Grades, grades and grades

I had my son pick his favorite schools at D1,D2 and NAIA and we went out to their sites for him to see how much academic money was available vs. the 11.7 baseball scholarships spread out 2 dozen or more kids.  When he saw how much money was his focus changed on how he prepared for his ACT and SAT. in the end his academic money was more than double is athletic, it made it a very easy decision for coach

Great topic! Yes , most HS players are chasing the same 12-20 schools. The opportunities to play beyond HS for talented hardworking players is a much larger landscape than that. In that terrain , however, grades are critical. Especially at the D-3 level.

The motto at my house is 'Let baseball take you to a school you normally would not get into'

Lot's of opportunities for guys with high GPA + test scores. But you still gotta play. D-3 doesn't equal easy baseball. Some of the teams I've seen: Pomona-Pitzer, Emory, Cal Lu can flat out play!

There are approx 1,000 NCAA mens baseball programs and most players ( And parents ) are chasing the same 12-20 schools. At least that's how it is in my area.

Great grades for a great or very good high school baseball player equals many more options and choices for those who know how to leverage it. Life is about options and choices.  

Suds - I like your approach.  Tip of the cap to you.

I agree with StrainedOblique.  Let baseball work for you to get into an academic program you might not ordinarily have access to.  Sometimes it is much easier to come through the "athletic admissions backdoor" than through the "normal applicant admissions front door".

I'm not a coach, but I know that my 2015 pays attention when college coaches speak (and not so much when I speak). Would it be possible to have a local college coach give your team a brief presentation about NCAA and/or NAIA eligibility standards, and some real-world information about how grades can impact their baseball options? Nothing makes an impression on a high school kid like a college coach telling him, "Don't bother contacting me unless your GPA is at least n."

Grades are definitely important. And one should always strive for the highest GPA and the most challenging curriculum that one can handle. But grades aren't the total end all be all of college admissions -- especially for schools that do "holistic"  evaluation -- which most D3 schools do.  

I have first hand experience that a relatively low GPA can be compensated for by other factors -- strong test scores, for example, or an upward trajectory junior and/or first semester of senior year after a rocky start as a frosh or sophomore, or  a compelling personal narrative that bespeaks serious growth and development, or unusual, demonstrated talent at something like art or music, or demonstrated leadership in various domains  Of course, grades matter a huge, huge amount. If you've got that 4.x GPA, you're going to get a lot more serious looks at a lot more places.  No doubt about it.  Conversely, if you  have a lowish GPA, you've given yourself a very big hill to climb.   But if you've got other things going for you, you can get up that hill. You just have to make a very determined, very forward focused push.   Message is, always focus forward, always have a plan that help you to execute  the current task to maximal effect.