what level should i be looking at?

My son has two teamates who are left handed pitchers who throw in the mid to high 80's, locate and move the ball very well. They were successful as freshmen at the mid major D1 level in the south. The team was ranked as high as #10 this year.

As you go thru this recruiting process you are going to hear all kinds of stuff, comparisons, ups and downs, etc. But one thing that is constent is to make sure you have the right fit for you.

The school,(with and without baseball), coach, location etc. IMHO unless you are being recruited by the top 25 teams in the nation were you end up playing makes no diffeence. If your good enough to be drafted you will.
Attend as many showcases as you can, play on a Fall Showcase team.

After July of your Junior year you will start to get interest from various schools, DI, DII, DIII etc. Take the letters and brouchures and stack them according to their Div. Which ever stack is the highest is the Division where you should play. That's the college coaches who think you can help them the most. Then go back to what I said early. FIND THE RIGHT FIT FOR YOU.

Brent...Shoot for the top and the chance to play with the "big boys".

As a wrong arm, you will never have to have the velocity that the righthanders might be required to have.

85-86 is plenty fast for anyone.

I agree with Pirate Fan, find the right fit for you. It also depends somewhat on your ultimate goal. If you have aspirations of playing past college, D1 schools would be ideal. If that is not your goal, and you want to continue playing in college while you pursue your education, you may enjoy the experience at a D2 or D3 school. Just because you have the talent to play at a D1 school does not mean that is the best place for you.

Almost everyone that looks to play college baseball begins by shooting for the top level. Pay attention to the timetable on this site. Also, remember that grades are important in the recruiting process.

good luck

thanks for the input guys. one thing i forgot to mention...i'm a shade under 5'9. is that going to hurt my chances of bigger schools recruiting me?

Brent,

In a word, yes.

If you have exceptional speed that may help.
The big schools want size regardless of what they say.

I agree with Pirate Fan and ASU, finding the right fit both academically and baseball wise should be your focus. Wherever you play, if you put up the numbers someone will notice. Chose a college that's right for you, where you will be happy if you're playing or not playing baseball.
There are many kids that have the ability to play D1 and are playing D2 or D3 or NAIA.