Do any of you have insight on club baseball? We are mostly looking at smaller schools where my son may be able to play ball and major in science or engineering, but would also like to keep some big D1 schools in mind. Are kids who have played travel and high school ball happy on club teams? What's the level of competition like? How do the schedules compare to the varsity sports? Should we be contacting club coaches before applying to the schools? Do they recruit? Thanks!
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I'm afraid I'm a bit too distant to answer all of your questions; but, here's what I do know:
First of all, if you haven't already found it, the National Club Baseball Association has a terrific resource available to you in the form of their website: http://www.clubbaseball.org/Default.aspx It not only names all of the schools that field teams, but also gives your son links to their websites.
While most of the larger universities seem to have club teams, their prowess doesn't necessarily follow that of their varsity teams. That makes for an interesting mix of larger and smaller universities at the top of the heap.
We've known several players who chose the club baseball path over the years, and they all seemed to enjoy the opportunity it gave them to continue playing without interfering too much with their academic pursuits.
Regardless of which path your son chooses, best of luck to him!
Two players from our high school realized their specific academic goals (two different flavors of engineering) limited their college search to major universities where the varsity baseball was out of reach for them.
One was an excellent all-around high school player who was all district his last two years. He played club ball all four years in college and enjoyed it a lot. The club team advanced fairly deep in the club ball post-season. It was serious enough to give him a competitive outlet. It was relaxed enough not to interfere with his academics. As I understand it from his dad, many of the other players had also been leaders on their high school teams. He graduated in four years, was able to get good summer internships, and was hired by the company he wanted. Club was a positive part of a great college experience for him.
The other is a pitcher who got some tentative mid-major and below recruiting attention, but no offers. After playing only rec-level ball the summer before his freshman year of college, he showed up at the club team tryout without having done any special preparation, made the team, and started on the mound his first game.
From these two data points, I'd guess there is a lot of variation in the competitive quality of club teams.
Best wishes,
Prepster - thanks for the link, we hadn't found it yet!
It's good to know that there are options!! We will explore further!
Thanks for the responses!!
Intercollegiate "club" baseball is an interesting phenomenon - organized play based on specific attendance outside of the NCAA's purview. Rumors abound - some "club" rosters look remarkably like the V squads, potential/most favored walk ons are "encouraged" to try out, playbooks and practices mimic the V team, etc. - all perfectly legit. Have your player do his research.
Oh, and to 2nd Swamp - there is some surprisingly good baseball @ the clubs!
With all due respect, if the club team resembles the varsity, the varsity coaches need to step up their game...quickly.
Club baseball is a terrific alternative for students who want to continue to play; but, it shouldn't begin to approach the level of a scholarship-granting program.
With all due respect, I used the term "rosters".
Sorry to have misunderstood you. When you stated that the rosters "looked remarkably like the V squads" and that some clubs are "surprisingly good" in the same post, I thought that you were commenting on how good they can be. Evidently, your comment about their looking like varsity rosters had to do with the size of the rosters.
???
I don't see how I'm being so misunderstood. I'm working under the assumption that since "club" baseball flies under the NCAA radar, a number of schools use "club" as a mix of "fall program", "preferred walk on practice", and more, the result of which actions being that "club" programs can play a very fun and surprisingly high (at least to me) level of baseball, which should interest the prospective student athlete.
Do not confuse "large university" with the varsity and club baseball teams. One is recruited talent/compete to keep a roster spot each year, and the other is an outlet to have fun.
I can say with great insight since I play club baseball that it is extremely competitive.I was recruited to a mid-major division I university in 2010 but suffered TJ my senior season.I ended up playing club ball at San Antonio College in San Antonio, TX this past spring after a two and a half year absence from the game.
We have a Regional tournament that if we win the conference we earn a bid for along with a club baseball world series.
We get many players that drop down from Varsity Programs due to injury, being cut or academic reasons. Some Head Coaches even put the LOI type players with us as a virtual JV type setting.
Here at S.A.C. we have a Head Coach, recruit across the state of Texas and have our own budget to assist in road trips and equipment needs. It's ran like a real program. Most make the players pay a semester fee to play.
If you'd like to know anything else just let me know!
-- J.
Thanks, J! That's exactly what I wanted to hear!!
Club baseball and other club sports are rapidly growing. I think they "compliment " the college experience as opposed to a varsity program that may "control" a students college experience. I have seen some very well skilled teams at the college level and others that are closer to very good HS levels.
It depends on the university program. Some are serious ball. Some are post game drinking clubs. I'm not sure I would allow club ball to have any impact on a college decision. There's always local summer semi pro ball for a decent baseball experience. Plus it doesn't interfere with college.
Club baseball at a big D1 school is going to be just like the real deal baseball program. Most HS varsity players aren't going to make the club team. But there's more than just club ball. Many schools offer inter-dorm/intramural sports. You only get 4-8 games, but it's a way to keep playing the game.
In Arizona, the club teams are pretty good. The play a lot of games vs JUCO's here as well. The ones I have seen are well coached and have a few talented players. When they bring out there ace, they have kept the score close. They usually wear something this is almost identical to one of the uniforms of the school the represent.
The biggest difference is pitching. Some of the position players are guys who definitely could have played college ball somewhere, but the pitching depth is non-existent. I've seen a few games between the local JC and Colorado State's Club team which is one of, if not the, best. They were only semi-competitive with them. I gunned most of the pitching in the mid-to-upper 70's. I've also watched club games with some Big XII schools and saw the same thing. The best of them are equivalent to JUCO D2, probably - mainly due to a lack of pitching.
Son has a friend who plays club at his school. Kid was a starting CF in HS...and a pretty good one. Most of the kids on the team seem to be that same level....all look like they were solid HS guys....and one of them a huge kid that DH's could probably be the DH on my son's varsity team....the kid can just crush the baseball. Saw them play last weekend against a B1G club team. The B1G team was very good. Solid at every position. As Roothog said, the biggest difference is pitching. Club team may have 2 guys over 80. Son's friend is a soph and is about the same velo as he was in HS. Another friend of his pitched for the B1G team. He hadn't played in 2 years....but was probably 82-83. Talked to him after the game he said "wow, 2 years off is a lot harder than I thought it would be"
I hope my 2017 son finds out how club baseball is at Virginia Tech this Fall. He passed up an opportunity to play high-level D3 baseball because he really wanted to go to a big, in-state D1 school where making the NCAA team will not be possible due to his size (5'10" 175 catcher). It makes intuitive sense that the position players are more likely to be strong compared to the pitching. But is seems, at least in theory, to be a great option to play semi-competitive ball in college.
I know WVU has a pretty decent competitive team that used to play against Pitt and other local University teams.
Once a kid opens up his options to include all which had previously been excluded (basically, everything other than baseball and school), you can never tell what will tug his heart.
Club baseball is for players who really want to continue to play - you're truly playing for the love of the game. At the same time, other club sports (and as someone pointed out dorm and intra-mural) become available - and kids who were varsity athletes in HS populate things like Club rugby, water polo, equestrian, rock climbing and swimming, amongst others. (I have known varsity HS athletes to do all this, plus Acapella.)
