By now, you know the NCAA is the organization that determines whether or not you are “eligible” (qualified) to play baseball at most colleges, so if you ignore them, you may end up not being able to play even if you have the skills. For the last 3 years, you have worked hard to make sure that you meet all the requirements for your top choice schools. You’ve registered with the NCAA so they can let coaches know that you are academically eligible to play.
You’ve made it to your senior year! You just have a few more things to do to make sure that you are eligible to play college baseball.
“Believe in yourself, believe in what you can do, and believe you belong where you are.” – Active D1 Pitcher, CA
Just a few more steps to take and you’re done!
- Finish taking your core classes. Don’t guess which classes to take! The NCAA has a list of approved classes, and those are the only ones that count toward your eligibility. The list of courses at your school are available on the NCAA website. Don’t use a list from another school and assume that the classes will be ok. You might need some help getting the list of approved classes at your school. Ask your parents or guidance counselor for help. For Division 1, you’ll need to finish all of your core classes within the eight semester limit. Lots of guys find that it is harder to study during their senior year, but you can’t slow down now! You need to make sure that you end your high school year with the best stats you can both on and off the field.
- Take the ACT and SAT tests. You can take them more than once if you need to.
- Graduate in eight semesters.
- Visit the NCAA eligibility website.
- Follow the instructions to get your final “amateur” certification.
- Make sure your final transcript and proof of graduation are sent to the NCAA.
When you complete all of the NCAA requirements, you will be eligible to practice and play with your college team AND to receive a scholarship if you are offered one. Congratulations on all your hard work!
“When you play college baseball, you get on this team with 40 different individuals and you have to bond as one. You make, pretty much, 40 brothers on the team and you can stay connected with each one of those guys for the rest of your life. If you need anything or you need somebody to talk to, you always have those 40 guys that you bonded with.” – JC Pitcher, LA
