Where Can I Play & What Do I Need To Know?
We recognize that post secondary options are important for our players. We guarantee that we will offer guidance on the variety of options available and will help you make the decision that is right for you.
US Academics - What you need to know
Start Planning early (Grade 9) | Ensure your High School Academic Curriculum meets the requirements for you post secondary goal.
Take your SAT/ACT in Grade 11 and 12
Grade are important, they will open more doors for you.
Make sure you are picking a school that is the right fit for you academically.
If you go to a 2 year school, understand the transfer process to a 4 year school
Remember some programs and courses in the US may not be recognized In Canada.
Scholarships - What you need to know
It is extremely rare in baseball to have a full athletic scholarship at a 4 year school
Most of the times baseball scholarships are a mix of athletic and academic money. Even then, expect to have out of pocket expenses.
Do your research about grants and scholarship a school or state has to offer for international students.
Remember that not all educational institutions are created equal. Do your research on your course of study. Make sure it meets Canadian requirements for when you apply for work in Canada
At the end of the day, Canadian schools offer one of the best values in terms of quality education, level of competition and overall cost.
2 year US programs often don’t transfer Canadian Schools. If you return to Canada after 2 years you may be starting from scratch.
Be certain the experience of playing 2 years in the US is worth it (for many of you it will be)
Ontario University Athletics
15-18 schools offer baseball program. Some play an OUA schedule, others play exhibition games vs US colleges and Ontario schools.
Roster sizes can get to be over 50
Fall season with about 20 league games. Many programs add exhibition games
Some programs have scholarships available. Generally funded through Alumni.
Unlimited Eligibility in OUA. If you get your PHD, you can play 8-10 years.
Typical Baseball Skill Requirements: Pitching Velocity 83+ | Peak Exit Velo 85+ | 60 yard time - sub 7.1 | Position player velo 82+
National Collegiate Athletic Association
NCAA schools offer 4 year degree programs. There are 3 divisions. Each division has specific rules for recruiting and Scholarships and team administration
Division 1: 299 Baseball Programs | 11.7 Athletic Scholarships available | Roster size 35
Division 2: 274 Baseball Programs | MAX 9 Athletic Scholarships available | Roster size 35
Division 3: 389 Baseball Programs | No Athletic Scholarships Available | Roster size 35
Academic Requirements: Min GPA and SAT scores must be acheived. D1 is higher then D2 or D3. | Eligibility Center Link: https://web3.ncaa.org/ecwr3/
Typical Baseball Skill Requirements:
D1: Pitching Velocity 85+ | Peak Exit Velo 90+ | 60 yard time - sub 6.8 | Position player velo 85+
D2: Pitching Velocity 83+ | Peak Exit Velo 85+ | 60 yard time - sub 7.1 | Position player velo 80+
D3: Pitching Velocity 80 + | Peak Exit Velo 80+ | 60 yard time - sub 7.2 | Position player velo 75+
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
NAIA offer 4 year degree programs. It is independent of NCAA.
212 Programs | MAX 12 full Athletic scholarships Available | Roster Size 35-60 Players
Academic Requirements: 860 SAT | Min 2.0 HS GPA | Top 50% of your high school class | Eligibility Center Link: https://play.mynaia.org/
Typical Baseball Skill Requirement Pitching Velocity 85+ | Peak Exit Velo 85+ | 60 yard time - sub 7.0 | zosition player velo 82+
National Junior College Athletic Association
NJCAA schools offer 2 year Associate Degrees. There is an opportunity to transfer to a 4 year school after graduation to continue studies and playing baseball
Division 1: 189 Programs | MAX 24 Full Athletic Scholarships Available | Roster size – 35-40
Division 2: 129 Programs | Max 24 Athletic Scholarships Available (Tuition and Books only) | Roster size 35-40 Players
Division 3: 98 Programs | No Athletic Scholarships Available | Roster size 35-40
Academic Requirements: Must graduate High School | SAT score helpful to get into some 4 year schools | Eligibility Center Link: https://www.njcaa.org/landing/index
Typical Baseball Skill Requirements:
D1: Pitching Velocity 85+ | Peak Exit Velo 88+ | 60 yard time - sub 6.9 | Position player velo 85+
D2: Pitching Velocity 83+ | Peak Exit Velo 85+ | 60 yard time - sub 7.1 | Position player velo 80+
D3: Pitching Velocity 80 + | Peak Exit Velo 80+ | 60 yard time - sub 7.2 | Position player velo 75+
Northwest Athletic Conference
Based out of the Northwest USA (one Canadian School). Offers 2 year Associate Degrees
28 Programs | Roster Size 35-40 | No Athletic Scholarships available. Level of competition would be comparable to NJCAA D3
Typical Baseball Skill Requirements: Pitching Velocity 78+ | Peak Exit Velo 80+ | 60 yard time - sub 7.2 | Position player velo 75+
California Community College Athletic Association
85 Programs | Roster Size 35-40 | No Athletic Scholarships available | Level of play would be comparable to NJCAA D1/D2
Typical Baseball Skill Requirements: Pitching Velocity 83+ | Peak Exit Velo 85+ | 60 yard time - sub 7.1 | Position player velo 80+
Ontario Colleges Athletic Association
Ontario Colleges offer 1 year certificate programs to 4 year degree programs
8 baseball programs | OCAA recognizes baseball as a varsity sport | Roster size 18 -35 | 18 game fall season with many team playing additional games.
Athletic scholarships may be available. It is dependent on the program
Typical Baseball Skill Requirements: Pitching Velocity 80+ | Peak Exit Velo 80+ | 60 yard time - sub 7.2 | Position player velo 75+
Atlantic Collegiate Baseball Association
6 Programs | 16 game fall season | Teams play games vs US maritime state schools | Roster sizes 25-35 | No scholarships available
Typical Baseball Skill Requirements: Pitching Velocity 83+ | Peak Exit Velo 80+ | 60 yard time - sub 7.2 | Position player velo 75+
Canadian College Baseball Conference
7 programs | Play both a spring and fall season. | Many teams play additional games vs US Colleges | Roster sizes 25 to 45 | Athletic Scholarships are specific to each program.
Typical Baseball Skill Requirements: Pitching Velocity 83+ | Peak Exit Velo 80+ | 60 yard time - sub 7.2 | Position player velo 75+
How Will I Get Seen? Exposure Is Everything
Social Media
Leveraging Social Media is becoming the most popular way to connect with coaches and recruiters across North America.
- Twitter is the social media platform of choice for baseball coaches and recruiters. Instagram is becoming more popular.
- Student Athletes should set up a baseball account on both platforms and include some data about them self such as class, height, weight, GPA in the description. They should post verifiable data as well. IE a link to a PBR profile or other showcase data.
- Include highlights of practice or in game video.
- Follow accounts of baseball programs you are interested in. You can learn a lot about the program and its culture.
- There are many Twitter accounts that will retweet posts if they get tagged. Student athletes should be following some of these accounts and tagging them when they post video or data of themselves as they have many coaches and recruiter following. Some Accounts to follow: @flatgroundApp, @FlatgroundHitting, @Uncommittedbsb, @PBRUncommitted.
- Do not tag coaches on your post unless you have a relationship with them. However, use your social media accounts as a way to connect with coaches through DMs or comments.
- There are a few recruiting apps that can be used to promote student athletes. FieldLevel and NCSA are two popular apps available. PBR also offers a free profile on their website. All three companies offer a free version of their product, however also offer a paid subscription.
Showcase Tournaments
Various organizations in the USA hold high profile tournaments that are well attended by college and pro recruiters. These organizations include PBR, PG, Area Code, Pastime to name a few.
These tournaments are high level competition but provides players exposure to various schools in one location.
These tournaments will give you an a good idea where you stand compared to your peers. You could be facing an SEC/draft arm one day and a Juco D3 the next.
Many organizations promote the schools attending. If there are schools you are interested in, reach out to the coaches and provide them information about yourself as a player and your schedule.
Coaches love these events because can see how players compete and handle failure. Remember, someone is watching you the whole time you are there.
These tend to be team events. If your goal is to play at the next level, the organization you are playing for should be planning to attend these events once you reach high school age.
Prep Baseball Report and other Exposure Events
Many organizations offer showcases/exposure events for individual players. They Include Prep Baseball Report, PG, Between the Lines.
PBR offers the most exposure showcases in ON and have a very big reach into the US. They have an accessible database for coaches to use and players to share
These events are great to show progression over the years. You can see also see how you compare to your peers.
These events measure your tools. If your tools are not up to par, these events can hurt you from a recruiting stand point.
These events can get very expensive and the timing of them can be bad (ie early off season when your arm isn’t conditioned). If you plan to attend them plan accordingly.
School Camps
Most colleges and Universities in Canada and USA with a baseball program have a prospect camp or help with one.
These are more personal than a traditional showcase but don’t have as big of a reach.
They are great to showcase yourself to your targeted schools.
When you attend a showcase event you will get put on a mailing list. You may get invites to school camps. Make sure to understand the difference between a personal invite and a direct marketing mail out.
This strategy can get very expensive. Be particular with the camps you attend.
Reaching Out to Coaches Directly
This is an “Old School” approach that is still very effective, but can be time consuming.
Before starting to reach out to coaches, make a list of thing that are important to you in a school and baseball program. Take into account Location, Major, Admission Requirements, Level of Play, Facilities Etc.
Based on your list, find schools that meet your requirements
When sending out an email to a coach make sure that the message is personalized, include measurable data and a short video of you playing/practicing
Always reach out the program’s head coach. If the program has a recruiting coordinator, include them as well. Also include the assistant that is responsible for the position you want to play (eg: include the pitching coach if you are a pitcher)
Hiring a Placement Agent/Agency
There are various placement agents and placement agencies in Canada and the US that help prospective student athletes find a school that meets there needs. There are Pros and Cons to using this strategy:
Pros
- Contacts and connections. These people have a personal connection with many coaches and schools so they may be able open doors that a student athlete could not themselves.
- They have a process in place to help student athletes gain maximum exposure.
- They may have knowledge of ways to reduce out of pocket tuition costs.
Cons
- Can be a really expensive.
- Some don’t specialize in a particular sport so they may not understand the baseball landscape
Some Placement Agency Include
- Dee Brown Baseball (American) | Baseball Recruiting Confidential (American) | NRS (Canadian)