American College Baseball System | U.S. College Baseball System

College baseball is mainly organized through the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) and NAIA (National Intercollegiate Athletic Association) and is divided into three levels:

NCAA Division I：The highest level of competition, with full scholarships available (e.g., Vanderbilt University, Louisiana State University).

NCAA Division II/III：Academics and athletics are balanced, with partial scholarships provided by DII and no athletic scholarships at DIII.

NAIA & NJCAA：Community colleges and private colleges with more flexibility in recruitment.

College baseball in the U.S. is organized through NCAA and NAIA, with three main divisions:

NCAA D1: Highest competition level (e.g., Vanderbilt University, LSU), offering full scholarships.

NCAA D2/D3: Balance academics and athletics; D2 offers partial scholarships, D3 no athletic scholarships.

NAIA & NJCAA: Community colleges and private schools with flexible recruitment.

Articulation Core Pathway | Key Pathways

Athlete Recruitment | Athletic Recruitment

High School Performance: Skills (e.g., pitcher, batting speed, batting average) are required to be demonstrated during the game.

Contact Coach: Proactively contact the coach of the target school via email/video to participate in a summer camp or exhibition game.

Academic Requirements: Minimum GPA 2.3 (NCAA) or 2.0 (NAIA) with SAT/ACT passing.

High School Performance: Showcase skills (e.g., pitching velocity, batting average).

Contact Coaches: Email coaches, attend camps/showcases.

Academic Standards: Minimum GPA 2.3 (NCAA) or 2.0 (NAIA), SAT/ACT required.

Walk-On attempt | Walk-On Trials

Students who are not recruited can join the varsity team through an open audition.

Unrecruited players can try out for teams during open trials.

Academic Priority Admission | Academic Admission

Those with excellent academic performance can apply for admission through the regular application and then try to join the baseball team.

Strong students apply academically first, then try out for the team.

Key Timeline | Key Timeline

Grades 9-10: Start building your athletic resume and compete in events such as AAU/USA Baseball.

Grade 11: Enroll in the NCAA Eligibility Center and submit athletic resumes and game recordings to your target school.

Year 12: Sign the NLI (National Letter of Intent) to complete the university application.

Grades 9-10: Build athletic profile via AAU/USA Baseball tournaments.

Grade 11: Register with NCAA Eligibility Center, submit sports resume/video.

Grade 12: Sign NLI (National Letter of Intent), complete college applications.

Success Stories

Shohei Otani: Attended a Japanese high school before entering the MLB through international recruitment.

Alex Bregman: Entered the professional league through Louisiana State University (NCAA D1).

Shohei Ohtani: Joined MLB via international recruitment.

Alex Bregman: Played at LSU (NCAA D1) before turning pro.