Thayer Academy's Hugh Bassett '27 earned ISL Silver Slugger honors this spring. (Brian Kelly/NEBJ)
With the new five-year eligibility standard in college baseball, the path to D1 has become increasingly competitive.
Five graduating classes are vying for what used to be four years' worth of D1 roster spots, so D3 college baseball has become a launch pad for prospects with both D1 and pro baseball aspirations.
D3 schools in New England are getting high school prospects to commit earlier—even before their senior season. There is no athletic scholarship money at the D3 level, and the early admission process doesn't start until the fall. Still, D3 coaches are asking for and receiving commitments of rising seniors.
Here's a look at 13 New England prospects who committed to D3 programs and two more who committed to D2 programs.
