Junior College vs 4 year college

We are not fortunate enough to be in your shoes, But I would think that if your son is good enough to be drafted that a Juco MAY be a good choice for him.

If he goes to a 4 year school then He cannot be drafted again until after his Jr. Year. The he signs his Jr yr or reenters the draft after his Sr year. But then he has no leverage, He signs or goes and gets a civilian job.

Whereas at a Juco he can be drafted every year. He has the leverage of signing or going back to school and get redrafted the next year or the year after.

Again, I have no experience to back up my opinion

There are a few points that stand out in your post...you say your son is under the radar. I assume that means he is not as well known as a baseball player as you think he should be. A JUCO would allow him a year or two to emerge onto the radar...that would be a plus for the JUCO.
You say his test scores were not up to par for Stanford...While I understand their entrance requirements are high, I know many player will go to a JUCO to improve their academics in preparation for entrance into a more challenging academic college.
You’re afraid he might get “stuck” at a JUCO. Good baseball players don’t get “stuck” at JUCOs. Most good JUCO programs are feeder programs for the better division I schools. JUCO’s are proud of their record of being able to launch players into D-I programs or into the professional ranks.
I disagree about not seeing any advantage of going to a junior college... While my son did not go to a JUCO, I see many advantages of going the JUCO route...and... Scouts and coaches are not the best source of information in helping you son make this type of decision. I would be somewhat skeptical of those that would stand to gain from your son’s decision.
Fungo

I don't understand this statement you made:

quote:

It seems like he would be guaranteed a low amount in the draft and then something a little more in a year.

Fungo,
Well maybe not completely under the radar, he did make honable mention for All-State Florida 4A last year. I did not mean stuck in a baseball sense but in an academic sense. I understand the great baseball programs at JUCOs.
My statement:
“It seems like he would be guaranteed a low amount in the draft and then something a little more in a year.”
Meant that the pro team would have no incentive to sign him the first year. And if he did not like the offer the second year he would have to wait for a 3rd year. At that point he may had well been at the DII. Unless I miss-understand the draft, I think the Pro team owns the rights to him for the next year, meaning the next draft, right?

Not too offend any pro scouts but they will tell you that so the boy remains draft eligible--- if he is truly a draft prospect then JUCO is a great alternative but then if he is a draft prospect for this summer why arent more schools talking to you, especially in the state you live in

I'd say go about your business as if the draft doesn't exist. That will take care of itself as it approaches. If you're a little confused, call the scout. Can't hurt.

My son did go JUCO for a year and transferred to a small DI. The truth about JUCOs is that, unless you really light it up, your choices are about the same as coming out of high school. And if your son is good enough to be seriously considered for the draft, you'll have plenty of options by the time the spring is over.

If his grades/test scores are good enough to go to most places, I'd say relax, try to enjoy the season and let things happen a little bit. If he has a big year, he won't be under the radar for long. If he struggles a little, JUCO might be the way to go.

Davidd, on the draft issue, your son is eligible to be drafted in June. If that were to happen, that team controls his rights until he starts at a 4 year school in the Fall or until the day before the draft in 2006 if he went JC. If he went JC and could not agree on a contract before the 2006 draft, then he would be subject to being drafted again in 2006 by a different team.
Personally, I think you have baseball issues and college issues to sort through.IMO, some intermingle and some don't. Some questions come to mind:
How important is college and the college experience to your son? If college is important and he is looking at a top academic DII in Fla, then I assume they will also be a top baseball DII so the baseball experience at the JC and college would be the same. Will the baseball experiences be similar?
If your son is draftable in June and signs a NLI with a top DII program, that does give him leverage until school starts but also increases the pressure. If your son goes JC, that reduces the leverage some for you but also reduces the pressure to be forced to make the decision by Fall 2005.
Is your son mentally and physically mature enough to enter the world of professional baseball if drafted.
Is he projected to go high enough in the draft(first 10 rounds) where the economics make sense to you and you, not the team, have some leverage.
If you wait and go the JC route as a draft and follow, will your son be happy at a JC?
Does your son have a sense of what the JC experience would be like. If not maybe you should explore it with him so he can compare to the DII.
Just some quick thoughts for you to take or leave.

Two things to think about. Is your son wanting to play ball while he trains for a career in college, or does he want to make a go at a potential pro career and get a degree as he does it? It may sound similar, but there is a big difference. If he is looking toward a career and baseball on the side..D-II would be fine. If he wants to look at a potential baseball career, I would look to JUCO. If he does well he could get drafted or at least get an offer from a D-I program. It will be hard to get noticed at the D-II level. It happens, just takes a lot more luck. Sounds like he has a lot of ability and a good head on his shoulders. I am sure he will be successful whatever his choice. Best of luck.

Infielddad,
All good questions, I don’t have the answers to all of them (yet). The DII school is in NC not FL. I guess I did not understand the eligibility in the JUCO. I thought he would not be eligible for the 2006 draft, but I guess he would be. That could influence his opinion some. I think we both need to research JUCOs more.