PABaseball posted:3and2Fastball posted:RJM posted:I must be missing something. Three years to play two doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. After three years the player is draft eligible and doesn’t need to go on to a four year. The better four year programs are looking for JuCo players who will fill a hole for a year before heading off in the draft. Plus, if a kid is really a pro prospect wouldn’t he typically not need a red shirt JuCo year.
It doesn't make much sense to me, either, but it is happening and the kid doesn't have much say in the matter, from what I understand. If you sign for 2 years there isn't an opportunity to transfer unless the school grants you a release...
There are 300 D1's... So while any D1 player might have in their back of their mind that they'd love to go pro, there are all sorts of reasons to start out in JUCO first, first & foremost having the 1st 2 years of school at either very low cost or no cost.... There are several mid major D1 schools where a majority of their roster is former JUCO guys (just off the top of my head, SEMO, Chicago State, & Hawaii come to mind).
Not every college Baseball prospect is academically inclined. Some are utilizing JUCO's to get half their education paid for, or at low cost while continuing to play ball.
From what I'm hearing, times are changing so quickly & JUCO's are becoming so oversaturated with talent that it is better to walk on at a D1 and take your chances there as opposed to being one of 75 kids at a JUCO...
As always, you gotta do your homework. There are some JUCO's that do not over recruit.
You don't need a release, the NCAA and NAIA are completely different overning bodies. You also aren't signing for 2 years, you can leave after 1 and in regards to the top set of jucos in Tx, FL, Ca, NV - they have enough talent coming in each year to the point where they almost need guys to transfer out ASAP.
Leaving a JuCo for an NCAA program after one year only applies to student-athletes who were NCAA eligible coming out of high school.