Looking at colleges

My son has been contacted by several D2 schools. He is a senior 3rd baseman and hitter. We are researching schools that have contacted him and noticed that a few prospective 4 year colleges dont have many seniors on the team. They dont have a very good record btw. Is that a cause for concern that players may leave if the record is bad or do the coaches dump players to promote newer recruits? Why go to to school that doesnt keep upperclassmen?

 

Welcome to ThisBoardRocks, and congratulations to your son!

I'm afraid there's no "pat" answer for your very good question; as the reasons can vary from program to program. Having said that, allow me to lay out several possible scenarios for you:

(1) Scarcity of Scholarships Causes Coach to Withdraw Athletic Aid: Because the NCAA limits DII programs to only 9 scholarships (Remember: They also have to be "fully funded" to have all 9 to give.) and athletic grants-in-aid are currently renewable on an annual basis, it is sometimes the case that coaches will refuse to renew a returning player's athletic scholarship. When this happens, it is more likely to affect the marginal, upperclass player.

It is also sometimes the case that the upperclass player has done well enough academically that he's qualified for academic aid. If that's the case, the coach may reduce or eliminate the athletic scholarship to free up more athletic funds for other players who are less academically inclined.

(2) Upperclassmen Simply Don't Stick Around: Occasionally, upperclassmen simply develop interests beyond baseball and decide that the extraordinary time commitment no longer makes sense. Some also fall by the wayside from transfer, injury, academic failure, or disciplinary reasons. A negative variation on this scenario occurs when players lose respect for their coach(es) and decide to step away from the game so that they no longer have to put up with them.

(3) Juniors Get Drafted: In the best programs, an appreciable segment of the junior class is often lost to the draft. Add to this dynamic, the other reasons for upperclass players falling by the wayside, and it's not uncommon to see relatively few seniors on a top program's roster.


As you can see from the above examples, the causes of the condition you observed can be numerous; and can run the spectrum from positive to negative.

However, you've put your finger on a very important area for investigation by your son as he narrows down his choices. As he talks with coaches and players, he shouldn't fail to raise the subject and try to find out exactly what's causing the situation. If he gets anything short of a reasonable explanation (one corroborated by players), it's certainly a to be considered a "red flag" for him.

Best of luck to him!

 

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winners

This should produce some interesting posts.
It sounds like NYtoFla4ball is preferring a program already with a winning background. Always wondered how much going to a "winner" meant to the college selection process for recruits.

 

NO disrespect intended here...This is all new ground here for me.

 

Excellent response to a good question

NYtoFla4ball....welcome. Prepster should know his stuff. Since your son is a senior, you are really down to the home stretch. It would be good to get connected with a knowledgeable local coach or college veteran parent to guide you ASAP. Recruiting is a huge subject. Have you seen NCSAsports.org ? It may be a good online resource for you. Best of luck.

 

Prepster hit on some key points with regard to your specific question on upperclassmen.

I would add some of the things that have been mentioned on this board many times around the recruiting process in general. While those are good questions to ask and get comfortable with IMHO the more important questions should be:

1) is it a school that your son wants to attend and will enjoy during his 4 years there?
2) what is the academic environment and is there help for the student athletes?
3) do they have his area of study as a major?
4) What are his feelings about the coaching staff and is he comfortable with them? People don't leave jobs they leave bosses. Players don't leave teams they leave coaches.
5) will he have a shot to get on the field and make an impact or will he be waiting for his JR or SR year to play?
6) are the building a team to be successful and what are the goals as a team?
7) where do they see your son fitting in and how can he help the team.

this is just some of the stuff. There are a ton of other great posts though-out this site. Just go up to the search button and search recruiting for other posts.

Good luck with the process and enjoy it!

 

I could not agree more with baseballx3. Making sure that it is the right fit for your son is most important.. My son had offers from D1 and D2 schools and just felt more at ease with what was offered at the D2 school. I think i can safely say that it was the "right fit" for him. So far no regrets.....

 

In my opinion, many schools don't have an abundance of upperclassmen because those upperclassmen that were once incoming freshman have thinned as the older players realize that college is the end of the road for them baseball-wise and the rigors of staying involved as a non-starter just doesn't make sense anymore. They have matured and for some it is easier to let go of the dream. For many, it has been an individual and a family goal for the player to have the opportunity to play in college. Once that goal has been achieved, reality sets in and there are no shortages of other interests being developed while enrolled in college.

I heard of a player the other day who was a red-shirt freshman and 2nd year player who opted to surrender his spot on the team as he is planning to go to medical school and he wants to put maximum effort toward his grades. Bottom line, some stick it out and others don't...every situation is unique. The departure of so many upperclassmen does provide for more opportunities for incoming freshman to be on the team and the cycle continues.

 

In some cases, there are players listed on a roster who are actually juniors or seniors academically, but because of injury or other issues are listed as a redshirt sophomore, junior, whatever. They graduate and still have some playing eligibility.