Too late to get recruited?

While your options may be limited it's never too late. A friend's son wasn't noticed until his senior season of high school in the spring. He was guaranteed a roster spot by a D1 and got some baseball money his soph year. D3's don't commit money. You can walk on and compete for a spot. I'd suggest establishing interest with the coach before doing so.

First of all it is never too late. Trust me-- my son got a D-1 deal in May of his senior year

BUT

You also have to open the parameters of what you want in terms of playing ball and the academics---have you visited the schools that you say you do not want to attend

If the schools you want saw you in showcases I would not chase them--they saw you---broaden your parameters and get them your spring schedule ASAP

Hope that this helps you

agreed its def not too late, you just need to do some extra work yourself now to let schools know your seriously interested, and walking on is a bad idea

thank you both very much,
I understand that I dont have the abundance of possibilities that I had during last year, but I do know that I have the skill to play at least D3 or D2 ball. I had a very very solid junior season last year and I thought I would get some more recognition, at one showcase I was told I was the best catcher there, and I knew some of the kids I was up against and they are very skilled aswell. Ive found a camp later this month that is being held by a small d2 school that I would love to play for, but Ive spent 2 years depending on one school at a time and I realize how dumb I was. But thank you for taking the time to respond, I will be getting in contact with the coaches I would like to play under and I will most likely walk on whereever I end up, but this concerns me alot. So thanks again and any other help is greatly appreciated.

what summer and fall programs did you play for last year?---can't they help you?

I played football in the fall, but during the summer I played senior legion ball, unfortunatley the coach hasnt been able to do much for me, this year I am playing 18u AAU ball, and I plan on talking to the coach tomorrow to see if he can help me out.

Which program?

I know the majority of them

AAU program?, the connecticut crusaders, head coach is Bob Lapple, the team is out of Newtown, CT.

OK

thank you very much for your information and help, means alot!

quote:

Originally posted by bakstop007:
agreed its def not too late, you just need to do some extra work yourself now to let schools know your seriously interested, and walking on is a bad idea

Walking on is only a good idea if a program has a history of rostering walk ons. There are programs that go through the motions of walk on tryouts with no intention of taking any of players.

What are some of the colleges that are known for going through the process of red shirt -walk on and have no intention of you making the team?

bbase,
Let me respond to the walk-on part of your question. (I'm don't see how a redshirt situation is applicable to this thread.)

For D1, D2, and some JCs, we can divide incoming freshmen or transfer players into four categories.

• a) players on athletic scholarship
  
• b) recruited and invited players without an athletic scholarship. This is a recruited or invited walk-on. (Sometimes a player is recruited--meaning, for example, more than one phone call from the college--but ultimately isn't invited to the team.)
  
• c) players who the coach is unaware of. A walk-on.
  
• d) players who were known to the coach but not recruited. A walk-on.
  

Obviously a) players are expected to make the team.

Some b) players are also locks to make the team, because there aren't enough athletic scholarships to make up an entire roster, but all the others also have a reasonable chance. A few schools limit the number of invited walk-ons so that all will make the team, but most bring in a larger group of invited walk-ons. The coaching staff believes that each of these players has the potential to make the team.

Perhaps a c) player could make the team, but I think it is very rare. As RJM suggests, it would be better for a player to have contacted the staff before arriving at school, and to have built a case for why he should be given an extended try-out.

99.99% of c) and d) players, regardless of school (perhaps D3 is different), have no chance of making the team. If the school offers try-outs, it will last perhaps 2 or 3 hours, and unless a player runs a 6.5 60 yard dash, or pitches at 90+ mph, he won't be noticed.

quote:

Originally posted by bbase:
What are some of the colleges that are known for going through the process of red shirt -walk on and have no intention of you making the team?

What do you mean by red shirt walk on? I've never heard the term. To me, there are two kinds of walk ons; 1) told he'll be rostered, and 2) told he'll get a tryout.

It's a requirment to have tryouts. That's why there are walk on tryouts. If a program has 38 returning and recruited players and must pare down to 35, how much chance to you think a walk on has of making the team?

There was a thread last year of a D1 walk on tryout where the head coach didn't show and the assistants cut it short after an hour and thanked everyone for coming.

Thanks so much for details with walk-ons replies
I should have not said red shirt with the wording on walk on... another question
so if a coach tells you that you may have a chance to make a D1 - but probably you would be red shirted your freshman year ...maybe some time on the field
Does that sound right ?

If you have time on the field you cannot redshirt unless injured

quote:

may have a chance to make a D1 - but probably you would be red shirted your freshman year ...maybe some time on the field

There really isn't a well accepted or standard meaning of the term "red-shirt". So you would need to find out from the coach just what he means.

I would describe this situation as an invited walk-on. That's good, you'll get a real look.

In my opinion, the most important thing is whether you make the 35 man roster. Each spring, before the first game, a D1 school has to submit a list of 35 players to the NCAA. If you are not on that list, you can't practice with the team. And if you don't practice with the team in the spring, your chances of making that team the next year is nearly zero. Making the 35 man roster is much more important than whether you play in games during your freshman year.

So the real issue, in my mind, is wrapped in the phrase "chance to make a D1". How good is the chance? If you don't make it, your choices are club ball if the school has one, transfer, or give up baseball. Most of the transfer options are problematic to arrange, and you would far better off to begin school where you will make the team.

I would push the coach on how good the chance is. I'd also think hard about your desire to play baseball, and if it would drive you to transfer. In my opinion, planning to transfer if you don't make the team is a poor way to start college. I'd want very good odds of making it before I would make that plan.

quote:

so if a coach tells you that you may have a chance to make a D1 - but probably you would be red shirted your freshman year

Walk on's don't need to be redshirted. They didn't make the team. A former teammate/friend's son was redshirted his first year. He was a recruited, ranked player by Perfect Game. When the All-American catcher returned rather than signing after his junior year, he wasn't going to get enough playing time to lose a year of eligibility. He had never learned another position. He spent his first year learning how to play first and third along with refining his catching skills. Now he plays all three positions. His redshirt-freshman year the program recruited the top catching prospect in the country.

Thanks again , hopefully I will get a look but if not I will be ok , I was asked by three other smaller colleges to play ball but they didn't have the major- thought about playing with one of them and then transfer later and just taking transfer courses...but really hope this other works out-thinking about med school so that would be really hard
I will pray about it and do my best
Thanks for all the advice it helps a lot

quote:

thinking about med school

College sports and majors with afternoon labs don't mix well. The coach will expect you to have your daily schedule cleared by 12:30-1pm. At a D3 you could probably manage afternoon labs and sports.

Slatts -
It is not too late, but you are right to be here and asking the questions you are asking.

Also - listen to what TrHit says. He knows of what he speaks, and he knows your area of the country more than perhaps any person anywhere.