy John. He had a major setback last summer in his rehab. He loves baseball but all interest dried up. He committed to NCCU which I did not know was an HBCU. They play in the MEAC with Coppin State. The kid just wants to play D1 ball. I don't know how this story will play out but as somebaseballdad points out, some just love baseball. He took what he could get and I hope he makes the most of his opportunity.
