What it takes to play college baseball

Playing baseball college is an ambition that a lot of young players have, but it’s really important at an early age to understand what it actually takes to play at that level. It’s a level of commitment that comes as a surprise to a lot of players, and it honestly requires a love of the game the many players are not prepared for.

From the moment you start playing college, the schedule can be quite overwhelming. Typical days start at 6:30 AM with an early morning workout, followed by classes, a quick lunch and then another 2 to 3 hours of practice. After that you need to find time to get your schoolwork done, and then some additional time to work on whatever it is that you specifically need to improve. Then you need to get to bed early enough to get a good nights sleep and be ready to repeat the whole process again next day.

And you have to do all this, especially as a freshman, when you might be fourth on the depth chart, and wondering how you’re going to get any playing time. Just earning a starting spot can be a huge challenge in itself, additionally when coaches are bringing in junior college players who may have a couple of years playing experience behind them.

So it takes a lot of resolve, and a lot of determination to persist and find a way to earn a spot against far greater odds than you’ll typically have seen at lower levels of baseball. A player who is good enough to play college will often have been one of the best players on his team at select level, but the first time he’ll be facing challenges and competition at the level that he’s never seen before. And that’s the moment at which the player has to find the resolve to do what is required.

Add to that the pressure of having to pass all your exams in the fall, and a lot of players find themselves unprepared for the challenge. Unlike at High School, if you fail your exams in the fall, you won’t get to play in the spring.

On top of that, College may well be the first time that your player is away from home for an extended period of time. They may even be in a different state. They’re not surrounded by the comforts of home, and it is a strange environment. A lot of players can find this to be difficult.

This is a big decision for any player to make and a lot of kids may just prefer to enjoy a regular college experience, without the added stress and work that is involved in playing baseball. But the players that do decide to make that commitment, this life changing decision can be immensely rewarding.

At TRPD, we believe that if you have a love for baseball, then we’d encourage you to try it out. If you find that it’s not for you, you can always make the change. At least that way you’ll never regret not giving it a go, and we believe that you should never live with regrets!