because we generally give fractions of a full scholarship.
Walk-on players have a general stigma surrounding the name “Walk-On”. However, in our programs recent history two of our highest draft picks and coincidentally our best players started as walk-ons. For me, the only difference between a scholarship player and a walk-on is if we have money or a scholarship spot to give a player. In college baseball, the best players will play regardless of scholarship amount, or if they are a scholarship player or walk-on. We have a job to do and most of that job involves putting the best players on the field.
Generally, there are four types of aid to cover the cost of college. The four types of aid include but not limited to government, athletic, academic, and loans/scholarships. Depending on your family situation, your grades, and the school you are applying to, the amount of money you will receive from these various opportunities will differ from family to family. Remember that most of the time the scholarship you receive to play baseball will only cover a fraction of what it actually costs to go to school. A majority of baseball players will look to other aid to cover the rest of school.
Having worked for both public and private schools, I have an understanding (at least a little bit) of the differences between both. Already knowing what a full scholarship looks like in the eyes of the NCAA; we can see one major difference between most private and public schools. Tuition is typically the biggest variable when comparing public vs private schools. It simply costs more money to go to MOST private schools. The “sticker shock” sometimes can be scary for most people. However, in the previous institutions that I worked for they made up a good percentage of the money with academic money. This does not help the kid with poor academics but most certainly helps the kids with above average to good grades. This is one BIG reason, amongst many others, academics should be priority number one for your kids.
In the end, there are very few scholarships with very little money being handed out to very few families. Baseball, unlike basketball and football, is a partial scholarship sport. An overwhelming majority will owe money to the school they chose to play for. Many times this is a deciding factor when families are picking schools. In my next article, I will spend some time writing about what I do as a recruiter. What we look for in players and the importance of academics in the recruiting process.
REDBIRD BASEBALL