Improve Your Chances of Winning a College Baseball Scholarship

Many high school athletes dream of playing their sport at the next level, but the reality is that colleges only offer a very limited number of scholarships for this purpose. While this is true for all sports, the competition for a college baseball scholarship can be particularly fierce, so unless you're the most dominant pitcher or home run hitter coming out of your state this year, then you'll probably need help getting noticed by top coaches and programs. Here are a few things you can do to improve your chances.

1. Make sure that you have a legitimate shot at a college baseball scholarship. Ask your coach for an honest talent evaluation to see where you stack up against fellow athletes in the area, at the state level, and around the country. Remember, just being the star shortstop at your own school doesn't guarantee that you'll get offers for college baseball scholarships from every major university out there. You're competing against skilled players from all over the country for one of these free rides, so be brutally honest about your prospects here.
   
2. Talk to people in your high school athletic department. A lot of times, getting noticed comes down to nothing more than sheer networking, so take advantage of whatever contacts you might have available to you. Did your current coach go to a big school or does he personally know some coaches at Division I schools that offer college baseball scholarships? If so, ask him to make some calls on your behalf. And don't stop there. Ask coaches in other sports for personal contacts as well. You just never know what kind of connections you'll come up with.
   
3. Entice coaches and scouts from good colleges to come and see you play. Obviously, they're not going to waste their time or hand out a college baseball scholarship to anyone who sends them an e-mail or letter, so you're going to have to show why you're worth a look. The best way to do this is to create your own highlight reel or promotional video consisting of some great plays. Have a friend who's handy with a digital camcorder or someone from the AV Club at your school film your games and then edit the footage to show the best of your fielding and hitting. Put the highlights on blank DVDs and mail them directly to coaches at schools that offer college baseball scholarships. If anyone likes what they see, they'll send a scout for a follow-up visit.

Winning a college baseball scholarship is a tough proposition unless you're truly one of the very best players in the entire country. But there are definitely extra steps you can take to market yourself in a positive light and help advance your case for a full ride. By following these steps and keeping your grades up, you can improve your chances of getting noticed by the right people.