Holy Cross

Sent you a dialog

Would you be referring to the NAIA school in Indiana or the D1 school in Massachusetts? 

Thanks for all the PM's regarding The College of Holy Cross . I appreciate it !

StateDynasty: I was referring to The College of Holy Cross in Massachusetts.I forgot there was another Holy Cross in Indiana.My bad

Just curious, why all the PMs and no public info?

Yes, I would like to know more about the program also.

Agree. Put it on the Board. Squash any inferences that a bunch of people have negative things to say so are doing it in PMs.

I would love to see the responses.  It's one of the places we stopped by this spring when we were doi g visits at other schools.  Nice field, killer hills, pleasant students.  We'd love to hear current input on the coaches & program.

We visited HC last winter and were very impressed with Coach DiCenzo and AC Kane.  They look for hard nosed players who are not afraid of the cold weather.  

 

The outdoor facilities are solid - both stadium (which is used by a CanAm minor league team I believe) and turf practice facility.  The indoor facilities were limited. Early season schedule takes them to some warmer weather places.    

Green Light,

 

The PM's I received regarding The College of Holy Cross were all very positive ! I'll leave it up to those who sent me the dialogs to decide whether or not to post publicly.

Good on ya for doing that, Bobby!

Would be happy to any questions regarding Holy Cross and the baseball program.  I am a 2013 recruit and will be an incoming freshman at the college this fall and would be happy to give any insight as to why I chose Holy Cross.

 

First and foremost I must say Holy Cross is "different" than many of the other schools you may find yourself visiting over the course of your or your son's recruiting process. It is extremely academically rigorous and that was evident by seeing crowded libraries/study areas even late into the evening on Friday and Saturday nights which I was able to witness on my official visit.  As well as the work load being grueling, class is also very difficult. A generic statement, I know, however talking to a lot of students, an A isn't exactly commonplace at Holy Cross. 4.0 GPA's are only myths.  Despite this though, I never talked to anybody who said it was all "too much." You are tested without a doubt, however you are never given what you can not handle.  Also, I wanted to throw this in earlier but during my recent orientation the number of students that stood up to be honored as valedictorians of their respective schools was rather astounding which is to show that HC is up their competing with some of the best institutions around the country.

 

Likewise HC may be the best at what they do by way of alumni connection and networking.  I just read a recent article that ranked HC's alumni network 5th in the country only behind Stanford, Yale, Princeton, and Notre Dame. Not too shabby. I can personally attest to this as I have already attended a Chicago alumni networking event as well as been congratulated by several faculty and former students.  Keep in mind I have yet to even step on campus for class.  In addition to this, each ball player is paired up with a former baseball player who either works in the field of study that interests the player, or studied the same major. From there the alum and the athlete are able to keep in touch, develop a relationship, and in many cases help provide work and internships.  While on my visit I talked to several guys who already had internships, with the likes of ESPN, Max Preps, business and law firms, radio talk shows and more, set up for the 5 week winter break. 

 

There is lots more I could say about the academics and alumni network but I would love to hear what specific questions you all may have firstly..

 

Baseball-wise, Coach Dicenzo, Coach Kane, and Coach Rak have the program on the rise. Several years ago it was a stretch to predict that the team would even break .500 in a given season, and now HC has been a game short of the NCAA 3 out of the last 4 years, including a Patriot League regular season crown in 2013.  In addition to this Coach D has no fear scheduling against high level competition.  In the last several years HC has played/competed/won series and games at LSU, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Arizona, and Texas A&M.  We will also be opening up the 2013 campaign with a series at the defending CWS runner-up Mississippi State Bulldogs.  

 

Facilities wise right now I would say HC is so-so.  The baseball stadium is about as get as it gets in the northeast with stadium seating for 3,000, lights, cages, in-ground dugouts, etc. Indoor facilities, however were something of a disappointment.  Fortunately these are rarely used as the team is outside whether it be sunny, rainy, or snowing.  If they are not on the field, there is 2 very nice turfed practice fields that are able to be used.  In a rare case where practice must be moved inside, however, the team utilizes the field house which holds the volleyball and practice basketball courts.  This is nothing more than cages that come down from the ceiling.  Fortunately there is said to be a couple of facility improvements finished in the next couple of years which would include a complete remodeling of this field house as well as another indoor facility with a renovated, state of the art weight room and an indoor turf practice facility that will be used by both the football and baseball teams.  

 

Now for applying.  I am sure many of you are wondering if HC has a program similar to the Ivy League "Likely Letter." Well the answer to that is no. Fortunately I got to see whether or not I would be admitted into HC before making my final decision.  Coach D asked me to send him my transcript, test scores, extracurricular's, etc. before even extending me an offer. Following that, he ran my info through the acceptance and financial aid offices and gave me the good news that I was still high on his radar and he would like to have me out for a visit.  HC truly is a place for high level student-athletes and the acceptance office does not let anybody they don't believe can succeed at the school, in.  I believe Coach D is allotted 3 "admittance-boosts" so to speak.

 

Upon taking my visit and being offered, I called Coach D on October 16th of last year to let him know that HC was the place I wanted to spend the next 4 years.  While going into my recruiting process I had never even heard of the school, I came out not wanting to go anywhere else. There were nice scholarship offers and roster spots on the table elsewhere, however nowhere fit me better than HC.  From the personal feel of the small class sizes, the new experience of moving out East, the opportunity to play D1 baseball at an institution who has become one of the northeast's best, HC was the right choice for me. I have yet to meet somebody who has not loved their time there and I am excited to feel the same.  Coach D, Coach Kane, and Coach Rak really set it apart for me with how genuine of people they seem and how well I was able to connect with them.  They treated me with respect and gave me the time I needed to make my decision.  While the recruiting process is over for me, I am reminded that I made the right decision each time I see a text, email, or call from D, Kane, or Rak...even if it's just to remind me of how the Bruins are gonna whip the Hawks ***.

StateDynasty,

 

That was a great post ! Thanks a lot for detailing your experiences to date. I'm sure this will help everyone that is interested or curious about The College of Holy Cross.

 

Thank you very much !!!!!

StateDynasty,

 

Thanks for the post Holy Cross sounds like a great school!

StateDynasty - Excellent post!  Just curious, how did HC find you?

I was first seen by Holy Cross at the Perfect Game 17u WWBA in Georgia. Coach D was actually out to see a teammate of mine that day, however a great showing put me on his radar and HC on mine. 

 

Also, not sure if this will be of help to anyone but in one of the introductory emails Coach D sent me, he left a list of the camps and showcases HC would be represented at for that summer..I assume they attend a lot of the same events annually..

 

2012 Holy Cross Baseball in Attendance
June 14 (Prep Baseball Report - Joliet, IL)
June 15 (Junior Select Games - Plainville, CT)
June 15-16 (Stevenson Classic - Lincolnshire, IL)
June 16-17 (Northeast Classic - Worcester, MA)
June 20 (NH Pitcher Showcase - Londonderry, NH)
June 22-24 (NJ Super 17 - Flemington, NJ)
June 25-26 (ASBA South Jersey - Camden, NJ)
June 26-27 (Headfirst Baseball - Rocklin, CA)
June 27-28 (Philly Top 100 - Philadelphia, PA)
June 28-July 1 (Stanford All Star Camp - Stanford, CA)
June 29 (Harbor Yard Event - Bridgeport, CT)
July 2-3 (Area Codes - Santa Barbara, CA)
July 5 (Area Codes - Stockton, CA)
July 6-8 (Stanford Futures Camp - Stanford, CA)
July 6-10 (Perfect Game WWBA - East Cobb, GA)
July 10-11 (Bay State Games - Waltham, MA)
July 16-18 (Boston Invitational - Boston, MA)
July 19-20 (Brown University Camp - Providence, RI)
July 21 (Holy Cross Prospect Clinic - Worcester, MA)
July 23 (NH Coaches Association Junior Games - Manchester, NH)
July 23-24 (Showball Baseball Tourney - Yaphank, NY)
July 24-25 (Diamond Nation - Flemington, NJ)
July 25-26 (ASBA Central Jersey - Lakewood, NJ)
July 27 (Blue Chips Prospect Camp - Lynn , MA)
July 26-28 (Yale University Camp - New Haven, CT)
July 27-29 (NEB/URI End of Summer Classic - Kingston, RI)
July 30-31 (ASBA Long Island - Islip, NY)
July 31-August 1 (Baseball Heaven Event - Yaphank, NY)
July 31-August 3 (Top 96 Events - Medford, MA)
August 7-8 (GPA Chicago - Chicago, IL)
August 3-9 (Headfirst Baseball - Yaphank, NY)
August 10-12 (Stanford Futures Camp - Stanford, CA)
August 13-14 (Summer Rivalry Classic - Waltham, MA)
August 14-15 (Diamond Nation - Flemington, NJ)
August 22 (Connecticut High School All Stars - Meriden, CT)

Great post StateDynasty.   You offered a great roadmap and decision making process for high academic recruits to follow.

 

Good luck in the Patriot League next year.  Keep your eyes on Army as they have a habit of sneaking up on folks in your League tourney every year.

I provided some replies via dialogs re: Holy Cross.  They are all positive.  We love the school and coaches.

I prefer to do this via PM as there is very personal information that's been shared.  I hope all can understand.

Happy to communicate with anyone who has specific questions about HoCro.  It's a special place.

On the academic side it doesn't get much better than that school. Love it for the quality of the professors and their commitment to UNDERgrad education; the Jesuit mix of broad based liberal arts with a practical 'how will this help me in life' approach; and the commitment to service and the idea that they are educating the next generation of folks who hope to make the world a better place.  Very extensive core curriculum.  Alumni bleed purple for their entire lives, almost to the point of being obnoxious about it --- but that's OK!!  Great alumni network. 

Just happened to notice that HC recruited 19 incoming freshmen for the 2014 team! Does anyone know if this is typical or unusual for them? And they list only 3 seniors? Seems like a severe attrition rate to the outside observer. What's going on?

 

http://www.goholycross.com/spo...asebl/2013-14/roster

 

Very unusual for Holy Cross.  A unique confluence of circumstances.  Typically HC rosters 32 or so, not 35.  Last year's frosh class was 8; 1 is transferring to be closer to home and is leaving baseball per my understanding.  Next year frosh class (2014 HS grads) will be 5-6.  There's been a couple career ending injuries, plus another rising Senior who had little playing time is focusing on academics and is leaving the team.  Also not sure how the 19 plays out, i.e. will all be rostered?  Will some current walk-ons be left off.  Typically HC is ~8 new frosh per year.

Thanks, Branson. Very unusual for any D1 school, I would say. I just hope each of these 19 recruits knew they were going to be part of a class that big when they were being recruited.

 

(HC has no baseball scholys, right? So when you refer to walk-ons, you mean non-recruited players?)

 

Holy Cross head coach has a good reputation, and I have had a positive impression when I have seen him at a few events. But the following line in the press release struck me:

 

"We feel as though most, if not all, of these guys have the chance to make a significant impact in our program from the very first day they step foot on campus here."

 

http://www.goholycross.com/spo...eases/201307163sqxqo

 

I know this is PR and ya gotta be positive and all, but 10-19 freshmen making a significant impact from the very first day? This is very highly unlikely. I hope this is not part of his recruiting spiel.

 

PS. all 19 are currently listed on the 2014 roster posted on the Holy Cross website

 

Holy Cross football recruited 16! I think the football coach's comments about the incoming class are fine.

 

http://www.goholycross.com/spo...eases/20130206j1j05t

GreenLight,

 

You bring up a great point.  19 is a big number for a D1 non-athletic scholarship program.  Yes, I could expect this in an elite baseball conference with many players getting drafted their junior year and graduating their senior year.  But, even then 19 would be an exceptional year under those circumstances.  I guess I was even surprised their roster was posted before schools starts.  Lehigh (also in Patriot League) had their 2014 roster up as well, and they added 11 rostered players.  None of the other Patriot League schools had their 2014 rosters up.  

 

Things that make you go hmmm.....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XF2ayWcJfxo

 

Right, Fenway.

 

And in StateDynasty's excellent post above, he surmised that the coach has 3 "admittance-boosts" per year. This tells me that 16 kids must have applied without receiving an offer of anything from the coach except......if you get by admissions on your own I'll put you on the roster. I wonder how many gambled their one Early Decision choice, or if they waited until Regular Decision.

 

Anyway, if the Coach was straight up with the recruits and told them the potential size of the class, and they still decided to come, I guess Holy Cross was very attractive to them.

HoCro had one junior drafted and he did sign.  12 seniors departed too if my very bad memory serves me.  1 frosh transfer.  1 upperclassman "retiring" for academics.  Another 1 or 2 upperclassmen I believe done due to injury.

 

Coach had five admits my son's year.  Perhaps that varies year to year.

 

Regardless, I'd encourage those who want to know all the details to reach out to Coach D.  He's a great guy, very open and honest.

 

Also, can't speak to the specifics of any college roster that's currently online or that gets posted for Fall.  I recall U of Arizona's online roster last August / September being over 50 kids.  From my perspective, the roster that matters most is the one for Spring.

I agree about the "different story", Fenway. Yes, very impressive.

 

I would like to make a general comment about Early Decision/Early Action at academically selective schools. Yes, the admissions rate for early decision is higher than for regular decision, but this does not mean it is easier to get into an academically selective school if a student applies early. This is merely a reflection of the special cases....such as athletes and legacies and really strong candidates....who tend to apply early.

 

It would make no sense for Harvard or Holy Cross to admit a relatively weaker academic applicant early and have no spot for a stronger academic applicant later. If you subtract out the athletes, early legacies, and any other special situations, I am certain you will find that the admissions rates for early and regular are the same.

 

Aside from athletes, I think it is fair to say the only advantage of applying early is the message it sends to the school that the applicant will definitely attend in the case of early decision and will most probably attend in the case of early action. This helps to raise the school's "yield" or percentage of acceptances that attend. I believe this advantage can tip the balance between two strong applicants. I do not think it will vault a weaker applicant over a stronger applicant.

Coach D did make it clear during the recruiting process that this would be the biggest recruiting class he's had during his tenure. Originally I believe the plan was to have 16 recruits due to graduating seniors and the possibility of a couple of juniors leaving for the draft. Of course with the loss of a couple of more athletes, this number increased and they now carry a full roster. Also as far as the early decision/ boosts..I don't believe the boosts are needed except in extreme cases. I received a 27 on my ACT which is fairly average by holy cross standards. My roommate as well as two teammates in the room next door however all recieved scores in the 30's which goes to show that HC is recruiting high level student athletes. Also coach D runs all the test scores and transcripts of potential student athletes through admissions before making an offer to avoid a student having to decide whether or not to apply early decision. Early decision is due in December and HC recruiting class is usually completed by then. Lastly I believe the admission boost would only be used for a student well below normal standards. I did however have a friend who was heavily recruited by HC, however Coach D neglected to try to use a boost for his 23 ACT and instead told him to look elsewhere.

This is just what I've seen from my short experience. I do not believe anyone in this 2013 recruiting class had below a 26 on their ACT. Not sure how low a score would render a "boost." Also I cannot speak SAT wise as I never took this test.

Just my 2 cents. Hope this helps a little

Interesting. At Holy Cross the submission of standardized test scores is optional. But it seems everyone is submitting them anyway.

At a growing number of colleges the submission of standardized test scores is becoming optional.  But we learned that most, if not all, of these schools still used the SAT or ACT to compare applicants (including ballplayers) as it is one of the few "objective" measures of academic performance.  GPA, AP/Honors classes, etc., are perceived by many in the college admissions world as highly subjective and not as indicative of academic capabilities as the standardized tests.  

 

Not necessarily my opinion, but just what we've found through the recruitment processes for my sons and their friends, as well as the application processes for non athletes.

Branson,

 

My son attends a small private school and is a member of a senior class of 105.  When he was in 9th grade his class was 200. Our son had to test average to above average academically and have written letters of recommendation from former teachers for admission to the school. The school does not allow students to remain if their grades fall below a 2.0 or if there have been any behavior problems.  When you look at class rank/GPA for students at this school, there is no comparison to the  students who attend the local public school. The public school students have GPAs and class rank that look much better(they also have huge rank groups of 500 or more). The only true measure for academic ability for  students in this situation has to be the standardized tests because students at my sons's school are only being compared against other top students for GPA and class rank.  My sons friends from the public schools scored on average 10 points lower on the ACT, some of them top of their class, 4.0 students.  I am NOT bashing the public schools, I am just explaining why some admissions departments may want to place more value on standardized tests than class rank and GPA.

I completely understand.  We are now and have been in a similar situation. My advice to those in this recruiting process is to focus on standardized test score improvement.

So anybody have any new info. on how that large new class will impact recruiting for 2014s?