High Academic D3 with JV/Varsity

Usually that means he has a spot on the roster and will not be cut in the fall or spring. That does not mean he will be varsity or even JV. He will most likely compete for a varsity spot in the Fall (maybe even over the spring) and if he does not initially make varsity he will play in JV games.

JV at college is not like JV in High school. JV teams play many fewer games. Some schools use JV games for live bull pens for Varsity pitchers. If a Varsity pitcher needs some work he may pitch in the JV game.

If a player is not Varsity at the beginning of spring that does not mean he will not work his way into it. Depending where this school is they may take a trip in the spring to warmer climates. Every freshman's goal should be to make that trip. Some schools take the whole team others take the projected starters and guys on the two deep. All other stay home. Other schools take the whole team (unless a kid does not qualify do to grades or other disciplinary actions.) If this school takes a spring trip I would ask how many players they take. How many of those players are usually freshmen. 

Good luck. My son plays D3 as a pitcher and I absolutely love D3 baseball. You may be able to find out more on his school or conference by going to d3boards: http://www.d3boards.com/index....f99fb22067262ff52#c6

Good luck. 

Good info from BLD.  On the other side of the coin, there are other D3 schools with JV teams where those players will rarely, if ever, get a look at the V roster.  It can be just a way to fill the school coffers with the added tuition $$.

Sounds like your son had a great initial discussion with the coaches.  If this school is a strong consideration, there is nothing wrong with a follow-up discussion stating that this school is high on his list and he has more questions so that he can make a smart decision.  Include specific questions about where they see him fitting in as a player in year one.  If there is any indication that he may be on JV, also ask what the history is of JV kids making their way to V.   

Thank you for the responses, with your experiences with D3 recruiting is there a time frame that coaches want to know if you're definitely attending the school or not? Especially if they offered you a spot?

My son's program started a JV team a couple of years ago, as they started to carry up to 50 kids in some years as the coach more or less will keep a kid on the team if they are working hard and putting in the time and effort. A lot of the kids in the program see limited innings on Varsity and stick with it and others "self cut" themselves after a couple of years.

It is not unusual for Varsity players to get some JV innings, particularly pitchers to get some side work in. Their JV team plays some very very good JC teams as well as a few other programs with JV teams. 

It all seems to work and allows for marginal kids to develop and get time later in their career if they stick with it. Our catcher last year saw limited innings until his Sr year and then started almost every game, so it happens where kids develop over a couple of years and then play more in their Jr/Sr years.  I have seen kids who have no chance at V and stay for 4 years due to the camaraderie in the program.  They believe in playing a lot and play lots of intersquads so kids get to play in get work in  even though they may not be playing in games. 

My son's program is very very competitive and they usually go to Regionals, and are consistently ranked in the top 10 in D3 ball. 

As far as when they expect a commitment, I would check with the recruiting coach. 

Good Luck!

Generally, D3's are on a later schedule but they are shopping to fill positional needs and reasonable depth.  So this will vary by year, by school, by position.  You will also want to be aware of the duration of the application process.  Late registration is a possibility but adds layers of complexity and sometimes can reduce the amount of various scholarship and grant $$s available.

My experience with D3 is more indirect with some of my past players whereas BOF and BLD have more direct experience.  They are great resources that you should utilize to the fullest.

A friend's son was recruited by a D3. There turned out to be six potential roster positions for freshmen open for starters, key sub's and key pitchers. Six freshmen were asked to apply Early Decision. It made it real obvious who the key recruits were. In the fall about sixty players tried out as walk ons for three roster spots. While D3s may have as many players as they want, this coach only rostered thirty. Get a good understanding of what the coach is saying so your son doesn't end up without a uniform. Don't assume anything. I wouldn't see getting a JV uniform as a prize. Each year more key recruits join the roster.

Bats,

My son did not commit until the last day of High school senior year and He could have waited longer. There were still several colleges calling every week.

So it depends how bad they coach wants you as to how early they want you to commit. Since there is no roster limit, they never have to really move on to the next player. They can recruit option b while recruiting option a. 

Even if you do commit, it means nothing. There is nothing that requires you to go to a D3 if you "commit" early. A D3 coach does not know he has you for sure until you show up on campus. 

Even if you are not ready to commit if the school is a possibility, and a good fit there is no harm in applying Early Action. That is usually a Nov 1. deadline. My son through the common app applied to about 7 schools Early Action. It supposedly puts you in good standing for Academic money. My son ended going to 4 different schools for the scholarship competitions. Do not wait until your son decides which school he is committing to, to apply. It is usually little or no cost. If there is a cost many times the it can get waived. 

Good luck on your sons search.

As he usually does, BLD really provides solid guidance with this:

"So it depends how bad they coach wants you.." However, it does vary on the early part.

batsmith, our son was a D3 recruiting coordinator for his alma mater.  As the head coach did with him, that program(nationally ranked nearly every year with as many players drafted or signing as a free agent as any D3) usually identifies players with some D1 skills and top academics and waits until the the D1 NLI date ends to really start to recruit. They recruit heavily from Stanford Camps and the academic AZ Fall game.

As the recruiting coordinator, our son actually created a day in January for recruits, and especially their top recruits who did not sign an NLI to visit, with a full day of programs about the school, majors and finishing with a panel discussion with former MILB players from the program.

Because they want top academic kids with a variety of D1 skills, they often wait and wait and wait and end up with the best of both worlds because the school and baseball really do sell themselves once players are fully aware D1 options are shrinking. Even then, nearly every year they lose 1-2 top recruits who get picked up by a late D1 offer.

As BLD said, if the coaching staff wants you, most will make that very clear at top academic programs where both the baseball and admissions are selective.

Infield Dad is correct. I should have been clearer on early. I had meant from a D3 perspective. My son only had 1 D3 contact him the summer he was a rising Senior. All of the others did not start his recruiting until Sept when he was back in school. One of the reasons was they wanted him to apply Early Action. Most of the coaches said they had better luck making the school more affordable by applying EA. 

He did get a few contacts later after the NLI, and all of them were some of the top schools in the country for D3. So if a D3 waits until November to contact your son do not be offended or feel he was not a priority. Most likely they thought he had a shot at D1, which I would consider a compliment.

Thanks for all the great information. It is exactly what I needed!

My older son is facing a similar problem. Was contacted by a top D3 school with a solid program. They have not seen him play,as far as I know, only looked at videos or maybe heard from another coach. He has yet to visit but will do so in a couple of weeks. They have a Sunday camp but do to the distance from home,(we are from  So Cal) we are not attending. The coach has not mentioned the need to attend but the coach is encouraging a pre read by admissions and ED, however they have a reputation about over recruiting. A couple of other schools less academic but good and less sucessful programs have encouraged EA or even offered him a postion but none of those are of interest. Trouble is he really has not looked at D3 schools and does not know what he wants. 4.0 stdent with 2180 SAT and multiple all league OF etc. only 5'10". I think he was hoping to go to one of the D1's who was recruting him as a junior but he got hurt and was out for months and has been told by many of his "dream schools" that they are not recruiting OF or they want a bigger OF. Biggest fear is for him is commiting ED and then missing out on an academic D1 school that may want to pick him up later. 

2boydad:

You are at the point where your son needs to look at schools where he will find joy as a student; with or without baseball. This means taking every three day weekend; visit a school or two, go on the tour, meet with admissions and talk with the baseball coach.

With his grades and test scores; he will get in to most schools that he applies to. However, finding a school where he will find joy in the college experience is the challenge.

From my experience most of the D3 schools if a good player shows up; he will play. I remember a kid that went to my son's school in Texas. He was from Canada; never was recruited. Showed up; made the team, started the 1st game his freshman year, hit a home run and went on to have a great collegiate career. If your son can play, they will find a place for him on the field. Your focus will be on finding a school with the right academic, social and athletic mix where he will find success.

It is the fall of your son's senior year; your mission will be to find him a great school. If the D1 of his dreams calls, great; but if they don't you need to work on helping him make a good decision about his future.

2boydad,

ILVBB gave you some sound advice and you and your son should figure out what exactly he wants from his college experience.I would suggest doing this asap.Once you know what your son wants then you can target those type of schools.

As far as your son's dream schools go, it sounds like they already gave him an answer.It may not be what your son wants to hear, but that's the way it goes in the recruiting game.Time to move on and explore other opportunities.Your son has an outstanding SAT score and that coupled with his GPA and baseball skills make him a very desirable student athlete at many schools especially the high academic D3's.

 FYI, If your son is willing to leave SoCal there are some fantastic schools in The NESCAC & Centennial Conferences that love to recruit California players.Take a look at them.

Good luck and let me know if you need any help.

New to this site/thread and hoping I can get some thoughts from others.  My son is a HS senior and very strong academically.  He has interest/offers from a number of D3 schools and has narrowed it down to three high academic programs.  He has done overnight visits at two and likes both head coaches.  Visiting the third this weekend.  Likely will say he can see himself playing and studying at all three and personally, I would be proud for my son to attend any of these fine institutions where he will get a terrific education.  Our concern is the ED deadline and process as we have received mixed advice.  Particularly, the pressure for my son to essentially commit to one of the schools by Nov 1.  He would like to apply Early Decision to an Ivy or similar school.  Though a bit of a reach for him, he only has one ED opportunity and if he were to be accepted, baseball would take a back seat.  Some people are of the view that if he does not apply ED1 to one of the schools recruiting him, a head coach may be insulted that his school is not my son’s #1 choice…and he may risk losing his offer/spot.  Others have advised that D3 coaches understand that academics are important and do not believe it will be a problem.  Asking each coach if there is a date by which my son must commitment is an obvious option, but comes with similar risk of the coach thinking his school is a back-up.  Appreciate any insight.

Son and mom flew to Baltimore to vist JHU and do overnight and will swing by Swarthmore tomorrow to visit the coach there afterwards before coming home. Still has some D3's to visit in Pacific NW and attend a college camp locally. Some want ED already. Son not sure as of this writing. Just now beginning to realize there is a much broader baseball world out there beyond So CaL. He can play with a PG rank of 8/10 High Follow after one showcase and multiple all league selections OF along with varsity track (CIF qualifier) but was really hoping for Academic D1. Was recruited by some in JR year before injury and many moved on to others by the time he was able to  get in front of them again. Just now really feeling healthy and where he should have been as a JR if not sidelined. He is/was hoping now that he is healthy that he can show other schools that he can play so that weighs on him concerning ED.  So he is not sure if ED is a good idea but on the otherhand "a bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush" We tell him you do not know what you do not know so start  looking but if you can not decide, go JUCO and save me some $. 

My son and I spoke at length to a D3 coach who has a varsity and j.v. program. He said if you show up in the fall, you are in the fall program for workouts and practice, etc... And they do as much evaluation as they can in the limited amount of time they have in the fall. In the spring, they start the actual tryouts. Players are assigned to the varsity or the j.v. with no one cut. You're on one team or the other.

This school runs their football program the same way. Had around 235 players on the initial fall roster before separating them into the varsity and j.v. squads.

BB pops

My two cents...I think you've answered your own question.   I think you're sweating the small stuff in a very strenuous time for parents and students.   You've stated that baseball would take a back seat to education.  You can't worry what other people think about your son's choices much less a baseball coach with a slightly different agenda.   Apply to the school he most wants to go to ED, then see where the chips fall.  If they don't fall where you want them then you have secondary choices to make such as ED2 or RD.  You've stated your son is very strong academically.  If he is then he will have his choice of schools with ED2 or even RD if he is academically competitive in the largest admissions pool. 

He can try to walk-on to one of these schools or try to win the coaches support with ED2.  The schools that offer ED2 pretty much know what type and level of school you would have applied ED or ED1 to (Ivys, William, Amherst, etc..).  The question is will they help him with admission if he needs it.  They will help him if he can help their program, and the coach can still influence Admissions wit ED2.  But, you can't worry about that because it is out of your control.  JMO.

Good luck!

2boydad,

ED is a good idea if your son is absolutely sure he wants to got to school somewhere with very competitive admissions, coaches help and a guaranteed opportunity to win a roster spot.  ED gives your son a better chance in a small academic pool.  In my oldest son's case the ED admission rate was 2x the overall RD admission rate for the University.  If this doesn't sound like something he wants or he is unsure, then I wouldn't do it.  I've had two sons apply ED, and my third son will be applying ED in a couple weeks.  It is the way to go if you are absolutely 100% sure.  JMO.

Son and mom just got back from visting JHU and Swarthmore (and Goucher for track). apparently liked the coaches and both schools for different reasons. Both coaches appear to be very fair and personable people. We have a college camp at CMS in a couple of weeks. The old coaching staff expressed an interest as a junior but now they have a new coach. It will at least give him a chance to better compare our local academic liberal arts colleges to those from the east coast and to compare a LAC to a reasearch university like JHU.  Old CMS coach and Swarthmore implied that he would have a very good chance to contribute as a freshman, where JHU will be much more compettive. All assuming acceptance of course. They all have something for him but not every school has everything. Welcome to life and adult descisions!

A few Northwest schools have expressed interest over the past few month and want him to apply EA (not ED) but we can not visit in time to check those schools out before ED deadlinnes for JHU and Swarthmore. He will have a few weeks to chew on things and consider if he wants to give up shorts and flip flops in the winter. 

Remember for ED and EA the deadline is November 1. That is not the application deadline but the deadline for most of the schools to receive all the required documents.

Fenwaysouth, thanks for your reply.  Another question.  Head coach from third school my son just visited told him they do not guarantee roster spots and every freshman and sophmore must try out in the fall.  He also said that a few baseball programs in the NESCAC operate that way and also added that he did not see any reason my son would not make the team.  Have others heard of D3 schools that have a policy of not guaranteeing roster spots? 

2boydad,

Congrats to you and your on, sounds like he has great options. My son has some buddy's from CA that choose to go east to play ball at high academic D3 programs and one that stayed here in CA. Although the two boys that went east love there school, it was quite an adjustment. A lot of bad weather, limited practices, and a huge culture shift. The kid who stayed in CA had it much better in terms of adjustment. Adjusting to college is hard enough, adding baseball is harder. Learning to play and practice in bad weather is another be deal. Not trying to discourage you, but loosing the shorts and flip flops is kind of a big deal.

Good luck! 

2BD - My son just graduated from Swarthmore in June where he was an All Centennial Conference pitcher (converted from shortstop).  PM me if you want any info specific to Swat, the conference, or the high D3 world in general.  It gets a little crazy this time of year with the ED deadline breathing down the coaches necks.  Admissions Tips are the D3 equivalent to D1 scholarship and everyone is working with a November 1 deadline.

BBpops - I would say its more unusual for a D3 coach to "guarantee" a roster spot than not.  My son's school cut their top recruit a couple of years ago.  Some kids don't pan out and some kids are not ready emotionally for the intensity of the experience.  Guarantee's are tough to make at any level of college sports.

Agree with leftyshortstop that not guaranteeing a roster spot is more the norm. I don't know what type of guarantee the coach could even offer other than his word. Also consider that some teams have large rosters where that guarantee wouldn't carry much weight anyway unless they were talking about a traveling or tournament roster.

As I recall, my son was offered and guaranteed a roster spot at a D3 NESCAC if he applied ED.  He was also told he would have to tryout in the Fall.

Our situation was a little different.  He had turned down D1 mid-major offers.  He was fielding competing  Ivy (2)  & Patriot (1) offers as well.  While baseball played a part, he was mostly focused on the specific engineering schools recruiting him.  This particular NESCAC had a very good engineering school and it was one of the last schools he considered.  I told you it was different.