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| Steve Van Note All Star Baseball Academy |
Most schools start a 6-8 week fall season the first week in September. You will be expected to play 6 days a week. Most teams will practice two or three days a week and play 3 to 4 games per week. Be ready to go as soon as you get to campus. Just because baseball is a spring sport doesn't mean you take it easy in the fall. Your starting spot will be won or lost in the fall, and you will need to arrive for school in great baseball shape. Please do not take the entire summer off and expect to have your arms and legs in baseball shape. This could cause an injury.
As you already know, it is very important to have a great first semester in the classroom. When selecting your fall class schedule you will have a tight window to complete your 12-15 credits. On average, a fall practice starts anywhere from 2:30pm to 3:00pm. This means you will have to schedule your classes from 8am to 1pm.
Once classes are done, you will have just enough time to grab a late lunch and head to practice. Once practice and weight lifting are over, it will be close to 6 or 7pm. At that point, you will be heading to dinner and then you will need to focus on studying and course work at 8 pm. Please understand that this is what is expected of the college baseball player in the fall-- a busy, demanding schedule.
Once classes are done, you will have just enough time to grab a late lunch and head to practice. Once practice and weight lifting are over, it will be close to 6 or 7pm. At that point, you will be heading to dinner and then you will need to focus on studying and course work at 8 pm. Please understand that this is what is expected of the college baseball player in the fall-- a busy, demanding schedule.
After the fall ends, small individual workouts begin with groups of 4 or less practicing. At that point, you will begin your weight lifting program that will be 3-4 days a week either before class in the morning or after practice at 5 or 6 pm. This program will go to the first semester break and pick back up when the second semester begins.
In the spring, you can expect 3-4 weeks of practice prior to the first game. An average D1 schedule will be 56 games, plus the conference playoffs. Academic conferences and D2 and D3 schools will play anywhere from 36-45 games, plus playoffs. Mondays are usually days off, but some players will hit on their own anyway and pitchers will work out.
Tuesdays and Wednesdays are usually mid-week games against a school within a 2-3 hour drive and Thursday is typically a travel day. Conference games are played Friday, Saturday and Sunday or Saturday, Sunday. If you are on the road, you can expect to arrive back home anywhere from 10pm to 2am Sunday night. Remember, no teacher will cut you slack because your game went into extra innings on Sunday. You will be expected to be in class Monday morning.
Most academic conferences and D2 programs will have a shorter season-- around 36 to 45 games. Most seasons will run from the end of February to the beginning of May. Some programs will not have as rigorous a schedule as what is listed above, but then you have to ask yourself what commitment you want to make. Some student-athletes may look and say this is too much. If so, then you have to ask each program about the time commitments with their game and practice schedules.
But if a heavy game and practice schedule is what you want, and the schedule is something you can handle, then double-check that college program's expectations of their players. You should ask questions and take a close look at the team schedule, because the last thing you want is to go to a school that carries a light winter schedule and shortened season schedule.
Know what type of commitment you want to make to college baseball, and know the details of the commitments that the college programs expect of their players. When you clearly set your goals and know what the colleges expect of you as a student-athlete, then it becomes easier to find the right school for your specific goals and talents.
Steve Van Note is Director of Special Events for All Star Baseball Academy in West Chester, PA. He starred at the University of Delaware and later with the champion Lancaster Barnstormers in the independent Atlantic League. Steve is an excellent source of information for players and parents on how to best prepare for baseball at the collegiate level. Look for "College Corner" columns as a regular feature on the ASBA Blog.
