<p>My son is a 6’3" 190 lb RHP (2015) freshman. He competed at Top 96 last summer and was told that he should be able to compete at the DI level. He has letters from several Pac 12 schools.</p>
<p>My question is this: he is pulling a 3.6 GPA this semester, after an initial “adjustment” semester of a 3.0 in the fall. Should he be considering top academic schools like Cal and UCLA? How much flexibility do schools have with “special admits” ?</p>
<p>I realize that he has time to get his GPA higher, but I want to be sure his goals are realistic.</p>
<p>RHPdad,</p>
<p>Welcome to CC. Congrats on your son’s exposure and successes so far. I don’t have specific advice to give you on UCLA and Cal but I do know schools like them in other elite athletic conferences such as (ACC/SEC) on the East Coast. What we found is that these schools recruit the best baseball talent they can possibly get admitted. If the recruit happens to be a good student so much the better his chances against other talented baseball recruits. Baseball recruiting at these schools is about baseball talent and upside. </p>
<p>In addition, baseball recruiting at these elite baseball schools is very competitive for elite talent. High demand, and low supply for elite baseball talent. So, it is a great idea to have a backup plan and to try to be recruited by as many schools as possible. Academics will have more weight as you move down the college baseball hierarchy. If your son is a stud pitcher throwing 95mph there would be a lot less emphasis on his grades although he would have to meet NCAA minimums. </p>
<p>D1 elite college baseball is very, very demanding…56 games + postseason between mid-Feb to mid-May…so roughly 4 games per week + travel. It is a grind regardless of D1, D2 or D3. As you research this topic look at the majors of the players at the various D1 schools and conference levels. You will see a trend. So, that brings up another question, what does your son want to study in college? Another trend you’ll notice is that the supply of available college baseball roster positions in CA is much less than the demand, so many CA kids end up going somewhere else. My son goes to school in the East, and roughly 60% of his team is from the west coast including CA, OR, WA.</p>
<p>If you have any questions that you want to take off line, please feel free to send me a private message. I typically check this site every couple of days.</p>