College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily fulfill that role. Unlike football and basketball, players do not have to go to college to turn professional. However, if they enroll at a four-year college, they must complete three years to regain eligibility, unless they reach age 21 before starting their third year of attendance. Players who enroll at junior colleges (i.e., two-year institutions) regain eligibility after one year at that level, with one notable example of such a player being Bryce Harper. There are over 280 NCAA Division I teams alone throughout the country (College). All of these teams face the same rules, obstacles, restrictions, and more throughout the year.
As with other US intercollegiate sports, most college baseball is played under the auspices of the NCAA or the NAIA. College and university baseball teams that are club teams are organized under the National Club Baseball Association. The NCAA writes the rules of play, while each sanctioning body supervises season-ending tournaments. The final rounds of the NCAA tournaments are known as the College World Series; one is held on each of the three levels of competition sanctioned by the NCAA. The College World Series for Division I takes place in Omaha, Nebraska in June, following the regular season. The playoff bracket for Division I consists of 64 teams, with four teams playing at each of 16 regional sites (in a double-elimination format). The 16 winners advance to the Super Regionals at eight sites, played head-to-head in a best-of-three series. The eight winners then advance to the College World Series, a double elimination tournament (actually two separate four-team brackets) to determine the two national finalists. The finalists play a best-of-three series to determine the Division I national champion. In 2011, the winner of the College World Series was the South Carolina Gamecocks.
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The first known intercollegiate baseball game took place in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, on July 1, 1859, between squads representing Amherst College and Williams College. Amherst won, 73-32. This game was one of the last played under an earlier version of the game known as "Massachusetts rules", which prevailed in New England until the "Knickerbocker Rules" (or "New York Rules") developed in the 1840s gradually became accepted.[1] The first ever nine-man team college baseball game under the Knickerbocker Rules still in use today was played in New York on November 3, 1859 between the Fordham Rose Hill Baseball Club of St. John's College (now Fordham University) against (the now defunct) St. Francis Xavier College.
College baseball has grown phenomenally in popularity since the 1980s. Traditionally, it has been played in the early part of the year, with a relatively short schedule and during a time when cold (and/or rainy) weather hinders the ability for games to be played, particularly in the northern and midwestern parts of the U.S. These and other factors have historically led colleges and universities across the nation to effectively consider baseball a minor sport, both in scholarships as well as money and other points of emphasis. During the 1980s, coaches and athletic directors in warm-weather regions of the nation began to recognize the unrealized potential appeal of the sport. These coaches went out and aggressively recruited the sport to potential athletes, as well as made various upgrades to their programs; such as bigger and better stadiums, more money for staff and support salaries, and promotions. As these efforts resulted in better players and overall programs, more television and print media coverage began to emerge. The ESPN family of networks greatly increased television coverage of the NCAA playoffs and the College World Series.
Soon, in many warm-weather regions, baseball came to be considered a major sport, approaching the level of football and basketball. And even non-warm weather schools started to recognize baseball's potential and began to put considerably more emphasis on it. Nebraska, Notre Dame, and Oregon State are three notable examples of cold (or rainy) weather schools with very successful programs. The first two made the College World Series when warm-weather schools placed major emphasis on baseball as well as had the advantage of playing earlier and more games because of favorable climates. Oregon State won back-to-back national championships in 2006 & 2007; at that time, archrival Oregon had been without baseball for a quarter-century, having dropped its program in 1981. Many credit the Beavers' success as being a primary factor in UO's later decision to revive baseball in 2009. Minnesota has taken advantage of the use of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome to play the majority of their games, including hosting a prestigious preseason tournament, and with the 2010 departure of the MLB Minnesota Twins for the new Target Field, hope to use the Metrodome for future Big Ten tournaments and bids on the NCAA tournament. Along with that, many smaller conferences (not in Division I) will play games at the Metrodome during February in order to keep up with schools in warm-weather locations. For 2008 and succeeding seasons, the NCAA has mandated the first ever start date for Division I baseball. This day is exactly thirteen weeks before the selection of the NCAA tournament field, which takes place on Memorial Day. For 2010, this date was March 1. Many feel this date will give schools outside of warm-weather areas more parity in college baseball and help continue to make the sport a major one nationally.
EA Sports released MVP 06 NCAA Baseball, the first college baseball video game ever released. It included most Division I schools. A sequel, MVP 07: NCAA Baseball, was also released.
The rules of college baseball are similar to the Official Baseball Rules. Exceptions include the following:
Though a wood bat is legal in NCAA competition, players overwhelmingly prefer and use a metal bat. The metal bat was implemented into college baseball in 1975.[2] Use of a metal bat is somewhat controversial amongst baseball aficionados. Supporters of an aluminum or composite bat note how it can increase offensive performance, as the speed of a ball off a metal bat is generally faster than off a wood bat. Those against metal, and for wood, would argue how a metal bat is not safe to use, and that a metal bat doesn't prepare players for the next level, as pro baseball uses a wood bat exclusively. In the 2011 season the NCAA changed the requirements for a metal bat, reducing the maximum allowed exit speed in a way that is said to produce a feeling more like a wood bat.[3] As a result in 2011 there were fewer overall "long" drives or home runs than in the past.
A college player at a four year school is eligible for the draft after they are done with at least three years of school. They must either compete up to their junior year or be twenty one years of age to enter the First-Year Players Draft. A player is not able to enter the draft before this unless they attend a junior college, in which case, they are eligible to leave whenever they choose to do so. There are fifty rounds in the Rule IV Major League Draft for eligible college and high school players to be selected.[4] Despite MLB's draft being considerably longer than that of the NFL or NBA, only about 9.1% of all NCAA senior baseball players are drafted by an MLB team.[5]
One of the biggest controversies with the draft and these amateur athletes is the use of agents. There have been many cases of college athletes consulting or hiring an agent prematurely in direct violation of NCAA rules. The NCAA came up with the “no agent rule” as a result of this for what they say was to benefit their amateur athletes. This law stated that a college player is unable to hire an agent or even a lawyer in order to assist them in negotiating a contract with a professional team.[6] The rule states that “[a]n individual shall be ineligible for participation in an intercollegiate sport if he or she has agreed (orally or in writing) to be represented by an agent for the purpose of marketing his or her athletics ability or reputation in that sport”.[7] Representation of an agent is considered to be any direct contact with the professional team during the contract negotiations. This contact can be made many different ways, whether through direct conversation, via mail or through the telephone.[8] This rule is strongly enforced by the NCAA and has harsh consequences if broken.
The recruitment process is similar to that of the Major League Draft in that a high school athlete is taking the next step in his career. The NCAA places restrictions on the coaches that are trying to convince athletes to come play for them and attend their university. College Baseball programs are only allowed to offer a limited number of scholarships each year, so the process of earning a scholarship is quite competitive. Baseball is classified by the NCAA as an "equivalency" sport, meaning that limits on athletic financial aid are set to the equivalent of a fixed number of full scholarships. Division I schools are allowed the equivalent of 11.7 full scholarships;[9] Division II schools, only 9.0.[10] Schools generally choose to award multiple partial scholarships rather than exclusively full scholarships.[11] In Division I, the NCAA also limits the total number of players receiving baseball-related financial aid to 27,[9] and also requires that each of these players receive athletic aid equal to at least 25% of a full scholarship.[12]
Before September 1 of a potential college player’s 11th grade year, it is illegal for a college program to give any kind of recruiting materials to the prospect. A phone call is not even permitted to the prospect until July 1 of his 11th grade year.[13] Once the player is committed to the school of his choice, he must sign his letter of intent during one of several signing periods. The early signing period for a Division I baseball player is between November 8 and November 15; the late signing period dates for these players are April 11 to August 1.[13]
The substance policies for college baseball are very strict and set by the NCAA. There is a set list of the forbidden substances a college baseball player is allowed to put in their body, and there is a very strict punishment for those that defy it, whether it be intentional or unintentional. There is a very long list of these substances, including alcohol, marijuana, anabolic steroids, heroin to name a few of many. These substances fit into categories such as stimulants, anabolic steroids, diuretics, street drugs, hormones, anti-estrogens, and more.[14] Failure to pass scheduled or random drug tests can result in ineligibility.[15]
| Attendance | Schools | Ballpark and Location | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40,106 | Houston at San Diego State | Petco Park, San Diego, CA | March 11, 2004 [16] | |
| 36,056 | Louisiana Tech at Minnesota | Target Field, Minneapolis, MN | March 27, 2010 [17] | |
| 28,836 | Georgia Tech at Georgia | Turner Field, Atlanta, GA | May 11, 2004 [18] | |
| 27,673 | LSU at Tulane | Superdome, New Orleans, LA | April 22, 2002 |
| Rank | Attendance | Schools, Location | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14,991 | Florida at Mississippi State, Starkville | April 22, 1989 |
| 2 | 14,556 | LSU at Mississippi State, Starkville | April 16, 1988 |
| 3 | 13,761 | Arkansas at Mississippi State, Starkville | April 25, 1992 |
| 4 | 13,715 | Clemson at Mississippi State, Starkville | June 9, 2007 |
| 5 | 13,617 | Georgia at Mississippi State, Starkville | April 8, 2006 |
| 6 | 13,123 | Ole Miss at Mississippi State, Starkville | April 15, 2000 |
| 7 | 12,708 | Auburn at Mississippi State, Starkville | April 24, 1993 |
| 8 | 12,620 | Clemson at Mississippi State, Starkville | June 8, 2007 |
| 9 | 12,360 | Georgia at Mississippi State, Starkville | April 6, 2002 |
| 10 | 12,313 | Alabama at LSU, Baton Rouge | April 17, 2010 |
| 11 | 12,076 | Florida at LSU, Baton Rouge | March 18, 2011 |
| 12 | 11,763 | Auburn at Mississippi State, Starkville | April 12, 2003 |
| 13 | 11,588 | Centenary at LSU, Baton Rouge | February 19, 2010 |
| 14 | 11,496 | Florida State at Mississippi State, Starkville | May 27, 1990 |
| 15 | 11,332 | Alabama at | |
| 16 | 11,225 | Arkansas at LSU, Baton Rouge | March 19, 2010 |
| 17 | 11,220 | Pepperdine at LSU, Baton Rouge | March 6, 2010 |
| 18 | 11,201 | Florida at Mississippi State, Starkville | April 9, 2011 |
| 19 | 11,174 | Florida at Mississippi State, Starkville | April 13, 1991 |
| 20 | 11,157 | Kansas at LSU, Baton Rouge | March 12, 2010 |
| 21 | 11,127 | South Alabama at Mississippi State, Starkville | May 26, 2000 |
| 22 | 11,126 | Centenary at LSU, Baton Rouge | February 20, 2010 |
| 23 | 11,089 | Tennessee at Mississippi State, Starkville | April 17, 2010 |
| 24 | 11,074 | Kansas at LSU, Baton Rouge | March 14, 2010 |
| 25 | 11,014 | Arizona State at Arkansas, Fayetteville | April 8, 2009 |
The longest college baseball game was played between Texas and Boston College on May 30, 2009, during the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship regional tournament at Austin, Texas. Texas — which was designated the visiting team despite playing on its home field — won the game, 3-2, in 25 innings. The game lasted seven hours three minutes.[19][20]
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