D3 is the lowest ranking division within the NCAA structure. Having said that, these schools still provide excellent opportunities for players to continue their baseball careers at the collegiate level. If a player hasn’t made any progress pursuing D1 or D2 baseball programs, it might be time to consider exploring the division 3 baseball schools.

A lot of prospective student-athletes brush these schools off due to concerns about the level of play. For the most part, the competition across the division is pretty solid and provides for a satisfactory experience as a student-athlete. Every division has its low performers, and Division 3 is no different. While these institutions are commonly known for their academics, many are still able to field a very competitive baseball team year in and year out.

Division 3 also contains the largest number of baseball schools within the NCAA, coming in just shy of 400. As a result, it provides the largest number of open freshman roster spots on a yearly basis. Players may have to change their recruiting tactics at this level though. D3 athletic programs generally have smaller budgets to work with. Instead of getting recruited and having coaches reach out, a player will have to be proactive with contacting D3 programs. Through these interactions, we’ve seen players have a lot of success. D3 programs are also not able to provide athletic related baseball scholarships, but often make it up through their academic aid offers.

From a geographic standpoint, D3 baseball schools are primarily concentrated on the east coast, half of which are located specifically in the northeast. The western portion of the US contains very few D3 programs, so a player might also want to expand their search to NAIA programs.

From an overall student-athlete experience, D3 baseball players typically have more time and freedom to explore other activities outside of their sport. Other divisions tend to have a more rigorous schedule, which can hinder a player’s ability to experience the typical life of a college student.

A player’s chances of getting drafted out of a Division 3 program are pretty slim. In the 2019 draft, out of 1,217 total picks, only 10 were from Division 3 institutions. To provide a frame of reference, D1 schools were 686 of those picks, and 95 were from the Division 2 level. If you plan on attending a Division 3 baseball school with the end goal of getting drafted, just know that it can happen, but it’ll be a long shot.