How Fast Do College Pitchers Pitch On Average Per Division (2024)

by Editorial team August 30, 2021

Growing up as a baseball player, you have one goal in mind. How do I continue my baseball career past high school? How can I play baseball in college? The major leagues? These questions often fill the minds of young players competing to be the best on the field. Children across the country are watching college baseball and professional baseball players and asking themselves, how can that be me?

If you are or your child is asking these questions, Ryan Weis Baseball can help! Our programs will assist you in developing the necessary skills and knowledge of the game to catapult you towards your dreams of continuing your baseball career. Whether your goal is to throw faster or play for a Major League Baseball team, the Ryan Weiss throwing program will set you up for success.

For pitchers, it's about how fast and accurately you can throw. Whether it is junior varsity versus varsity or DI versus DIII, the speed of your pitch matters. This speed not only will get you to your next step but will also determine which level of college baseball you will perform at.

College players across each division pitch at different speeds. While the ranges seem close in number, the work it takes to reach that next level is more than it may seem. Prior to playing college baseball or if you are just a fan, the lines can be blurred and it can be hard to understand what skills and speeds you need to play college baseball at any level.

Are you curious how fast you need to throw to play on your favorite team? Well, keep reading for a breakdown of how fast, on average, college pitchers pitch by division. These pitching speeds are an average developed from what college baseball recruiters are looking for when scouting new pitchers whether they are coming out of high school or a lower division.

So, you are looking to get recruited to play college baseball? Here are the pitching speeds college baseball scouts are looking for in a pitcher.

Division I

For most college players, Division I baseball is where they hope to land. Division I baseball, for many, seems like the big stage. It is the place where young boys hope to land and players hope to be. Competing at the Division I level puts you up against some of the greatest players in the nation and beyond. Division I baseball brings in media attention and more resources, however, it is a bigger commitment than playing for a Division II, Division III, or junior college team.

So, what are your chances of playing Division I baseball? Well, there are 299 NCAA Division I baseball teams across the United States. These teams often offer partial scholarships. While there is 299 Division I teams, only 64 get the opportunity to compete at the College World Series.

Within each division, the teams are also broken up into conferences. This is where you see the South Eastern Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference, Big 10, and more. For each of these conferences, the recruiting requirements for pitchers can differ from team to team depending on their specific needs and where that team falls against its direct competitors. While this is the case, typically these teams do stay within the average range for Division I pitchers.

Division I college baseball scouts look for a few things when scouting pitchers. These may include but are not limited to a pitcher’s pitch velocity, ERA, and how many batters they walk per inning. To break it down more specifically, Division I recruiters look for pitchers who:

1. Have a pitching velocity of 84 miles per hour to 95+ miles per hour
2. Have an ERA below 2.00
3. Walk no more than 1 batter per 2 innings pitched

The average fastball velocity in Division I baseball is between 87 and 95 miles per hour.

Division II

Following Division I, we have Division II baseball. As of today, there are about 274 NCAA Division II baseball teams. While there are fewer Division II teams than Division I, there is less opportunity for scholarships. With a maximum of 9 scholarships allotted to give, Division II teams do not have the means to fully cover every player’s tuition.

Along with Division I, Division II teams have the opportunity to compete in championship games as well. There is a Division II College World Series which is set up similarly to the NCAA Division I College World Series.

Division II pitchers often have a throwing velocity of 82 miles per hour to 90+ miles per hour. With only a few miles per hour standing in between a Division I and a Division II player, it is evident that with hard work and proper training, you can work your way up to the next level.

Along with pitching velocity, Division II colleges look for an ERA that is below 3.00 and pitchers that do not walk more than 1 batter per 2 innings pitched.

Division III

Division III programs offer both athletic rigor and academic rigor. For athletes looking to focus and thrive in both of these areas, a Division III team may be the place for them. While Division III baseball may not seem as glamorous as playing for a Division I team, a player can still grow their fundamental skills tremendously and potentially work their way up to play for a Division I team.

There are 389 NCAA Division III college baseball teams across the country. With this many teams, the opportunities are endless for high school players looking to play for a team in college. However, there are not many athletic scholarship opportunities for these players. Instead, they often receive financial aid or academic scholarships to make up for that. Division III colleges also provide a smaller, more hands-on environment for their students making it easier to be better acquainted with the university’s staff and your peers.

Along with both Division I and Division II teams, Division III baseball teams have the opportunity to work to play in the Division III baseball championship. Division III players have a pitching velocity of 77 miles per hour to 82 miles per hour on average. Along with this, coaches often look for Division III players to have a strikeout to walk ratio of 1:1 and an ERA ranging from 2.50 to 3.50.

Junior College

There seems to be a sense of confusion surrounding junior colleges and how their programs work. Junior colleges are two-year schools that many athletes utilize to eventually transfer to a 4-year institution. Junior colleges are also broken up by division. There are 189 Division I baseball teams, 129 Division II teams, and 98 Division III teams. All 189 Division I junior college teams can offer 24 full-ride scholarships, the Division II teams can offer 24 tuition scholarships and lastly, Division III junior colleges cannot award any athletic scholarships.

Along with 4-year institutions, junior college baseball teams have the opportunity to compete amongst their divisions for a national championship. This tournament is called the Alpine Bank JUCO World Series.

On average, for junior college players, the standard pitch velocity is consistently 80 miles per hour. When recruiting players for junior colleges, coaches typically look for pitchers who have an ERA below 4.00.

Final Thoughts

With thousands of athletes competing across the NCAA, baseball has provided not only an athletic outlet but also a chance to further these athletes' education. Whether your goal is to play college ball or if you are just curious, the world of college baseball is intriguing and one that can be confusing if not broken down. While the stats for each division change as you go higher or lower, the drive, enthusiasm, and hard work within the players are the same. Baseball is an outlet to so many men across the country allowing them to live their dreams while obtaining an education from a collegiate institution.

So, how is this relevant? Why should I choose Ryan Weis Baseball?

You should choose Ryan Weiss Baseball because it is your one-stop shop to gain the necessary skills to achieve these goals and increase your overall pitch velocity. Not only can Ryan Weiss provide you with the proper workouts and drills to reach these goals, but he has also proven that they can work. In just one year, Ryan Weiss went from averaging 91.4 miles per hour to 95.4 miles per hour. He did this by:

1. Improved hip shoulder separation
2. Increased mobility
3. Being explosive during workouts
4. Following his throwing manual methodically

Be sure to check out Ryan Weiss'scoaching programand his othertraining programsto elevate your game.