Baseball is a unique sport when it comes to scholarships. Each Division I baseball program gets 11.7 full scholarships to disperse among their 40-man roster. As you can probably see with that figure, there will be players on partial scholarships and there will be walk-ons. Coaches want to get the best players on campus and have to manage the money available in order to do so. In this article, I will provide you with some insight into the world of baseball scholarships.

How many players receive a scholarship?

The average baseball program will have about 60% of its athletes on scholarship. The other 40% are walk-on guys or guys with academic money. Of the 60% who are on scholarships, a vast majority are on partial scholarships. The average program might have one guy on a full ride. Other than that, everyone else is either on a partial scholarship or has no money at all. This is important to keep in mind when fielding offers from colleges.

Is my scholarship automatically renewed?

No! Your scholarship is not automatically renewed after your season. Coaches have the option to cancel your scholarship or renew it for the next academic year. This is true even if you are committed to a four-year college. Just because you go to a four-year college it does not mean your scholarship is secured for four years. On the flip side, if you are a walk-on, you have the chance to receive a scholarship if you perform well during the season. Financial incentives via scholarships are definitely a big part of college baseball.

Differences in the student-athlete experience 

There really is no major difference in the student-athlete experience between non-scholarship and scholarship athletes. Coaches will play the players who are going to help them win. It is that simple. All athletes are fed, housed, and trained the same way, regardless of the money involved.