I wanna play D1 ball badly

I see you've posted your statistics. Congratulations on your good start this year. However, it's meaningless to the recruiting process. 1) It's stats in small numbers. 2) You're probably not facing future D1 pitching all the time. If you're not getting looks from D1's chances are the coaches are not seeing D1 bat speed in your swing.

There's nothing wrong with playing D3. You should be looking for the best possible college baseball experience to go along with getting a degree at the best possible college.

Here's something else to ponder. Let's say one mid major D1 (FD, Monmouth. Saint Peter's, etc) had interest. Do you want the opportunity to get playing time at a D3 or warmup pitchers and corner outfielders at a D1?

Thanks for the reply , RJM. I only put my stats up because it makes me feel more "confident", if that makes any sense. I sat on the bench last year for my school, only played a few games but after working like crazy I made the starting lineup.Plus I dont think this matters, but my homer came off a pitcher who committed to UNC. I do actually have some interest from two D1's, but the interest is very slim. I would love to play for a D3 school, I have no problem with that. But for some reason to me, representing a D1 school almost feels like an honor to me. Sounds odd but that's just how I feel.

My coach said I could maybe play D1 but for the "lower tier" D1's, he said. I don't know what the lower D1 programs are, but I still have time in front of me and I have time to think about my future ahead of me.

Chris F,

My two cents.....D1 or D3.....it doesn't matter as long as you are playing and are wanted by the program. Truthfully, I think you should be looking at each program in terms of what it can do to help you with long term goals, and get you on the field. Once your're playing it won't matter.

Best of luck.

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In my opinion, Chris F, you will not receive any better and concise advice than what fenwaysouth has just offered.



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Chris - You have received good advice. I would add that I follow many many kids that played with, or against, my son over the years. These kids are now sophomores and juniors in college. The kids that are unhappy, have transferred or are out of baseball all together, are the ones that "overreached." The kids that seem happiest and most successful at the next level are those kids who clearly could have signed "higher" in the food chain, but instead chose the school that NEEDED them the most.

Chris, as stated there has been some excellent advise posted, noiw my .02.

You should consider it being an honor to play at the next level, no matter what division. Take a look around at your teammates and see how many will move on to the next level...probably not very many.

I think you may be selling yourself short if you can get to a D1, and ride the pine, vs. going to a good D3 and playing. Whatever you choose to do do it to your best ability, leave no doubts that you gave it your best shot.

Good luck.

Just for the sake of broadening the discussion, what about D-2, fairly similar to many D-1 programs. Especially after you omit the perineal powerhouses.

Chris - I like your attitude.

I've seen some coaches not consider people D1 talents unless they had Roy Halliday or Chipper Jones type talent so I wouldn't pigeon-hole yourself to a low-tier D1 based on one opinion.

The way to truly gage your talent is to go to a showcase like PG and let the recruiting interest dictate where you should be concentrating your efforts. If you get lots of D1 interest, you will have pretty good idea that you are in fact a D1 talent.

For infielders, there are some crucial numbers you need to try and achieve before showcasing if possible. You need to get your 60 yard dash time below 7.0 seconds if possible and well below would be preferrable. Secondly, you need to show arm strength. Many look for 85 and above when you throw across the infield from the shortstop position. Many college infielders were former high school shorstops btw. You can improve your 60 time by speed and strength training. You can improve your arm strength by long tossing. If you really want it that badly, you'll start spending all your spare time working on these things leading up to the showcase event. You need to be able to turn heads when you show up to the showcase.

Finally, my son's situation was similar to yours in high school. He garnered mostly D3 interest yet felt he was a D1 player. He tried out for one D1 over two seperate camps and finally got them to say yes after improving in the areas I described above. There are great risks in reaching above your comfort level and perhaps perceived talent level. There also can be great rewards as learning how to compete against better players will only make you a better player. Sometimes that competition is worth more to a player in the long run than the instant gratification of immediate playing time.

One other thing, I've always felt it would be better to be on a winner at a lower division such as D3 than on a loser D1 program. Winning is fun. Losing gets old in a hurry and after a time, you won't care about the D1 label anymore because no one else will care either.

Now to answer your question about low D1. I happen to go to a low D1 game yesterday to watch a few of my son's summer teammates play (kids on both teams). Both teams have RPI's in the bottom 25% of D1. One of the teams was 2-24 and had lost the previous day by 24-1 to a mid-major.

My sons friend was playing short but he would be a 6'6" first baseman/pitcher on my son's D3 team. This was pretty bad baseball played on a mediocre field with 25 fans in the stands (23 after me and my dog left in the 6th). In the fifth inning the starting pitcher actually switched positions with the shortstop like a High School game. Low 80's pitching at best. Both teams spend a lot of time on the road getting killed out of conference. It didn't look like much fun for anyone. I felt very sorry for my son's friends. These are great kids and good players who, I believe, made a choice to play low D1 for the sake of pride and playing time, when they could have a had a fantastic experience anywhere else at another level.

They were sophisticated enough to know what they were getting into but they chose to ignore the reality.

Chris F,

I'm intrigued by your post as well. I'd like to share a bit of my own story with you and hopefully you'll be able to get a better idea of what it takes for some to continue to progress to that next level that you speak of.

I had a few Division I offers when I was in high school, and 2 of them came with a small amount of athletic scholarship money. I was a left-handed pitcher who had very good high school numbers, pitched for a high level competitive summer team and had a few connections with some important baseball people from my area. For a while, it felt like all of the chips were falling in the right direction for me.

During my junior year of high school I learned that it was incredibly important to be very proactive in assisting myself with my own recruiting process. My high school coach did literally nothing to help my progress, and I knew that it would be up to me in the end to make my dreams a reality. As time went on and coaches began calling, I grew stressed. My friends were getting more phone calls than me, they were going on visits to schools that I wished so badly would give me attention.

One young man in particular that I had befriended sticks out in my mind. He was a year older than me, a toolsy 6'3" infielder from a nearby school. He put on a hell of a show in batting practice and lit up the radar guns and stopwatches at showcases. However, this young man struggled with consistency in games. He was, by a scout's definition, "projectable". All of a sudden I found out that he had given a verbal commitment to a high profile Division I school in the south, a school that he had never mentioned to me in our previous conversations. I called him to congratulate him on his commitment and asked him when he went on a visit to the school. He responded by saying he never visited the campus, the coach just gave him an offer and he took it.

That blew me away. How could you commit to attend college somewhere that you'd never even visited? I didn't really know how this young man thought he would end up being happy at this school, being that he knew nothing about it.

That situation struck a chord in my mind because I knew that college was much more than just baseball. It was a four-year experience that helps to shape your entire life going ahead into the future.

That young man ended up transferring out of that school after receiving no playing time his freshman year and never obtaining a college degree.

I committed to play for a Division III school in February of my senior year of high school, despite the few Division I looks I was getting. I realized that academically, athletically, socially and geographically, that school provided me with a more comfortable situation than any other school that was in the equation at that time.

I spent a lot of time in thought, sort of "what if"s in my first few years at the Division III school. I was pitching really well and yearned to know if I would be capable of performing at a higher level. I, like many of my contemporaries, saw "DI" in bright lights.

The summer after my sophomore year I secured a roster spot on a summer team in one of the better summer collegiate leagues in the country. I was one of two DIII players on the roster, and our dugout was littered with Major League prospects and players from big Division I schools. I was nervous to report to the team, thinking that I wouldn't be able to handle it. For whatever reason, I thought that Division I players acted differently, played differently and treated people differently than the teammates I had become accustomed to. I thought I wouldn't be good enough to share the field with these young men and I wouldn't be welcomed as part of the team.

The above couldn't be further from the truth. I made great friendships during that summer with various players from all around the country. I played hard, as did my teammates, and we shared the field with each other just as I have for years in the past with so many other people. Were they talented? Yes. But they were still just my teammates.

I've played in East Cobb, in Jupiter, in Connie Mack tournaments. I've played in the Coastal Plain League, the Valley League and Perfect Game events. Due to an injury, I will be attending graduate school next year at a school that plays Division I baseball in the Big East Conference and pitching for that team. I've had a lot of experiences in my baseball career that have helped to shape the person that I am today, a lot of which game at a very high level of play.

But that NCAA tournament from my sophomore year is a memory that will last for as long as I live. I've never experienced the camaraderie, passion and desire that was displayed by my Division III teammates and I during that week. That experience was an accumulation of all the hard work I've put in during my life, and made every last minute worth it. I don't think that feeling would have been different if it were DII, DI, JuCO or NAIA. I think that feeling was pure because of the love we have for the game. The level of play was just irrelevant to us.

Hi Chris-
My 2013 son is going through the whole process right now too, and the hardest part of it has been trying to figure out how to weight academics versus baseball. You have good academics and could get your education at a lot of good schools, but if you limit your search to only D1s that may or may not want you to play for them, you might be giving up too much academically. The school you choose should meet BOTH your academic and baseball dreams.

Did anyone else chuckle the first time you read the title to this thread?

He wants to play badly?

Sorry, I know this doesn't help you. But, good luck, young man.

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You imp you papi!



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Chris ... The reason I mentioned the school in my previous post is they are NJ D1's in your backyard. Two are in the Northeast Conference.

1. Why do kids want to go D1? when they know they sit the bench for two years maybe three years..etc. When you can get on the field at D2, D3 and Juco. I hear kids in my area say go to D1 and thats all  they talk about,,,'You got to go D1'..etc.etc. 

and there isnt a lot of D1 kids coming out of this high school.

2.  How does a Juco move into a D1 program his Jr. year and play ahead of kids that have been on the bench since the D1 freshman year.? 

I have seen dads send their kid's clear across the country to a low D-1 program that the kid still can't make the team, just because pop's wants to brag about his son going D-1 at the water cooler at work.

 

 There are many cases where good players go and become a D-1 cheerleader on the bench, just to transfer the next year to a good JUCO program where he should of been all along.

2.  How does a Juco move into a D1 program his Jr. year and play ahead of kids that have been on the bench since the D1 freshman year.? 

 

Simple, they are the better player.   All coaches at all levels need to win.  Either they need to win to keep their job or they need to win to advance their career and move up to the higher level programs.  There is no loyalty to someone already in the program if they can find a better player.

....to piggy back off of joes87, the JUCO kid is coming into the program with 2 yrs of game speed experience, battle proven and ready to go....the JR has been sitting for 2 yrs with only practice experience or very limited game time.

I have read 100 times that only an extremely small percentage of College players go onto MLB.  Of that microscopic percentage how many are taken from D3 vs D1 schools?

 

  I have zero experience in this entire arena, but don't the "best" kids go to D1 schools?  And wouldn't MLB pick from the best?

 

For most kids the dream is MLB, so doesn't it make sense they want to go D1 only?

Yes. However, there are many kids taken from JC and smaller schools. Most went there because they weren't ready (physicall and/or developmentally) to play regularly at the D1 level. They grow, develop physically, and just plain get better over a year or two of play at a lower level. There are probably many kids sitting the bench at D1 level that could have developed into draft-type talent given a couple of years at D3 or JuCo.

I have to admit that my first instinct was to post that no one plays D1 ball badly - they are all pretty good at that level. I, however, have a filter.

My son's JUCO team is playing a local DII team this afternoon. This particular DII team is considered a powerhouse(I believe FloridaFan can attest to this one).  They are seriously looking 5-7 of his teammates, and only sophomores will throw on the bump against them.  I do believe this DII has a history of heavy recruiting from JUCO's.  They go after plug-n-play talent

I think the point here is not intended for the "Best" kids....they already know they can compete, and belong at the D1 level...the OP was talking about knowing he was likely better suited at a level lower than D1, but was consumed with the D1 or bust notion.

 

Yes, the majority of MLB players played D1, however the majority of HS players are not D1 caliber...so why force it to the detriment of an otherwise enjoyable college / athletic experience at a D2, Juco, D3, or NAIA.

My son's DII team (#12 at the end of last season, one game from going to the world series) has a 35 man roster and 24 of them are transfers from JUCO & DI schools.  2 position starters came from high school.  They are juniors and have been starting since freshman year.  I would say my son is the only pitcher from HS with significant innings over the last two years (22 freshman year, 41 sophomore year).  Last year, one freshman pitcher got 22 innings, one 14 and one 12.2.  Obviously, the transfers get more time on the field.  I'd say mostly because of what others have said - they come in with 2 years of college experience and are ready to go.

I also noticed in the OPs profile, he wound up going to a DII program.  It would be cool to hear from him again about how his experience is going.  

The vast majority of those D1 players selected in the MLB draft come from the top 75-100 of the over 300 D1 programs.  With that background, if the goal is to be drafted, the goal also has to be to not only be D1, it has to be playing and playing at one of the top 75-100 programs.  Even then, there is more to the equation because not all D1's are alike in terms of development. Unless someone is a top tier talent or projection, they have to be with a coaching staff which is highly skilled at player development, and that varies even within the top 75 to 100 D1's.

What is special about the HSBBW is the fact it opens eyes(parents and players alike) to the fact most everyone wants D1.  Posters to this site often build in something in their son's description to include "D1." What this site provides is clear, concise and reliable information about D1 life as a baseball player and how many struggle or fail, along with what it takes to succeed and those rewards.

What this site also provides is real life experiences of those at D2, D3 and JC who did get drafted and/or who excelled but did not get drafted, with some of the background on how that happens.

The poster who started this thread is now posting in another one, with the background he is at a D2, is redshirting and is struggling to find  a place in a Summer league because his coach won't support him or take that action on his behalf. In contrast, our son's college D3 coach got his roommate into the Cape and our son into the very top program in the NECBL, which is one where schools from the ACC, SEC as well as Stanford and others place many of their top freshman players

Do the best players go to the D1 schools?  The answer would certainly be yes for those playing at the top 75-100 D1 programs, but they have to be playing.  The answer can  more variable when we include those who are actually "playing" for  the programs from 100-300 and even more variable for those who are on D1 rosters but are players 28-35, and compare the skills to  players at top 25 D2's, top players at the top 15-20 D3's and the power JC's.

 

Not very complicated why players want to go to DI's programs especially SEC, ACC PAC 12 etc.

 

Why academic students want to go to an Ivy or other high level private or state educational institution? 

 

It is the best path to the highest level in whatever they are hoping to achieve.  It is not the only one but the numbers do not lie.  I am sure there are any number of Fortune 500 CEO, CFO, Law Partners etc. that came from Directional State College but more come from Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Michigan, Penn etc.

 

  

From what you described it sounds as if you would rather just wear the uniform of a D1 school than play at a D3 school.

My personal opinion is that I would rather play, contribute, and possibly be a leader at a D3 school than sit the bench for home games and not travel at a D1 school.

I thought the same way for the longest time, it was either D1 or bust. I think every HS ballplayer in the country wants to play for schools like Vandy, LSU, ASU, FSU, etc. Heck, my dream D1 school is Stanford LOL. But only 35 or so players can play for these schools at one time.

 

As a college student, I always envied the D1 players at my school. I almost felt like playing D1 would be a better choice than playing in the minors after high school. They were definitely the big men on campus, played in front of really large crowds about 4000+ a night, and after the games just so many attractive sorority girls will wait outside the clubhouse for them. They get first pick of their classes, and they get more media attention than probably the average low-level minor league player. D1 definitely has its perks, especially mine being a nationally recognized powerhouse program. They were respected on campus, got free stuff, free gear, got to travel, etc. Heck, they get TWO free Wilson gloves every year. That's TWO free gloves that most of us pay $200+ just for ONE. It was just a cool life, playing under the lights on Fridays and Saturdays in front of large crowds with a BUNCH of scouts watching.

 

Imagine playing for a good program that makes it to the College World Series in Omaha. What better feeling for a college player? Nothing. Playing in national TV, for the glorious World Series trophy? I mean, what could be better? 

 

I wanted the D1 thing badly too, but as a mediocre high school player, that dream died after my sophomore year. At the time, I didn't know that even D2, D3, NAIA even existed. I just thought the elite players from my area went to either D1, juco, or draft. Haha. Just wanted to explain my view of why people may want the whole D1 thing, as I was no different, and heck, I still am haha. It would've been a nice life lol. Not bitter at all, it is what it is, but I'm sure the reasons why people want to play D1 baseball so "badly" somehow correlates to my reasons I stated above. When I was in high school I loved going and watching my current university's baseball games. Now as a college student it's a bit rougher for me cause it's hard seeing kids my age live out my dream haha. I still root for them, but it's definitely a lot tougher to watch.

 

Hopefully this is somewhat relatable just wanted to give my two cents. I will say now, if you can play at any level, D1, D2, D3, NAIA, Juco, etc. and able to develop into the best player that you can be. THAT is your best option. I would much rather get playing time at a D3 than to be a bullpen catcher at a D1, despite all the perks. 

 

 

 

 Many folks don't realize how "low" D-1 actually goes. There are nearly 300 D1 baseball programs. The bottom 10% to 20% are very, very, low, indeed. That being said, being baseball, on any given day, they can compete with a particular team. Most days they will not.

 

The levels overlap in terms of talent and program quality. There are a bunch of D2's that most years can compete at the D1 level in mid-major conferences. Teams like Tampa, FL Southern, Southern Indiana come to mind.

 

When you get below 150 RPI in D1 you might see some less than competitive teams. Any team put an arm on the mound, but 150-250 RPI teams are generally not very good.

 

I know of one D1 team during my son's career that made the players pay for cleats, gloves, batting gloves. Their bench players would chase foul balls on the road so they would have practice balls.

Was just talking to the mother of  the shortstop on our travel team about how recruiting is going.  Turns out he decided,  after a few camps and showcases,  that he was very unlikely to be recruited by a D1 school to play SS.   But he also realized that  his top college choices, bracketing baseball,  were all D1 schools.   So he's decided to hang up the cleats after HS and just go to college where he wants to go to college and forget about baseball, even though the  kid could definitely play somewhere.  More than anything, he wants a certain kind  of college experience and atmosphere.   Wonder how many guys who face a similar choice -- they want to attend a big time D1 school, they want to play baseball, but can't have both -- make the choice to give up baseball.

I've seen it happen a pretty good number of times.

I have seen it quite a bit. I know some who regretted it and others who couldn't be happier. 

I think we should be careful not to disparage the motives of others. 

 

My son plays at a D1 that was around 250 in RPI last year. After pitching only a few innings and having poor results at a major conference D1 his freshman year, he faced a choice between D1 mid major, bottom tier D1, high end D2, and JUCO for his next school.

 

He chose the bottom tier D1, and none of his reasons had anything to do with the supposed prestige of D1.  He was well aware that there was no prestige where he was going.  His reasons were a) go where they love him, b) go where they are committed to his long-term development and will stick with him, c) academic fit, d) proximity to home, e) desire to be a cornerstone of a rebuilding program, and f) opportunity to pitch against higher caliber competition, especially in the weekends before conference play begins.

 

All these factors added up to his true over arching reason: "Where will I have the best chance to get as good as I can get in the remaining years of my college career?"  For a player who is determined to find his ceiling, this is the question that matters most. If he had thought the answer to that question was a D2 or a D3, that's where he would have gone.

 

Prestige was never a consideration--and if it had been, it would have steered him away from where he ended up.

 

Don't assume low D1 players are deluded ego trippers blinded by the cachet of D1. Most of them know the score and have their own reasons for their choices. 

 

My son played his 4 years at a school that's RPI was probably between 150 - 240 during the time he was there. In a good year they get one player drafted (they even had a player leave last year, in his senior year and go play at an NAIA school because he thought he wouldn't get drafted - he was drafted in the 9th round after his final year at the NAIA school).

 

My son was able to get to PLAY as a two-way player all four year years and graduated with a degree from a top 60 national university. And he received a significant scholarship at this fully funded D1. 

 

If D2 or D3 had worked, he would have gone that route. He was kind of a late bloomer and had heavily looked into several D3 schools until a significant velocity improvement during the summer after his junior year. The bottom line is he ended up exactly were he was meant to and it all worked out.