Santa Clara University

Do not believe Santa Clara overrecruits. With tuition around/over $40,000, it would be awfully hard to attract too many players without a lot of scholarship money.

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Agree,

Have watched Santa Clara for the last few years...IMO they do not overecruit. They have had some significant transfers out.

44

Thank you. My son is actually very interested in Santa Clara and has been contacted by them a couple of times. We are planning to make a trip down this spring but like you said the tuition is high so there would have to be some scholarship money available.

If, as observer44 suggests, "they have had some significant transfers out," recognize this for the "yellow flag" that it is and make certain that you talk with as many players and parents as you can about "what it's really like once you get there." Special due diligence is called for when you see a warning sign like that.

Best of luck to your son!

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gpct8500...

IMO you simply cannot know enough about a program...ANY program. And EVERY program comes with pros and con's...it all comes to fit.

We always wanted to know the good, the bad, and the ugly about every program we looked at. Every program has them. The rumors the rants and the raves and then sift through the data that we collected ask questions, research, and decide for ourselves if it would fit. As we are in the area and hear a great deal send me a PM...

44
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I would be kind of curious too, my son has gotten a lot of info from them, and since we are across the country, we can't just drop in and visit. How often do they take players from outside CA?

O'44 can perhaps provide current information on their recruiting. Santa Clara is a beautiful school, with very good academics. You can find Santa Clara graduates throughout the Bay Area and the degree is very well respected. They also have a beautiful new baseball facility that opened last season. Have been to a number of games.
Historically, back to the 70's, Santa Clara was a national power in baseball. Droppped in the 90's and they are trying to get back to that level. They have hired a young coach and backed him with a lot of PR about getting back to being a national power. The coach has had great success in recruiting and signing players. However, because he got many very top players to commit, he lost a lot of those in the draft, and that has certainly impacted the performance on the field. Those who committed and then were lost in the draft include a first rounder, 3rd and 4th rounder, the latter who ended up signing for lower first/second round money.
They have had some leave the program but also have had probably an equal number transfer in from other 4 year programs. I certainly do not pretend to know that politics on any of them. The coaches seem to do a great job of identifying top talent and attacting them to the school.

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IFD...

all very true...nice synopsis...

44
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Observer or IFD, if either (or both) of you wouldn't mind, I'd love to talk more through PM on Santa Clara. Right after I posted my question, my son got an invite to their junior day in the mail, and since we live east of the Mississippi, I kind of want to figure out how serious they might be, so I'd love more insight into the program.

JohnLex,

I sent you a PM....

44

As another local, I would echo the great school and highly regarded degree - and have been to the new stadium and also think that it is wonderful.

Having said that, from the outside it appears that the program has had some significant comings and goings - more than usual. It is a school that I say warrants consideration - but also careful investigation.

I can say with certainty that they've had some very good success in recruiting from the '06 class. SC was able to sign two of the very best 06s in northern CA to NLI's in November. I don't know about their other players first hand, but have heard they got a number of quality players.

I can assure you that they got two very top quality players in Alex Rivers, RHP/SS Tokay HS, Lodi and Tommy Medica, C Bellarmine Prep, Los Gatos. Santa Clara could do much worse than to have these two 06s to build around for the future.

What you need to consider is with 11.7 scholorships and most of that going to pitching, you are going to spend a lot of money and may not get much playing time. Most of these schools carry close to 40 players and only 25 can travel. That would explain a lot of the transfers out.