It is important to start planning for eligibility as early as your freshman year in high school as you’re required to take a certain amount of specific “core” classes (for example, 4 years of English and 3 years of math for NCAA Division 1…and 3 years and 2 years of math for Division 2) and your ACT or SAT scores must fit a sliding scale in relation to your core GPA (core GPA includes English, math, science, social science, etc…sorry, your gym and basket weaving classes don’t count).
*Also check out this information on Baseball Scholarships. Keep in mind that academic scholarships can be added to athletic scholarships (the combination cannot exceed 100% of total cost of attendance) at any level (except NCAA D3 where there are no athletic scholarships, making academic scholarships even more important). As you’ll see below, there is a very limited amount of baseball scholarship available so doing well in the classroom can greatly increase your chances of funding your college education and in many cases increase you chances of playing baseball at a higher level.
NCAA Freshman Eligibility Standards Quick Reference Sheet
NCAA Initial Eligibility Worksheet
Information and Resources for College-Bound Student-Athletes