Freshman Year

• Read and print a copy of the NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete.
• Use the Division I core course worksheet inside the NCAA Guide to set specific academic goals and plan core course schedule.  Even if you do not expect to play Division I athletics it is still smart to use the Division I worksheet so you are prepared in case things change.
• Meet with your high school guidance counselor to inform him/her of your goal to play college baseball and to review your core course curriculum to make sure it matches with the NCAA approved core courses.
• Target an initial 25 schools; make a “wish list”.  The list should include 5 DI, 5 DII, 5 DIII and 5 Juco’s you are interested in.
• Maintain a minimum 3.0 grade point average.
• Take Honors or AP classes only if you can average an A or B.
• Get help from teachers or tutors if you are struggling in any subject.
• Join a club team (or a team outside of your high school) where you can play against the best competition.
• Tell your high school or club coach your goal of playing baseball in college.
• Playing in events like the Arizona Fall Classic and Perfect Game.
• Attend “camps” at the colleges you have targeted. Get directly in front of the coaches you want to play with someday.
• Use Slammers Staff for promotion

Sophomore Year

• Continue to follow the NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete and look for any new rule changes.
• Update your specific academic goals and track your core course progress.  Make sure you’re on track academically and your core course requirements are being fulfilled.
• Meet with your school councilor and review your academic progress, core course requirements and get testing dates for the ACT and SAT.
• Continue to review and update your target list of colleges you would like to play for.
• Schedule and take the Pre-ACT and/or the Pre-SAT.
• Maintain a minimum of a 3.0 GPA.
• Continue to take Honors or AP classes only if you average an A or B in those classes.
• Ask your Slammers coaching staff to give you an honest assessment of your strengths and weaknesses.  Have they progressed since your freshman year?
• Remind your high school or club coach your desire to play college baseball and maintain positive personal relationships with all coaches.
• Start to create a priority list of colleges and start targeting them.
• Introduce yourself through email, to 5-10 college coaches at levels you realistically qualify for based on recruiting guidelines.
• Monitor your social media pages (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc.) and make sure there is nothing inappropriate on your pages.  College coaches monitor social media sites to look at the character of their recruits when they are off the field.
• Start to prepare for phone conversations with college coaches.  Be mature and honest and role- play with your parents and review questions a coach may ask.
• Schedule a meeting with your coaches and high school athletic director to discuss the recruiting process and ask them specifics of what you should be doing to improve your chances of playing baseball in college.
• Continue to use FieldLevel.com  Upload videos and start corresponding with college coaches.
• With the help of your parents determine you Estimated Family Contribution (towards college tuition) and familiarize yourself with the financial aid process.
• Start attending team camps at colleges you would like to attend.  See how you compare with other high school baseball players.
• Make responsible choices!  Don’t do anything that might jeopardize your chances to play college baseball.
• Continue playing with a Summer Club Team.
• Continue playing with Fall Showcase Teams.
• Participate in USA Baseball NTIS events.
• Continue to attend college camps at your targeted schools. Make sure those coaches see you as many times as possible.

Junior Year

• Look for rule changes in the NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete.
• Use the Division I core course requirements and make sure you are still on track.
• Meet with your high school guidance counselor and review your academic progress and core course requirements.
• Take the ACT/SAT.  Request the test scores be sent to the NCAA Clearinghouse by marking “9999” in the code box where indicated.  Take the SAT II test if you are considering high academic schools.
• Register with the NCAA Clearinghouse and make sure your councilor sends your transcripts at the end of your junior year.
• Begin the “amateurism certification process” questionnaire on the NCAA Eligibility Center’s website.
• Maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA.
• Continue to take Honors and AP courses if you can average an A or B.
• Get phone numbers and email address from high school and club coaches and ask them to be references.
• Play in fall events like the Arizona Fall Classic and Perfect Game events.  These events attract the top DI, DII, DIII and Juco programs from around the country.
• If possible, schedule game day visits to watch them play.
• Continue to screen social networking sites and make sure there isn’t anything inappropriate on your sites.
• Start to plan travel for unofficial visits during the fall and summer.
• Look for invitations from coaches to call in their letters and emails.  If they give you their cell phone number, call them!
• Continue to prepare for phone conversations by role-playing with your parents or a recruiting coach.
• Continue to put videos on your FieldLevel.com page and keep it current.
• Be aware of important recruiting dates.
• Ask your coaches where you stand and where they see you playing at the next level.  Remember only a small percentage of baseball players play DI baseball, have realistic goals.
• Ask your coaches which college summer camps you should attend and why,
• Consider whether or not to accept any verbal offers you may receive.
• Respond to all schools that have had correspondence with you, even if you’re not interested in the school.  The baseball community is a small fraternity and coaches communicate with each other all the time.  Remember, the offer you receive from a school you aren’t interested in may be the only school that offers you a scholarship.  DON’T BURN BRIDGES!
• Continue playing with a Summer Club Team.
• Continue playing with a Fall Showcase Team.
• Continue to attend college camps.
• Participate in USA Baseball NTIS Events.

Senior Year

• Ask coaches when and how you should apply.  Decide if you will submit any early applications and obtain early application waivers from coaches.
• Complete the FAFSA form and submit by January 1.
• If your scores were not high enough to get into the college you wish to attend, re-take the ACT/SAT.  Request the test scores be sent the NCAA Clearinghouse be marking “9999” in the code box where indicated.  Update improved test scores and grades with the NCAA Clearinghouse.
• Look for any new rule changes in the NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete.
• Be sure core course requirements will be completed by the end of the school year.
• Finalize and submit all college applications.
• At the end of the school year ask your high school counselor to send a copy of your final transcript and proof of graduation to the NCAA Clearinghouse.
• Apply for other scholarships and grants (Pell grants, Academic scholarships etc.).
• Maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA.  The first semester grades of your senior year are critical.
• Update references if necessary.
• Schedule “official visits “(5 DI, DII; Unlimited DIII, NAIA, Juco) and unofficial game day visits.  If a coach has not offered an official visit call the coach and see if an official visit will be extended.
• Continue to monitor social networking sites for inappropriate posts and pictures.
• Respond to all schools that have had correspondence with you, even if you’re not interested in the school.  The baseball community is a small fraternity and coaches communicate with each other all the time.  Remember, the offer you receive from a school you aren’t interested in may be the only school that offers you a scholarship.  DON’T BURN BRIDGES!
• If a scholarship offer is extended, DO NOT negotiate for a better deal!
• Continue playing on a Summer Club team and stay sharp so you can go into the fall ready to compete for a job.

One of the most confusing parts of the college recruiting process is the distribution of athletic scholarships. It varies from division to division, conference to conference and even school to school, leaving players and parents wondering what their chances are of receiving awards and assistance. Each athletic division is allotted a predetermined number of athletic scholarships to distribute how they see fit.

The maximum amount of athletic scholarships awarded to each level of school is as follows:

• NCAA Division I = 11.7
• NCAA Division II = 9.0
• NCAA Division III = 0
• Junior College DI = 24
• Junior College DII = 24
• Junior College DIII = 0
• NAIA = 12

What do these scholarship numbers mean?

To put this in perspective let’s take a look at DI schools and their scholarship allotment. Each DI school is allowed to have 35 players on their roster, 27 of those players will be awarded some type of scholarship and 8 will be recruited walk-ons. Being an invited walk-on has value as DI schools need them to fill out roster spots. Plus, if the walk-on does well enough, most schools will award walk-ons scholarships in future years. These numbers represent the maximum amount that each level has to distribute.

Each baseball program is different depending on the level of university support. Typically the top conferences in the country are fully funded. Other conferences limit the number of scholarships each program has so that there is parity among schools. Some Division I schools, like those in the Ivy or Patriot Leagues, do not offer athletic scholarships at all. Although DIII schools do not offer athletic scholarships there is still hope for those who are looking for ways to defer costs of tuition. Coaches at these schools can provide assistance with state and university grants as well as financial aid awards.

In baseball, a 30% scholarship offer is considered a major commitment on behalf of the college. Players also have the potential to earn scholarship raises throughout their college careers. This means that someone who starts off with a 25% athletic scholarship could be receiving a 75% athletic scholarship his senior year. Keep in mind that the average high school coach has fewer than five personal college contacts, 90% of whom are local.