Every high school player wants to play D1 baseball.

I did when I was in high school, and I’m sure you do too.

I get it:

• Playing D1 is prestigious

• In general, D1 players play against the best competition at the college level

• Statistically, D1 players have the best chance to continue playing beyond college

I think having this mindset is GOOD!

Regardless of whether you end up playing D1 baseball or not, striving to play D1 baseball will push you to become the best version of YOU.

I had a conversation with a current D1 head baseball coach recently. He offered some valuable insights about the recruiting process at the D1 level that I want to pass on.

How do D1 coaches find recruits?

Not surprisingly, the D1 coach I spoke to uses a variety of resources to find prospects:

• Recruiting Services

• Camps/Showcases

• Social Media

• Etc.

What surprised me is this:

He uses social media THE MOST!

What surprised me even more is this:

He shared that he often watches videos on X (formerly Twitter) and recruits players WITHOUT SEEING THEM IN PERSON.

I don’t know if recruiting players without seeing them in person is a common practice for D1 coaches (my guess is it’s not), but this example illustrates that college coaches employ many different strategies to find and recruit players.

So what should YOU take away?

Use a variety of strategies to promote yourself to college coaches.

Do all D1 coaches recruit nationally?

Before talking to the coach, I looked at his roster online and noticed players from all over the country.

This caught my attention because other D1 rosters I’ve looked at included players primarily from the same state/region as the school.

He explained that his school is private, so the tuition is the same for in-state versus out-of-state residents. Essentially, he is not incentivized to recruit only local players, so he casts a wider net geographically.

Not ALL private schools approach recruiting the same way, but you should take away the following:

Research the roster makeup at the programs you’re interested in.

If you’re looking at a school outside your region and notice that most of their current players are from the same state/region as the school, getting recruited by that school may be difficult.

Similarly, if you’re looking at a school in your state/region and notice that their roster is made up of players from all over the country, getting recruited by that school may be more difficult than you might imagine.

Physicality is CRITICAL

Here’s a quote from the coach that REALLY caught my attention:

“If an incoming freshman player still looks like he’s in high school, he doesn’t have a chance.”

He was highlighting the importance of physicality at the college level.

The most successful players at the college level are big, strong, and athletic.

To further illustrate this point, I recently compiled the heights and weights of hundreds of high school players who went on to play at the D1 level. Here were the averages:

• Height = 6’1”

• Weight = 192

He went on to share that his players lift 5 days per week all year round. They continue to lift heavy in season as well.

He structures his program to develop the physicality needed to succeed at the highest level of college baseball.

What should you take away?

Get in the weight room and eat to gain mass.

How do college coaches evaluate intangibles?

Like most coaches, the coach I spoke to values intangibles such as attitude, effort, leadership, etc. when recruiting players.

I asked how he evaluates these intangibles.

He shared that he pays close attention to how players handle adversity and interact with their teammates during games:

• Does the player throw equipment when he strikes out?

• What’s the players body language like when the umpire makes a bad call?

• Is the player vocal in the dugout? If so, how do his teammates respond?

• How does the player interact with a teammate who made an error?

• Does he pay attention to the game from the dugout?

• Etc.

What should you take away?

Play every game as if the head coach of your dream school is watching.

What impact has the transfer portal had on recruiting at D1 programs?

The D1 coach I spoke to shared some interesting points about the transfer portal.

He noted that some coaches at “lower-level” D1 programs commit a lot of time and energy to help players develop, only to have them transfer to “higher-level” programs if they perform well.

On the other hand, he shared that the transfer portal is a good thing for players who are buried deep on a D1 roster without much hope to see the field.

What should you take away?

From a player’s perspective, the transfer portal is a good thing because it provides options to get out of less-than-ideal situations.

What you shouldn’t do, however, is commit to a four-year program with the INTENTION of developing and then transferring to a “better” program. If this is your mindset, junior college is the best fit.

That’s it for this week.

If you’d like to learn more about how I can help you:

• Maximize your options

• Save time and money

• Find your best fit for playing college baseball

Reply to this email or send me a text at 319-883-0242 to set up a FREE consultation.

Thank you!

Matt