The+Route+to+College+Baseball

If you would like to play baseball in college you must have many of your affairs in order. To place yourself in the position which is best for you here are some recommendations on actions that may be taken in high school. Following these directions will not guarantee you a place in college baseball, but will help you.

 1) **At all times have your grades in order.**

The higher your grades are the more possible it is for you to get into more schools and the more money will be eligible for you to get. Many coaches do not want to take a chance on players with grades who are barely accepted to school. From your Freshman year until your senior year all grades count, including the fall semester, so do not take any days off. There is far more money for academic scholarships than there are in athletics.

2) **Make good decisions for yourself.**

As you begin to think about schools be sure to consider the following questions; How far away from home do you want to go? What size school do you want to go to? What type of campus do you want to go to (urban/ rural)? What kind of program do you want to study (remember many students change their major at least once, but it is nice to have a general idea)? How much can you afford? Do you like the coach? Do you want to play right away? Can you make the team? Can you keep your grades up and play baseball? All of these questions will each hold a different weight and have a different answer for each player. Be sure to be on the same page with your guidance counselor to play college baseball in the NCAA.

3) **Contact the schools you are interested in.**

During your sophomore year you may want to send out a postcard of information about yourself to a list of at least 25 schools that you are interested in. Be sure to have extras in case at any point along the process you want to add a school to your list. During the end of your sophomore year you will want to call and visit some of the schools on your list; have compiled a more informative packet and videotape of you playing. Let schools that you are interested in know where you will be playing during school and in the summer. It never hurts to contact a coach.

4) **Be seen.**

After you send college coaches video of your playing they will come to see you play, if they are interested. Go to showcases where colleges you are interested are attending. A common misconception is to go to every and all showcases possible, or to play on tournament teams to be seen. If you talent level is good enough for their school college coaches will come to see you if you express interest in them. After speaking with some college coaches some feel that players are not showing enough loyalty to their teams by playing on multiple teams at the same time.

It is also a good idea to go to a pro try-out. Make sure to take note of what scouts have seen you and you can reference them to any college coaches you are talking to.

5) **Try not to stress too much.** It is a long process, and mistakes can be rectified.

Additional Links
 * http://hsbaseballweb.com/recruiting_timeline.htm || http://www.ehow.com/how_2072707_get-recruited-college-baseball-team.html ||

If you have any suggestions of comments please email me and I will post them. JPallone@qcsd.org