The information provided on this page is vital to anyone considering playing baseball at the next level.  We highly recommend both parents and players thoroughly read the information provided below and carefully consider the NCAA rules and guidelines as you plan your future. 

In sports other than men’s basketball, a prospective student-athlete, also known as a recruit or prospect, is a student who has started classes in the ninth grade.

Requirements needed to be able to practice, play and be eligible for an athletic scholarship to most Universities include the following straight out of high school:

• Graduate from high school;
• Complete a minimum of 16 NCAA approved core courses;
• Present a minimum grade point average(GPA) in your core courses; and
• Present a qualifying test score on either the ACT or SAT test.

• 4 years of English
• 3 years of mathematics(at the level of Algebra I or higher)
• 2 years of natural pr physical science(including at least one laboratory course if offered by the high school)
• 2 years of Social Science
• 1 additional year of English, mathematics or natural or physical science
• 4 years of additional academic courses9in any of the above areas or foreign language, philosophy or non doctrinal religion classes

Only amateurs are eligible to participate in NCAA sanctioned athletic competition in a particular sport.   Your eligibility status as an ammeter is defined by your entire career, including the time spent prior to entering college. Amateur athletes participate in sports for personal and social reasons not directly related to financial gain. When student-athletes receive benefits not allowed by NCAA regulations, they lose their amateur status, thus becoming ineligible for intercollegiate athletic competition.

• Uses his or her athletic skills(directly or indirectly) for pay in any form in that sport;
• Accepts a promise of pay even if such pay is to be received following completion of intercollegiate athletic competition;
• Signs a contract or commitment of any kind to play professional athletics, regardless of its legal enforceability or any consideration received;
• Receives (directly or indirectly) a salary, reimbursement of expenses or any other form of financial assistance from a professional sports organization based on athletic skill or participation;
• Competes on any professional athletic team, even if no pay or remuneration for expenses was received
•  After initial full-time collegiate enrollment, enters into a professional draft; or
• Enters into an agreement with an agent.

Recruited Student-Athletes

• Providing you with an official visit;
• Have an arranged, in-person, off-campus encounter with you or your parent(s) relatives or legal guardian(s);
• Initiating or arranging telephone contact, including text messages, with you, your relatives or legal guardian(s) on more than one occasion for the purpose of recruitment;

• Official Visit – A visit to an institution that is financed in whole or in part by the institution. Official           visits may not exceed 48 hours in length. The college may provide up to three (3) complimentary admissions to an on-campus athletics event in which the institution’s team competes. A prospective student-athlete may take a maximum of five (5) official visits, with no more than one made to any single institution.
•  Unofficial Visit – A visit to an institution at the prospective student-athlete’s expense. The college may provide up to three (3) complimentary admissions to an on-campus athletic event in which the institution’s team   competes. Transportation to view off-campus practice or competition sites within a 30-mile radius is also permissible. There is no limit on the number of unofficial visits a prospect can make to a particular institution.
•  National Letter of Intent – A binding agreement between a prospective student-athlete and an institution, whereby the prospect agrees to attend the institution full-time for one academic year and the institution agrees to provide athletic financial aid to the prospect for one academic year.
• Contact Period – A period of time when it is permissible for authorized athletic department staff members to make in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts and evaluations.
• Dead Period – A period of time when it is not permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts or evaluations on or off the institution’s campus or to permit official or unofficial visits by prospective student-athletes. However, it is permissible for an institution staff member to write or telephone a prospective student-athlete during a dead period.
• Evaluation Period - A period of time when it is permissible for authorized athletic department staff members to be involved in off-campus activities designed to assess the academic qualifications a playing ability of prospective student-athletes. No in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts with prospective student-athletes are permitted during an evaluation period.
• Quiet Period – A period of time it is permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts only on the institution’s campus. No in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts or evaluations may be made during a quiet period.
• Contact – Any face-to-face encounter between a prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete’s parent(s), relatives or legal guardian(s) and an institutional staff member or athletic representative during which any dialogue occurs in excess of a prospect’s parent(s), legal guardian or relative and college staff employee or athletic representative; if the conversation goes beyond a greeting.   
• Evaluation – Any off-campus activity designed to assess the academic qualifications or athletic ability of a prospective student-athlete, including any visit to a prospective student-athlete’s educational institution (during which no contact occurs) or the observation of a prospective student-athlete participating in any practice or competition at any site.

An extra benefit is considered to be any special arrangement by an institutional employee or representative of the institution’s athletic interests to provide a prospect or a current student-athlete, their family/relatives, and/or their friends that is not expressly authorized by NCAA regulations. Specifically prohibited financial aid, benefits and arrangements include, but are not limited to the following:

• Cash or loan of money in any amount;
• Special discounts, payment arrangements or co-signing of a loan;
• Purchase of meals or services at commercial establishments;
• Involvement in arrangements for free or reduced charges for meals, merchandise, tickets, services, products or rent;
• Use of automobile or other personal property (e.g., boats, houses, motorcycles);
• ift items (e.g., jewelry, clothes, electronics, holiday gifts, phone or gift cards);
• Any financial aid other than that administered by the institution;
• Free or reduced cost of housing arrangements;
• Payment of registration fees for athletic camps;
• Promise of employment after college graduation;
• Employment of friends of relatives;
• Entertaining prospects and/or the prospect’s relatives or friends at any site either on or off-campus.