The Road to D1
The ever-changing landscape of College Baseball recruiting has been scrutinized heavily (and deservedly so) over the past few years. NIL and the transfer portal have players navigating College Baseball rosters like its a game of musical chairs. Not happy with where you are today? No problem. Jump ship and go to another school w/o the worry of having to sit out a year (as it was years ago). Upset that the coach brought in players to compete for ‘your spot’? Pack your bags and go to a school where you think you’ll play. Your buddies at other programs are getting NIL money? Go join them.
Players are jumping ship like we’ve never seen before and there’s no end in sight. As long as there are programs and donors handing out cash; and as long as there’s no penalties for transferring, players are going to test the waters.
There are so many areas that can be discussed in this whole mess, but I would like to focus on the difficulty High School players now face in landing a roster spot at a GOOD Division 1 school. I stress ‘good’ because there are MANY D1 programs that are, well, not good. Never assume that a program is good if they play at the Division 1 level. There are many D1 schools that would struggle against D2, D3 and even JUCO programs. So, for the sake of this entry, we will focus on the Power 4 Conferences.
I’ve had this discussion individually with a few people and thought I would share with a larger audience. If you want to play at a Power 4 school you will likely need to take one of the following avenues. Now, before going any further, one thing is definitely needed…your child has to be a STUD! They need to put in the long hours sharpening their craft; getting bigger and stronger in the weight room and they have to dominate the competition. They need to be the best player on the field.
1 – If you want to play at a Power 4 out of High School you will need to spend a LOT of money.
You will need to play on National Travel teams. These Power 4 schools don’t attend the local Showcases; and they sure aren’t at the Annual “4th of July Bash” somewhere. These coaches are at the Perfect Game National Events. You’re going to have to pay a lot of money to be on a very good team that gets to these tournaments and you’re going to have to pay a lot in travel expenses, multiple times a year. There’s no guarantee your son will get recruited; but the right coaches will be there.
2 – You can pull your son out of their current High School and attend an Academy.
This too is VERY expensive. These Academies are sometimes more expensive than sending your kid to college. They will receive around-the-clock training and most will improve. And sure, they will get sort-of educated. The Power 4 schools love the Academies because they believe the Academies are getting the players ‘college-ready’. Players will be playing against the best, something those same kids will have to be ready to do when they get to a Power 4 school. And the coaches at these Academies are well-respected by the P4 coaches; so they will know how to market your child.
3 – Transfer to the P4 School after spending a year or more at another College.
“Another College” could be a JUCO, D3, D2, or even a mid-major D1 school. This is likely your son’s best bet at getting to a P4 school that won’t break the bank. Many College coaches, and not just P4 schools, are actively recruiting College Summer Leagues. From the mouth of an SEC Pitching Coach, “we’re looking for kids that can drink, and not just vote.” Many P4 coaches would rather recruit college players than High School players. It’s incredible to look at a P4 roster to see how many players have transferred from other schools. The University of Miami has 36 players on their roster. 16 are transfers…16! Times have definitely changed. And families have to understand these changes. Getting to that ‘dream’ school may mean that you have to go somewhere first. There is significant risk to this approach. Maybe your son doesn’t develop the way you imagine and they simply don’t display the skill sets that are attractive to P4 schools. And your son will likely be one of thousands in the transfer portal; so you need to be sure they do stand out.
I’ve said this many times; but I am REALLY glad I played when I did 25+ years ago. Sure, facilities are nicer now, and there is NIL money; but the landscape is toxic. Players jumping ship year after year makes it difficult to create bonds. It makes it difficult to develop a consistent winner. Do yourself a favor and don’t chase D1. Hopefully your son finds a program that makes them happy, both on the field and off. And as I always say, pick a school that would be of interest if baseball wasn’t in the picture.