Your Son's College Baseball Freshman Experience

How long ago was your son a college freshman baseball player?

What level was he playing? Juco, D3, D2 or D1? Something else?  D1 SEC E school, true freshman last season(2021).

Did he stay at that school through graduation? If not, how many different colleges did he attend? N/A will be  sophomore in upcoming season (2022).

If he switched schools, why did he switch? NA

How much did your son play as a freshman? If he did not play, was he redshirted? If he was redshirted, when was he told about it?    played in 49 games with 44 starts in the infield between 2nd and 3rd base. not redshirted

What were the biggest surprises and challenges for your son freshman year?  level of competition of every day practice and games, especially facing SEC arms. Pressures of winning and succeeding is huge and is something you cannot understand until you get there.

Overall, how was your son's experience as a freshman baseball player? Did it meet, surpass or miss his expectations? How about in regard to your expectations as a parent? I would say it probably surpassed his expectations if he were to look back on the season as a whole because he came into a loaded team with 8 of 9 returning starters from the 2020 covid shortened season.  He was very confident coming in but I think it was eye opening for him to see how much talent there is at the college level and how narrow the margins are that separate each player.   There were definitely ups and downs for him during the season that looking back should of been expected, but are tough mentally to deal with at the time. As a parent, he surpassed our expectations both on the field and with his academics.   Watching his on field successes and struggles during the season were both amazing and painful at times, but watching him fulfill his lifelong dream of playing college baseball on the biggest stage has been nothing short of amazing!

Based on your son's experience as a freshman baseball player and your's as the parent, what advice would you have for the freshman player and his parent?  To come into school in the best physical and mental shape possible and to be ready to compete from day one.  Eating right and work outs can be a separator.  Also to keep an even keel and remember the overall big picture of life outside of baseball as playing college baseball is more than a full time job and is a grind mentally and physically and can seem all consuming.  Remember to remind your son that baseball is what they do and not who they are and that you are proud of them always no matter the results of on field successes or failures.   

Did your son complete 4 years of college baseball eligibility? If not, why? TBD.

Thanks @2020FLDad and @cabbagedad

@Francis7 posted:

Anyone willing to answer some or all of the following questions?

How long ago was your son a college freshman baseball player? 2017

What level was he playing? Juco, D3, D2 or D1? Something else? D3

Did he stay at that school through graduation? If not, how many different colleges did he attend? 2

If he switched schools, why did he switch? left after Sophomore fall, should have left after freshman completion. The fit was what he wanted. The school itself, the coaches and i am sure he has some responsibility there as well.

How much did your son play as a freshman? If he did not play, was he redshirted? If he was redshirted, when was he told about it? Started around half and received a pinch in almost all others. he was first option off bench for late inning RBI spot.

What were the biggest surprises and challenges for your son freshman year? The lack of caring from the coaches. What he found during recruitment to actual daily operations were not in sync.

Overall, how was your son's experience as a freshman baseball player? Did it meet, surpass or miss his expectations? How about in regard to your expectations as a parent? The depth of lineup was a somewhat surprising thing. They were good team, veteran and deep. it was probably the first time in his life he wasn't the best hitter in the line up.

Based on your son's experience as a freshman baseball player and your's as the parent, what advice would you have for the freshman player and his parent? Get in shape...and then get in better shape. You will be completing with and against men who don't care about you.

Did your son complete 4 years of college baseball eligibility? If not, why? Yes, he is now a Covid senor in grad school. Captain of team, established starter and leader. He has come far, the transfer was the best thing he could have done short of starting there. He transferred to his 2nd school coming out of HS. The team isn't as good...the players are much closer as a group and the coach is as concerned about building quality men as baseball players. It has worked out very well.

There is a very fine and well-disguised line between “going where you will be happy even without baseball”, and “doing whatever it takes to keep playing.”  Take the time to fully investigate this question within the constraints of your family situation.

This right here👆🏻.

Mid-Major (though not very good) D1

Started the year as a mid-week starter.  Got some relief time on weekends....and also had some pinch hit AB's.  Was told when he was offered that he'd get a shot at the IF, but that didn't happen.  Team wasn't very good....though he did enjoy it and really liked his teammates.

Played all 4 years and graduated

Freshman year as well as the next 3 were a struggle to watch.  The team wasn't good....HC was an a$$ to everyone and treated the players like $hit.  Hard to believe that at one time this program was winning games under this guy.  At times it was like watching a bad HS coach.  Didn't really do anything the way you would expect with regard to in game and off the field decisions.  Started kids batting .140 and leading the team in K's over the kid with the highest AVG and team leader in RBI's...even late in must win games.   Never made the conference tourney.  Son will tell you he enjoyed his time there....and again, the other players for the most part...though there were a few duds who fortunately got out quick.   He got to see some cool places....and started on the mound in front of 6000+ twice.  Overall I think if we had the chance to do it again, I'd definitely hope he would have ended up somewhere else.....but he may tell you that he'd do it all over again lol

@Francis7 posted:

Anyone willing to answer some or all of the following questions?

How long ago was your son a college freshman baseball player? 2020-21 season. Soph now academically.

What level was he playing? Juco, D3, D2 or D1? Something else? D3

Did he stay at that school through graduation? If not, how many different colleges did he attend? N/A

If he switched schools, why did he switch? N/A

How much did your son play as a freshman? If he did not play, was he redshirted? If he was redshirted, when was he told about it? Son pitched 7 total innings out of the pen, then lost a good chunk of the season to a positive COVID test. He was filling a role, closing whenever it wasn’t a save situation. He is a COVID redshirt, so he has 4 more years of eligibility.

What were the biggest surprises and challenges for your son freshman year? What happened in HS didn’t matter. Son pitched in 3 varsity games in 4 years of HS, won them all. HS coach was a terrible coach and an even worse person. He was fired and will never coach again. Son to this day will not bad mouth him, still says he learned from him. College coach is night and day compared to HS coach. He is honest, upfront and doesn’t promise anything. Does what he says he is going to do. Big surprise for my son was the level of defensive play. In HS and especially travel, if he didn’t have 12+ strikeouts, they would lose. Ground balls and fly balls were an adventure. Son went from primarily a SO pitcher to a GO pitcher between HS  and freshman year. He can relax more on the bump knowing the D has his back. Challenges have been academics, making sure he devotes the time needed to succeed in the classroom and keeping the old man informed on what’s happening at practice and coaches meetings. (This is probably my biggest “challenge” 😜)

Overall, how was your son's experience as a freshman baseball player? Did it meet, surpass or miss his expectations? How about in regard to your expectations as a parent? He didn’t know what to expect. This might sound harsh, but my son’s greatest attributes are that he doesn’t care what anyone thinks of him and that he never grasped just how bad of a baseball player he was 14 and younger. Most players that stunk as bad as he did would have quit. He loved the game too much. So to be playing post HS for a very good team in a very good conference, once he stepped on the field during fall ball freshman season, FAR exceeded his expectations. As a parent, I wasn’t expecting a coach to have the impact on my son as his college coach has. He is a x-MLB pitcher that has taken my son to a whole new level mentally. It’s been a beautiful thing to see. I also wasn’t expecting my son to contribute right from jump street. I thought he would see a couple years of pine time then start making an impact JR year. My son thought something was different after his first bullpen session fall season freshman year, when the upperclassman catcher took him aside and told him he must be a Head Coach recruit because of the time he was spending with him.

Based on your son's experience as a freshman baseball player and your's as the parent, what advice would you have for the freshman player and his parent? Be honest with yourself and your player about their ability. Know where they fit in. Two many parents are more concerned with water cooler talk about “ my son got an offer from such and such school” than finding a place that fits academically and athletically. Most importantly, academic money far outweighs athletic money and it doesn’t stop after ACT’s or SAT’s. Grades are important.

Did your son complete 4 years of college baseball eligibility? If not, why?I hope he will.

@LuvMyKids posted:

This right here👆🏻.

@T_THOMAS posted:

There is a very fine and well-disguised line between “going where you will be happy even without baseball”, and “doing whatever it takes to keep playing.”  Take the time to fully investigate this question within the constraints of your family situation.

Thanks.  I originally had that bolded in my response. Reading over all these great posts, that sentence seems to hit on something that isn't repeated in many others, but is really crucial. Every family needs to try to determine the relative importance of "keep playing" vs. ""go to the best school possible."  I know ideally we want both, but compromises inevitably need to be made.

And, don't neglect the importance of social fit and school culture.  These can be the differentiators between a life-enhancing, transformative experience and "just getting a degree."

Late to the party (typical) for what should be a "golden thread".

How long ago was your son a college freshman baseball player? My goodness 10 years ugh

What level was he playing? Juco, D3, D2 or D1? Something else?  D3 - likely best D3 program in country for his 4 years, went toe to toe with P5 in fall of one year. 4 year Regionals, 3 years conf. champion, 2 years CWS.

Did he stay at that school through graduation? If not, how many different colleges did he attend? Yes

If he switched schools, why did he switch?

How much did your son play as a freshman? If he did not play, was he redshirted? If he was redshirted, when was he told about it? 14 innings pitching as a reliever, started a Regional game.  32 of 45 games in field/batting

What were the biggest surprises and challenges for your son freshman year? How many big hairy men there were to compete with. Size of the team.

Overall, how was your son's experience as a freshman baseball player? Did it meet, surpass or miss his expectations? How about in regard to your expectations as a parent? Exceeded both. Surprised how well the team "traveled" and  positive parent participation.

Based on your son's experience as a freshman baseball player and your's as the parent, what advice would you have for the freshman player and his parent? Parents: Sit down, shut up, listen, learn from Sr/Jr Parents, and cheer on the team. Player: Work harder than everyone else, and do the best you can to be a great teammate. Realize external factors sometimes impact your fate on the field.  (Coaches opinions, injuries, other players, team needs)

Did your son complete 4 years of college baseball eligibility? If not, why? Graduated in 4 years

While his Freshman year exceeded his expectations his Soph year did not:

Note he was a two way:

Freshmen: "Earned" starting outfield position during the year. Contributor out of the bullpen.

Soph: Lost "his" starting position to an incoming freshmen who went on to be one of the best hitters in programs history. Decided going into the season to only play the field so ended up a spot starter/off the bench and became a positive influence to the team, even though he was not regularly starting.

Jr: "Earned back" a starting OF position and broke his finger after 4 games into the season. (LH for a RHP  thank goodness) Had no chance to make it back in time to contribute in the field so started pitching again and ended up the winning pitcher for the conf championship game.

Decided over the summer that pitching was a lot easier than field/hitting and perfected his craft during the off season. 

Sr: Became a spot starter (RHP) and late inning closer/high leverage reliever during the CWS run.

Final note: Playing for a winning program is a lot more fun than playing for a mediocre program. Nothing compares to tournament play, conf, regionals, CWS games. Winning coaches regardless of level are special.

JMO.

Everyone needs to read the last paragraph in the above post by @BOF. It is solid gold. Some coaches are just winners wherever they go. You want to play for one of those. Winning makes the entire experience better in almost every way.

Anyone willing to answer some or all of the following questions?

I'm up, let's do this.

How long ago was your son a college freshman baseball player?

6 years ago

What level was he playing? Juco, D3, D2 or D1? Something else?

D1 P5

Did he stay at that school through graduation? If not, how many different colleges did he attend?

No, drafted June of 18

If he switched schools, why did he switch?

How much did your son play as a freshman? If he did not play, was he redshirted? If he was redshirted, when was he told about it?

Started 6 games, went 3-2 with an average era. Excelled in non-conf games and got schooled a bit in ACC play

What were the biggest surprises and challenges for your son freshman year?

Being away from home, time management, trying to "fit in", big pond small fish...his biggest challenge was def being immature.

Overall, how was your son's experience as a freshman baseball player? Did it meet, surpass or miss his expectations? How about in regard to your expectations as a parent?

Great experience, played with a broken bone (scaphoid) all season after trainer mis-diagnosed it and had a solid year, learned a lot. Went from starter , to missing summer baseball in Savannah for post-season surgery to showing up next season and pitching <2 innings in fall. Was told they had nowhere to put him and he would've to compete for a spot "somewhere" in the pitching line up. He went on to take the closer role and the rest is history.

Based on your son's experience as a freshman baseball player and your's as the parent, what advice would you have for the freshman player and his parent?

Be there to support him and make time to visit. Regardless of what he says, he will relish those times you do. Clemson has an outstanding academic support dept and they were golden for Ryley and Lindsey is the best.

Did your son complete 4 years of college baseball eligibility? If not, why?

Drafted in '18, there's still hope he will finish although he is in his 5th season coming up so it's nut cutting time. He has insurance from MLB, paid tuition for Sr. year from Tiger Paw fund at Clemson and I believe he will either play pro ball (the dream) or go get a pschy/sports/ 6th tool degree and coach.

Thanks

@BOF

@old_school

@Buckeye 2015

And

@LuvMyKids !

How long ago was your son a college freshman baseball player?
My son is currently a freshman.

What level was he playing? Juco, D3, D2 or D1? Something else?
D3

Did he stay at that school through graduation? If not, how many different colleges did he attend?
N/A but so far, he seems to really like his choice.

If he switched schools, why did he switch?
N/A

How much did your son play as a freshman? If he did not play, was he redshirted? If he was redshirted, when was he told about it?
My son is a RHP.  During the fall, all the pitchers got an equal number of innings.   He did not get to pitch when they scrimmaged a D1 team, probably due to his inconsistency on the mound during the team scrimmages.

What were the biggest surprises and challenges for your son freshman year?
Surprise - How much of his savings he is spending.  He goes to school in a city and his teammates want to go to a club/bar every Friday and Saturday night.  He ends up spending at least $30 a night every time he goes out.  I have access to his bank account and can see how much $$ he is spending.  He has complained to me that he doesn't like to "pay to hang out with his friends" but if he doesn't go, he's stuck by himself in his dorm room.

Challenges:
Academically, his math class.  My son has always excelled in math and was considering majoring in math.  He failed his second math exam and the class only has 3 exams.  He's very conflicted now - if he is struggling in his first math college math class, is majoring in math going to be feasible?
Athletically - we thought he would get some pitching coaching.  He struggled on the mound (he'd look great against one batter then hit the next two batters.)  The pitching coach was only available a couple of times this fall and never saw him in live action on the mound.  He had the same issue during the high school season.  He has a private pitching coach but would never have the time during HS to see him and his form would go out the window as the season progressed.

Overall, how was your son's experience as a freshman baseball player? Did it meet, surpass or miss his expectations? How about in regard to your expectations as a parent?
For my husband and I, so far it has been exceeding our expectations.  I'll be honest - when our son decided on his school, my husband and I were a little disappointed with his choice in college.  We felt like he was settling.   But looking back on the recruitment, he really did land in the appropriate place.  And the more I learn about his school, both the academics and athletics, I'm confident he's at the right place.  He's at a school that has a winning tradition - 15 years of consecutive winning seasons with the same head coach.  The young men they recruit stay - very little turnover (on average, one player a year.)  The baseball team has a couple of very high profile alum that are still active in the program (come to team events.)  I don't know if it will lead to any future networking opportunities but he's already met them a couple of times.  The athletic facilities at his school are better than some of the D1 programs we saw.   He's close to home so we were able to go to every single one of his fall scrimmages and will most likely be able to attend all of his games, both home and away.  Watching the scrimmages, the guys seemed like they were really having fun - lots of good-natured bantering going in.  I hope it continues in the spring because his high school teammates did not seem to enjoy being around each other or enjoy playing the game.

It's probably meeting my son's expectations.  Except for math, his classes are very manageable.  He enjoys his teammates and spends most of his time with them.  A couple of the seniors have really been great mentors and they've done several team bonding events.   So far, the most significant negative athletically is the limited pitching coaching he has received.

Based on your son's experience as a freshman baseball player and your's as the parent, what advice would you have for the freshman player and his parent?
Grades, grades, grades.  He had a good but not outstanding GPA. Our son was recruited by a very HA school but he couldn't get admitted to the school.  He's getting enough academic merit aid at his private college that we're paying equivalent to full pay at an in-state school (we don't qualify for any financial aid.)  His older brother, who is not an athlete and had a higher GPA, was offered significantly more merit aid at a similarly ranked school.

Did your son complete 4 years of college baseball eligibility? If not, why?
N/A but I hope he does.

@VA_Mom posted:

Surprise - How much of his savings he is spending.  He goes to school in a city and his teammates want to go to a club/bar every Friday and Saturday night.  He ends up spending at least $30 a night every time he goes out.  I have access to his bank account and can see how much $$ he is spending.  He has complained to me that he doesn't like to "pay to hang out with his friends" but if he doesn't go, he's stuck by himself in his dorm room.

LOL- wait until he gets himself a girlfriend, especially if she has expensive tastes.

Thx @VA_Mom

Unofficial count - 26 participants. Wow! Thanks all!!

I wonder if Franny's "friend " will be posting on this thread in the summer of 2023.

Funny @2022NYC

This is a great thread.  Thanks to everyone for participating and being open. 

Anyone willing to answer some or all of the following questions?

Sure - here goes

How long ago was your son a college freshman baseball player?

2020

What level was he playing? Juco, D3, D2 or D1? Something else?

Juco

Did he stay at that school through graduation? If not, how many different colleges did he attend? 

n/a

If he switched schools, why did he switch?

n/a

How much did your son play as a freshman? If he did not play, was he redshirted? If he was redshirted, when was he told about it? 

Son earned a spot in the fall in the catcher rotation.  Played in 36 games mostly at catcher but did DH and had one game at 1B.  Sprinkled in a 10 or so PH appearances.

What were the biggest surprises and challenges for your son freshman year?

For him the biggest challenge was adjusting to college ball during Covid.  Due to the nature of things last fall there was a lot of start / stop going on between baseball and school.  Son is very much a routine type of person and the disruptions for him were frustrating.  Echoing what others said juggling class, baseball, weight room, homework was a challenge as well.

Overall, how was your son's experience as a freshman baseball player? Did it meet, surpass or miss his expectations? How about in regard to your expectations as a parent?

Son was happy about his experience.  In a lot of ways it was an exceeds expectations, but for him I'll go with met his expectations. The goal was to win a conference championship and they fell short.  As someone mentioned earlier, winning sways perception.

As a parent I tried to go in with an open mind. Learned a lot, learned I didn't know a lot, but settled in and tried to enjoy the ride.  I'll go with met expectations as well (see above).

Based on your son's experience as a freshman baseball player and your's as the parent, what advice would you have for the freshman player and his parent?

What you see / hear / expect coming out of fall, may not line up with what happens during the spring.  With everyone getting looks in the fall there were some surprises from freshman parents regarding playing time in the spring.  For son's team, coach is going to go with the players he knows - especially early in the season. Son was one of the few freshman position players to receive significant playing time, so I learned to distance myself from the parents that fell into the trap above.  YMMV.

To that end, don't be that guy/gal.  It is wasted energy, and you'll soon find yourself only in the company of people with the same mindset. 

Did your son complete 4 years of college baseball eligibility? If not, why?

n/a - that is the goal.

2013-D1 (SEC)- Started as a Frosh- SEC tourney 3 seasons- CWS 2 seasons- Drafted after 3rd Season.

The Experience was greater than expected at a Big School with a Winning Coach/Staff.

He's now attending weddings from the Freshman Class of '13 and has friends for life.

Note: he just regained his student status and will complete his final year (On Line).

Frosh Players should befriend a baseball upper classman to glean from their experience, especially with coach interactions and expectations.

Freshman Parents should be there as often as possible (Especially the AWAY GAMES).

The Journey CONTINUES.

How long ago was your son a college freshman baseball player?  Fall 2014

What level was he playing? Juco, D3, D2 or D1? Something else?  Mid Major HA D1

Did he stay at that school through graduation? If not, how many different colleges did he attend?   Yes, Stayed

If he switched schools, why did he switch?  NA

How much did your son play as a freshman? If he did not play, was he redshirted? If he was redshirted, when was he told about it?  Started 51 of 51 games

What were the biggest surprises and challenges for your son freshman year?  Eating:  the campus dining halls closed before the end of practices/games.   Meals on the road were not "satisfying" or plentiful.   Some were just convenience or grocery store stops.

Overall, how was your son's experience as a freshman baseball player? Did it meet, surpass or miss his expectations? How about in regard to your expectations as a parent?  Probably met his expectations, since they were spelled out pretty clearly to him early on.  We enjoyed watching him play freshman year, went to as many games as we could, and absolutely hated hearing some of the other freshmen parents moan and complain.

Based on your son's experience as a freshman baseball player and your's as the parent, what advice would you have for the freshman player and his parent?  As most said, player need to come to campus ready to play.  Son played legion ball for the first time with his friends the summer before college, and it seemed like enough playing time.  Mandatory study hall for freshman players probably saved his a$$.  Make the time and effort to go to as many games as possible:  you never know which game will be his last.

Did your son complete 4 years of college baseball eligibility? If not, why?  No.  Drafted after junior year, 5th round.   Finished his degree online during Covid, after completing his 7th semester on campus (two years apart).

Notes:  just reading my comments may make my son seem like a stud...starting in 51 of 51 games freshman year and getting drafted.  The reality was, he was passed over by big program schools.  A coach that passed on him (more than likely) suggested him to the coach of the school he eventually went to which was in a different conference.  Although several schools were looking, he got ONE offer.   I can't stress enough, players need to go where "they are loved" and where they can play.   Summer teams: only played one summer in the Northwoods League after sophomore year and had a tremendous season.  Was to play in the Cape after junior year, but landed in short season A ball in Vancouver.

Thanks @keewart and @BaseballBUDDY and @jaketaylor !

@keewart posted:

Notes:  just reading my comments may make my son seem like a stud...starting in 51 of 51 games freshman year and getting drafted.  The reality was, he was passed over by big program schools.  A coach that passed on him (more than likely) suggested him to the coach of the school he eventually went to which was in a different conference.  Although several schools were looking, he got ONE offer.   I can't stress enough, players need to go where "they are loved" and where they can play.   Summer teams: only played one summer in the Northwoods League after sophomore year and had a tremendous season.  Was to play in the Cape after junior year, but landed in short season A ball in Vancouver.

^^^^ Another piece of golden advice.  ^^^^^

Many of you know that I’m involved in the JuCo baseball scene in Texas and that my youngest son played JuCo ball in Oklahoma. As a result, over the past 5 years, I have been around a lot of JuCo players and parents at countless games and events - including 3 JuCo World Series. At these events I  talk to players and parents about their “college baseball experience” every chance I get.  That’s the only way to know what’s really going on. A common theme among the JuCo players (and their parents)  that bounced down from D1 programs (for whatever reason) is how badly they were treated at the D1 program that they left. Their comments always involve words like shocked, surprised, disappointed, and misled. They talk about the over-recruiting that resulted in no opportunity for them. They talk about running poles at 5:30 am for no reason. They talk about receiving no individual instruction. They talk about being embarrassed by their coaches in front of their teammates. They talk about having their confidence beaten out of them. Mostly they talk about how glad they are to be gone from their first school and how they wished they would have gone JuCo right out of HS. Keep in mind that I’m talking about good kids - not troublemakers - that did nothing wrong more than any other kid. They are casualties of an over supply of players combined with a coaching style that is hard, tough & cold. It’s something that all freshmen baseball players go thru to some extent. Some adapt to the impersonal business aspect of big time college baseball better than others. And some situations are worse than others. But it’s a reality that all incoming freshmen should try to prepare for as best they can. One good thing to do would be playing in a collegiate summer league the summer after HS graduation instead of playing Legion Ball. Spend time around older players. Especially if your player is attempting to make the roster at a program that competes for conference championships. The D1 recruiting experience is seductive. It creates the illusion that players are really wanted -when in reality only 50% (or less) of every recruiting class is wanted. The school just wants 90 days to figure out which 50% they want to keep around. The unwanted half is summarily dismissed one way or another at semester or at end of freshmen year. And hardly any of them seem to understand this reality the first day they set foot on campus. This topic has been discussed in other threads but not so much in this one. It’s much less of an issue in D3 than other classifications IMO but it can exist anywhere. I believe that after freshman year is the time to evaluate if you are in the right place or not - and it’s the time to make a hard decision if necessary.

The D1 recruiting experience is seductive. It creates the illusion that players are really wanted -when in reality only 50% (or less) of every recruiting class is wanted. The school just wants 90 days to figure out which 50% they want to keep around. The unwanted half is summarily dismissed one way or another at semester or at end of freshmen year. And hardly any of them seem to understand this reality the first day they set foot on campus.

At Thanksgiving and the following summer after freshman year my son said asking former travel teammates how it’s going could be like tossing a grenade into the conversation. Fourteen of sixteen from his class went major conference. Seven transferred after the first year as they realized they had made the wrong choice. One kid said by October it was as if he didn’t exist. An eighth transferred despite getting playing time. He was too wowed by being offered by a top program and completely ignored the culture so far from home.

There was a poster on this board with a stud kid from a high school baseball hotbed state. The kid headed off for a top ranked program. He got redshirted. He got ignored. He left after a year. He went home and played JuCo. He was so disillusioned by the recruiting process he quit playing rather than go through the process again.

Adbono;

When my son was invited to visit the Southern MISS school, I also traveled. It was a Spring day in May and the campus was "beautiful". The students all were dressed in their Spring attire. It was "magic".

I ask Coach Hill, I have eligibility and with the "fountain of youth" I will enroll. All I need is books and a map.

Be prepared to adjust!!  "Always "play up". "Don't look back, someone is gaining on you"!!!!

Bob

How long ago was your son a college freshman baseball player? — He graduated from HS in 2018 and started college right away.

What level was he playing? Juco, D3, D2 or D1? Something else? — D1

Did he stay at that school through graduation? If not, how many different colleges did he attend? — He has graduated with a bachelors but is now doing a graduate degree.

If he switched schools, why did he switch? NA

How much did your son play as a freshman? If he did not play, was he redshirted? If he was redshirted, when was he told about it? — More than we expected. RHP and started as a midweek guy and then got into relief for weekends. He was not asked to redshirt.

What were the biggest surprises and challenges for your son freshman year? I don't know.

Overall, how was your son's experience as a freshman baseball player? Did it meet, surpass or miss his expectations? How about in regard to your expectations as a parent? I think what surprised me the most was how little we knew about what was gong on. We expected a little more communication, but got none beyond game wrap ups and schedules. Here's the extent of personal communication freshman year — coach told son at Christmas that he was a "pleasant surprise." After his first collegiate win against a ranked team, coach said "that was better." Longest conversation I've had with a coach was last season when son gave up I think six home runs and got the win. Coach spent several minutes praising consistency and ability to compete and have confidence in the plan and his team even when the opponent was hitting the crap out of him.

Based on your son's experience as a freshman baseball player and your's as the parent, what advice would you have for the freshman player and his parent?--Work your butt off. If your coach asks you to jump, don't ask how high. Jump as high as you can.

Did your son complete 4 years of college baseball eligibility? If not, why?--This is his fourth year.

Based on your son's experience as a freshman baseball player and yours as the parent, what advice would you have for the freshman player and his parent?

Seek out and embrace competition, and work as hard and as consistently as possible to surpass your competitors' level of play. If there's a secret to success for all but the most gifted in an incredibly tough sport, that's it.

When my son was in the summer before his senior year in high school, he taught me this lesson. On our way back from an unofficial visit at a highly-regarded mid-major, I turned to him and said, "Coach 'Jones' told you today that you are his Saturday night starter, perhaps his Friday night starter TODAY. In contrast, all the coaches at Omaha contenders #1, #2, and #3 will tell you is that they'll give you a chance; and your dream school already has commitments from 2 of the best high school pitchers in the country. Why wouldn't you lean toward the mid-major?"

Without hesitation, he replied. "Dad, I intend to pitch in the major league one day. Why would I shy away from joining the best college staff I can? If I succeed in that environment, it will help propel me to my eventual goal. If I fall short, I'll learn that my goal was unrealistic. It's a no-brainer."

From then on, I never questioned his approach to his recruitment. He joined that staff that had the  2 great pitchers committed to it, and in their junior season, all 3 of them found themselves on the cover of "Baseball America" going into the NCAA tournament as the toughest weekend rotation in college baseball. It got them to within one win of the national championship.

My son lacked the physical gifts of his cohorts (both of whom are still pitching in the majors after 15 years), but he used their standard of performance to work his way to their level. A torn labrum in the minors eventually ended his dream of pitching for a major league team, but he would always be able to say that he never shied away from the competition.

Thanks @Prepster and @Iowamom23

How long ago was your son a college freshman baseball player? 2015

What level was he playing? Juco, D3, D2 or D1? Something else? Juco

Did he stay at that school through graduation? If not, how many different colleges did he attend?

• Yes, received an associate degree after his sophomore season. Drafted after junior D1 season, still in pro ball as of 2021.
  
  

If he switched schools, why did he switch?

• Transferred to Arkansas (SEC) after completing his sophomore year with an associate degree.
  

How much did your son play as a freshman? If he did not play, was he redshirted? If he was redshirted, when was he told about it?

• He played in a limited capacity, RHP - 9 games and 12 innings, he was raw and not particularly successful. He was converting from a corner infielder to a PO.
  
  

What were the biggest surprises and challenges for your son freshman year?

• Juco is like bootcamp, it’s about embracing, living and learning to love the suck with your teammates while working unbelievably hard toward that next level. If you don’t love the game, you wont stick in juco…
  
  

Overall, how was your son's experience as a freshman baseball player? Did it meet, surpass or miss his expectations? How about in regard to your expectations as a parent?

• He would have liked to play more. The Padres called in the late rounds of the 2015 draft, and he turned down $30K to have another helping of Juco, so I’d say it met or surpassed his expectations. For me, even though my son only played 12 innings I loved it! I took and gave away lots of photos of other parent’s kids (here’s the link). I think Juco baseball might be the purest level in the sport, you’ve really got to love the game and connect with your teammates to survive.
  
  

Based on your son's experience as a freshman baseball player and your's as the parent, what advice would you have for the freshman player and his parent?

• Don’t go into your kid’s freshman season with the expectation that he will see meaningful innings – even in juco. I used photography to keep busy while my kid was on the bench. Giving the other kids and parents photos gave me purpose while I got to see some great baseball. I’ve listened to lots of freshman parents grumble about playing time, when objectively their kids weren’t ready to be a full-time contributors either.
  
  

Did your son complete 4 years of college baseball eligibility? If not, why?

• He completed his junior year at Arkansas and was the Yankees 3^rd round pick in 2017. He had early success in the minors, struggled in 2019 and didn’t play in COVID 2020, was ruled 5’d by the Indians and amazingly spent all 2021 in the MLB.
  
  When the Padres called in 2015 and offered him $30K to sign and forgo his sophomore Juco season, I counseled him to start his pro career. He told me that $30K after taxes wouldn’t last very long and it wasn’t enough investment for the team to care about him. This a pretty good example of a baseball dad being starry-eyed, and punch drunk about the draft. He was drafted in the 18^th round by Boston after his Juco sophomore season too. He turned down the $165K to become a Razorback, converted from a closer/reliever to a Friday night starter and moved up 15 rounds the following year. I also counseled him to take the Red Sox offer… Two takeaways, there’s no amount of money Trev would trade for his Arkansas experience and don’t ask me for help with draft choices…
  
  Lastly, I never made it to the show as a photographer, but I did make it to the minors with the help of Topps.

@JucoDad this post is spectacular on so many fronts. What I love the most is you letting your son lead, you finding ways to enjoy the game no matter what…and how the love of the game was always the driving factor. Baseball is a tough sport and an unforgiving busines; to play at any level, the drive and the love has to come from the player.

P.S. Amazing pictures!! Baseball and otherwise.

great pictures JucoDad...even found a former HS teammate of one of my sons in a few of them...

Congratulations to Trevor Stephan. I’m a fan of any player the Yankees made a mistake on. With the odds on Rule 5 prospects prospering the Yankees got taken twice (also Whitlock by the Red Sox) in the 2021 Rule 5 draft.

Great subject and a lot of fantastic words of advice and experience...

How long ago was your son a college freshman baseball player?

2 YEARS 2019 AND 2020

What level was he playing? Juco, D3, D2 or D1? Something else?

DI MID MAJOR

Did he stay at that school through graduation? If not, how many different colleges did he attend?

CURRENTLY ON HIS 3RD SCHOOL!!  ALL ARE D1 MID MAJORS

If he switched schools, why did he switch?

SCHOOL #1(2019 FALL)-A FRIEND OF HIS PITICHING COACH HAD RECRUITED HIM TO PLAY AT THIS SCHOOL OUT OF HS . WAS PROMISED A SPOT ON TEAM BUT ONLY GIVEN ACADEMIC MONEY.  HAD A ROUGH FALL AND SCHOOL AND LOCATION DIDN'T FIT AS WELL AS EXPECTED ...ALSO 60 KIDS FOR FALL BALL WITH 15-18 JUCO TRANSFERS- WHICH WAS GREATLY UNEXPECTED WHEN HE GOT THERE.  NEEDLESS TO SAY ..THE ODDS WERE STACKED AGAINST HIM. ENTERED PORTAL NOV 2019

SCHOOL#2 (2020 WINTER TILL 2021 SPRING) ACADEMIC MONEY AGAIN AND NO ATHLETIC MONEY. SCHOOL WAS A BETTER FIT IN A FARTHER LOCATION AND HC HAD A SMALL ROSTER. PC AT SCHOOL LIKED HIS DEVELOPMENT BUT HC DIDNT HAVE SAME PROJECTIONS. SON ENTERED PORTAL FOR 2ND TIME MAY 2021

SCHOOL #3 (SUMMER 2021 TILL PRESENT)  NEW HC HAD BEEN IN CONTACT WITH SON SINCE HS. CLOSER TO HOME.  GAVE SON  50% ATHLETIC MONEY OFFER. SON ACCEPTED. HAD A GREAT CURRENT FALL .  HC GAVE SON MORE ATHLETIC MONEY AFTER FALL CUTS AS A 1 YEAR REWARD.   ENTERS 2022 AS A JUNIOR ACADEMIC AND SOPH ATHLETIC.

How much did your son play as a freshman? If he did not play, was he redshirted? If he was redshirted, when was he told about it?

NONE IN 2019/2020 AS SON WAS NOT ABLE TO GET A TRANSFER WAIVER FROM NCAA TO PLAY IN SPRING 2020 (BUT THEN COVID CANCELLED MOST OF SEASON ANYWAY)

PITCHED 1 INNING IN 2021 SPRING DUE TO MEDIOCRE FALL AND PITCHING MECHANIC CHANGES.

What were the biggest surprises and challenges for your son freshman year?

PROMISES DO NOT MEAN ANYTHING. ACADEMIC MONEY DOESNT MEAN ANYTHING OTHER THAN YOUR TUITION IS LOWER$$. UNLESS SON RECEIVES ATHLETIC $$ YOU ARE DOWN THE HC'S LIST.   WAS SURPRISED HOW MANY KIDS WERE THERE IN THE FIRST FALL (15 MORE THAN STATED). WAS SURPRISED AT HOW HARD THE FALL PRACTICES/TRAINING WAS DESPITE BEING WARNED ABOUT IT.  SON DID WELL ACADEMICALLY BUT IT WAS A STRUGLE ON THE FIELD WITH THE CHANGES AND ROUTINE

Overall, how was your son's experience as a freshman baseball player? Did it meet, surpass or miss his expectations? How about in regard to your expectations as a parent?

IT WAS BELOW HIS EXPECTATIONS ON THE FIELD(MUCH GREATER COMPETITION /TALENT THAN EXPECTED)..AS EXPECTED ACADEMICALLY(3.7-4.0 ALL SCHOOLS) AND ABOUT AS EXPECTED SOCIALLY. THE BASEBALL TEAM IS YOUR INSTANT FRATERNITY.

WELL ABOVE MY EXPECTATIONS IN HOW HE ADAPTED TO INCREDIBLE CHALLENGES ,CHANGE AND ADVERSITY. HE HAS GROWN AS A PERSON SO MUCH AND THE FAMILY IS SO PROUD OF HIM!

Based on your son's experience as a freshman baseball player and your's as the parent, what advice would you have for the freshman player and his parent?

#1- DO EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER TO GET THE BEST TRAINING FOR YOUR SON. SOME WILL BE TRIAL AND ERROR. SOME WILL WORK OUT.  EDUCATE YOUR SELF AND BE 100% PREPARED.  IT ISN'T EASY (FOR MOST)

#2- ATHLETIC MONEY ONLY..  IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE ATHLETIC MONEY THEN YOU ARE NOT LOVED(98% OF THE TIME). THE KID WITH THE ATHLETIC $$ WILL GET 10 CHANCES TO YOUR KIDS ONE OR 2.. PROMISES MEAN ZILCH ..

GO WHERE YOU ARE LOVED

#3 YOU ARE THE SUPPORT AND FOUNDATION FOR YOUR CHILD. SOME OF THE TRIALS THAT HE IS GOING THROUGH/WILL GO THROUGH - WILL AFFECT YOU ALMOST AS MUCH AS HIM. WEATHER THE STORMS. LEARN FROM EXPERIENCES. GROW AS PARENTS AND YOUR SON WILL FOLLOW.

#4 HAVE FUN.  SOME THINK SWITCHING 3 SCHOOLS AND NOT GETTING PLAYING TIME ISN'T FUN.. AND MAYBE BEING A TEMPORARY HELICOPTER PARENT CAN BE A CHALLENGE..  LIFE IS SHORT. THIS TOO SHALL PASS. LEARN AND GROW. BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE. IT WILL FLY BY QUICK.

Did your son complete 4 years of college baseball eligibility? If not, why?

PLAN TO ..3RD TIME IS THE CHARM..

Now I can actually answer some of these questions.

How long ago was your son a college freshman baseball player? This year.

What level was he playing? Was at a D2 in the fall and transferred to a Juco for the spring.

Did he stay at that school through graduation? TBD. But, he's up to 2 schools now and it's going to be at least 3 if he wants a bachelor's.

If he switched schools, why did he switch?

My short answer is that it wasn't what he expected or wanted. The longer answer is that he didn't enjoy the campus and he wasn't thrilled with the area. (This is his feeling about it. Personally, I thought the area was great and the campus was a lot better than many others I have visited. But, to each their own.)

How much did your son play as a freshman? If he did not play, was he redshirted? If he was redshirted, when was he told about it?

This is a tough one. Had he stayed at the D2, I don't think he would have red shirted because they were thin at his position. But, like 10 other freshman there ended up getting red shirted. Would he have played much? I am thinking no because he had two juniors ahead of him at his position. The Juco? We will never know. He got injured in team preseason workouts and missed the entire season.

What were the biggest surprises and challenges for your son freshman year?

Surprise was definitely the acceptance that you're a piece of meat. Challenge was related. I think, being a player in a college program means that you better ready to eat a lot of sh*t, smile, and say "thank you sir, may I have another." And, if that's not in your DNA, you're going to not enjoy your time there.

Overall, how was your son's experience as a freshman baseball player? Did it meet, surpass or miss his expectations? How about in regard to your expectations as a parent?

I think I already answered these questions. As a parent, never saw it coming. If you would have told me that, on the one year anniversary of his signing his NLI, on that very day, I would be requesting his release from it, I would have said WTF? And, then, if you told me that he would get injured hitting off a tee in preseason and then miss the whole season, I wouldn't have believed it either. But, it's all true.

Based on your son's experience as a freshman baseball player and your's as the parent, what advice would you have for the freshman player and his parent?

Hardly nothing goes as planned. And, the path is far from being a straight line.

Did your son complete 4 years of college baseball eligibility? If not, why? TBD. And, I'm not placing any bets.

All the above reminds me to enjoy my 2023s senior season as much as possible.

@Dadbelly2023 posted:

All the above reminds me to enjoy my 2023s senior season as much as possible.

It's really amazing that kids work their tales off for 7-9 years to become college baseball players. But, once they get there, for many, it's not going to be story book.

@Francis7 posted:

It's really amazing that kids work their tales off for 7-9 years to become college baseball players. But, once they get there, for many, it's not going to be story book.

It’s a story book situation in college for very, very few players. Only the fortunate few.

Francis

Did you watch “Trouble with Curve” with Clint? Has your son hit the shooto”?
Bob