College Development Part 1

What to Expect

College Years

It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint
College baseball will humble you. It’s easy to show up thinking you’re going to be the guy, especially if you were dominant in high school. But what you quickly realize is that everyone was “the guy” in high school. Now, you’re surrounded by players just as good—if not better—and they’re all fighting for the same limited opportunities. This is where your mentality shifts. You stop thinking in short bursts of success and start playing the long game. You’ll hit walls—mentally, physically, emotionally. That’s part of the process. The trick is to show up every day regardless. Don’t let the highs make you complacent, and don’t let the lows make you doubt yourself. If you can be consistent, take care of your body, and keep your head in the right space, you’ll be amazed at where you are in two or three years. But if you expect it all to come fast and easy, you’re in for a tough wake-up call.

What to Expect
The jump in level is real. The game moves faster, the players are stronger, and the environment is more intense. No one is going to hold your hand. You’re expected to be prepared, take care of your responsibilities, and show up ready to compete every day. There will be stretches where you feel buried on the depth chart, where your name isn’t getting called, or where you’re not performing the way you want. You need to understand that this is normal. The college experience is meant to push you. It’s going to test your discipline, challenge your identity, and make you question how bad you really want it. But if you lean into those challenges instead of running from them, you’ll come out the other side sharper and stronger.

John