Freshman to senior year

Baseball recruiting timeline & contact rules

A plain-English summary, organized by grade so it works for any graduating class. Rules last checked Oct 17, 2026. Rules change, so confirm details on the linked sources and with each school's compliance office.

You can reach out anytime

These limits are on coaches contacting you, not on you contacting them. At any grade you can email coaches, send video, fill out questionnaires and go to camps.

When coaches can contact you, by division

  • D1: coaches may call, take your calls, and send recruiting materials and electronic messages starting August 1 before junior year. Off-campus, in-person contact may begin September 1 of junior year. In-person recruiting must also fit the NCAA's yearly D1 baseball recruiting calendar.
  • D2: recruiting materials may be sent anytime. In-person, off-campus contact can begin June 15 after sophomore year.
  • D3: coaches may call, write and message you anytime. Off-campus, in-person contact is allowed once you've completed sophomore year, and official visits can begin January 1 of junior year.
  • NAIA: no grade-based limits on when coaches can contact you or when you can visit. Register with the NAIA Eligibility Center.
  • JUCO (NJCAA): no recruiting calendar. A school-paid visit requires you to have finished junior year.

D1 roster limits

Since July 1, 2025, D1 schools in the House settlement have a 34-player baseball roster limit in place of the old 11.7-scholarship cap (Bylaw 17.2). Keep D2, D3, NAIA and JUCO on your list too. Find programs at every level in the free directory.

Baseball Recruiting Playbook · $29.99

What's inside the playbook

Knowing the rules is step one. The playbook turns them into a grade-by-grade plan.

  • A year-by-year action plan, freshman through senior, with checklists for each grade
  • NCAA dates cited to the bylaw, with D2, D3, NAIA and JUCO dates clearly labeled
  • A 30-day quick start: four weeks of checklists to get your first emails out
  • A target list builder with a Reach/Target/Likely system
  • Camp and showcase strategy: how to choose, and what to do before, during and after
  • Questions to ask college coaches, plus the Excel recruiting tracker

20% of every purchase goes back to your high school's athletic program.

See the Playbook – $29.99

Sources (checked Oct 17, 2026)