Skip to main content

48 replies

JUCO Success Stories

ClevelandDadClevelandDadHSBBWeb Administrator
This thread is designed to encourage people who might have a negative view of the JUCO experience. I am looking for actual names here if possible. The requirements for posting in this thread are list people you know started at a juco and transferred to a four year program where they furthered their baseball careers and if applicable, developed into a pro player.

I'll start the list:

Aaron Rodgers - juco, quarterback CAL, quarterback Green Bay

fanofgame's son - 1 year at JUCO and now at USC.

Please add to my list...
Last edited {1}
Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

TPMTPMHSBaseballweb Member since 2003
Son's teammates from Clemson, both started at FL JUCO now in pro ball, Alan Farina and Marquez Smith.

Kevin O'Sullivan, head coach of University of Florida, began at Florida Community College, then transfered to UVA.

I could list a whole bunch more, but those above would be more applicable who some can relate too.

Smile
fanofgamefanofgame5,000+ posts
Dean Espy JC to UCLA after one year: He will be drafted

Max Gordon:Sierra JC : now at OSU

Sam Montgomery: Sierra: JC Now at OSU

Matt Hart: So Cal JC: Now at USC

Michael Garber:Sierra JC now at Univ.of Washington

Brain Stamps Sac city JC: now at OSU

Sean Johnson: Sac city JC now at Orel Roberts

Floyd Given Sac city C: now senior at Pepperdine

Jessie Garcia Sierra JC: UNLV

Daniel Blac: Feather River college: Sooners (OKL) trip to omaha, drafted

I could go on for ever.

Dont know how many will go to pro ball.But Pro all shouldnt be the marker for this website.Just playing at the college level is a HUGE accomplishment.

Also I am so confused why JC is not an option for so many. JC.Player has to be very motivated in theclassroom at JC, as that is biggest reason for failure.
Last edited by fanofgame
R rabe62100+ posts
NCTC in gainesville tx. produced many standouts these past few years: mark cohoon,jose duran,j.r. towles,michael gunter,collin auten,zac stewart,brian holaday,mitch abeita are some that went on to major 4 year schools and or were drafted. jose duran was the big 12 MVP 2008 playing SS for texas a&m.there were many more from this tough texas conference to go on and play major college ball.
Last edited by rabe62
P 4pApA100+ posts
Thank you for this post. We are having this same discussion in our house this weekend. Our son is a HS Jr with some interest from 4 year colleges and for various reasons, the JUCO route seems better suited for him. But issue is overcoming the "D1 or bust" mentality.

Our perception is the JUCO recruiting is more geared towards Srs. Is that an accurate assumption?

Thanks again....Just what we needed to read and share with him
TPMTPMHSBaseballweb Member since 2003
Yes, it is geared more towards seniors, but you can show interest in a program at this time, it won't hurt.

Also keep in mind that he can commit to any program and go to JUCO after HS. You can't do that when you commit to a 4 year program governed by the NCAA.

Overcoming the D1 or bust mentality can be difficult if your mind is closed to other options, for whatever reason. There are reasons why JUCO becomes a good option, IMO most important is that it is the bridge that joins the player to a 4 year program either a year or two out of HS without having them make a decision they are unsure of, or just maturing either mentally and physically, or adjusting to college.
TH TX HustleMember
Well I have to give some love to San Jacinto JUCO here in Houston. I grew up about a block from this campus.

We have Andy Pettitte, Roger Clemons and numerous other guys that have played there that got drafted.

My son takes lesson from a guy that played at San jac and he won a championship with them and then went to Rice and won a championship in 2003 Justin Ruchti.
playfairplayfair500+ posts
Not a total success story yet but this is a happy junior college player today...

From Perfect Game -

19. YAVAPAI / Arizona (42-20 in 2010)

The Roughriders boast the best prospect in the Arizona JC ranks in Arizona-bound sophomore RHP Kenny Giles, whose fastball touched 98 mph in the fall, but he may be hard pressed to be one of the more effective pitchers on the Yavapai staff unless he addresses lingering command issues. Two four-year transfers, RHPs Andrew Walter (San Diego) and Zak Miller (New Mexico), and Utah-bound RHP Tony Vocca (1-0, 2.55), should occupy the first three spots in the rotation, while Virginia-bound C Nolan Clark will hit in the cleanup spot and be a stalwart defensively, and Southern California-bound 2B Albert Alvarez will provide speed at the top of the order.



Great Link and pic of Nolan: http://prescottaz.com/main.asp...1125&ArticleID=90337
TPMTPMHSBaseballweb Member since 2003
quote:
Originally posted by robbetaylor:
Hey HSBBWeb Old Timer, Since you're here, please clarify for me the new transfer rule. Does it apply to D3, D2, and D1 only, or is NAIA affected also? In other words, can you start at an NAIA and then transfer without penalty or does the rule just apply to NCAA schools?


I am not really sure if that applies to NAIA, anyone know?

Great stuff here.

Can you imagine hits 98 mph and doesn't play for a D1? Eek
Last edited by TPM
F 3FingeredGlove1,000+ posts
The general rule for transferring to a D1 is that the player must serve a year in residence before being eligible to compete if:
He transfers from any 4 year institution. NCAA, NAIA, or no affiliation at all. Any 4 year school that engaged in intercollegiate baseball competition, including club teams, while the player was there.

There are a few exceptions, but those are not related to the affliation of the school.
Last edited by 3FingeredGlove
N NRPMom100+ posts
My sons JUCO team's starting line up had one go pro, one to Arkansas, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, Texas A & M, Texas Tech, 2 to Oklahoma, one who needed to finish a year and another who went home to his family. My son considers those teammates to be some of his closest friends and wouldn't trade his experience there for anything.
BOFBOF10,000+ posts
http://www.vcstar.com/news/201...b/06/Localsuperbowl/

This guy was not a JC kid but a walk on that has done ok for himself.

Clay Mathews III.

"Part of the charm of recruiting is no matter how much homework you do and how many eyeballs you put on kids, you don't know the future and you don't have crystal balls," said Allen Wallace, the national recruiting editor for Scout.com and longtime publisher of SuperPrep magazine. "Guys can be five-star and four-star prospects and in a couple years be out of the game. Other guys can be overlooked and break out in college and surprise everyone."

Agoura High head coach Charlie Wegher went digging through his old files earlier this week to see how Matthews stacked up as a freshman.

He arrived at Agoura standing 5-foot-5 and

weighing only 133 pounds with a short crew cut.

It's in stark contrast to the chiseled 6-3, 255-pound specimen with long, flowing hair Wegher watches terrorizing quarterbacks every Sunday on television.
P Prime91,000+ posts
As everyone knows, many MLB hopefuls go the JUCO route so they remain draft elgible and really have no desire to transfer.

Nick Markakis; Young Harris JUCO, was sought after by 29 MLB teams as a left-handed pitcher. Only Baltimore was willing to Draft him as a position player, hitter. Just signed for $60mil last year and not playing a bad right field.
S smalltownmom100+ posts
CD,
This is a great idea. However, I am under the impression that there might be some who have negative ideas about the ACADEMIC JUCO experience that might be keeping them away. There are a number of successful individuals who began their education at JUCOs and gone on to tremendous professional careers.

Among them:

Jim Wright- former US Congressman and Speaker of the House Weatherford College (JUCO) transferred to UT at Austin

Jim Leher- news anchor- Victoria College (JUCO) transferred to University of Missouri College of Journalism

George Lucas transferred from a JUCO to USC School of Cinematic Arts

Billy Crystal - Nassaus Community College to NYU

And finally- Nolan Archibald, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Black and Decker. He was once the youngest CEO of a Fortune 500. He graduated from Dixie Junior College and transferred to Webster State University where he was All Conference and Academic All American in basketball. From there he transferred to Harvard University where he received his MBA in 1070.

JUCOs provide great athletic and academic opportunities!
TPMTPMHSBaseballweb Member since 2003
quote:
Originally posted by Prime9:
As everyone knows, many MLB hopefuls go the JUCO route so they remain draft elgible and really have no desire to transfer.


MLB hopefuls or true MLB prospects? True prospects either commit to 4 year programs or go pro.

Things have changed alot since they did away with draft and follow.
Last edited by TPM
floridafanfloridafan5,000+ posts
If you are a player who for one reason or another was not picked up out of HS through the draft, it may still be a good decision to go the JUCO route. Instead of waiting behind a returning Junior or Senior, a Freshman at a quality JUCO has a decent opportunity to start and stand out right away. As a position player and hitter the more reps a player gets the better he is prepared for each subsequent level.

Pitching may be different, more emphisis on technique and mechanics and developing pitches. A lot of work can be done in a bull pen to prepare a pitcher for a career. A hitter and position player I believe require the live action to further their development.
playfairplayfair500+ posts
quote:
True prospects either commit to 4 year programs or go pro.


Emphasis on commit.

Because it is very split on the prospects who dont sign whether they go 4 year (Cole,Covey) or go JC (so many names I dont even know where to start!)

I think the most compelling reason to go the JC route is that there is a reward for moving forward through the system (2 year, 4 year)but there is a penalty for moving backward through the system (4-2-4).
TPMTPMHSBaseballweb Member since 2003
I am sorry I meant attend and in true prospects I actually meant top. Smile

Remember lots of success stories come from the years of draft and follow, JUCO isn't used for that purpose anymore. If you are drafted out of HS, you either sign or head off to a 4 year program, if the only intention is to play pro ball why wait it out another year. If a hopeful is not drafted out of HS, I can't see it happening a year later. What is the player hoping will happen? Maybe I misunderstood.

I do agree that the most compelling reason is the reward to move through the system, not wait to be drafted only one year out of HS.
Last edited by TPM
floridafanfloridafan5,000+ posts
You know...2008 was a tough year to be a HS baseball player looking for a home at the next level. Roster sizes were significantly reduced, mimimum scholarships were dramatically increased and baseball programs were scrambling trying to adjust to these dramatic changes. Meanwhile Draft and Follow rules were changed following the 2007 draft. It seemed like all the rules changed at once.

One reason my son chose to go JUCO (he did have 4 year schools offering nice scholarships) was that he was injured and missed his entire senior year. He had been to a few MLB workouts where he hit well...but he was passed over after missing the season due to a leg/knee area injury.

He believed that if he showed the scouts that he had recovered they would draft him the following year. For whatever reason that has not happened yet, and may never happen.

But 2008 was a tough year for collegite baseball recruiting, for the majority of players seeking the next level.
Last edited by floridafan
TPMTPMHSBaseballweb Member since 2003
Lots of 4 year guys leaving and heading to JUCO for more draft opportunity (even those in top 4 year programs) and getting exposure rather than sitting on the bench for a year. So that is why I feel if not drafted out of HS it is going to be tough the next year, you now have those guys to compete with.

That's why I just think it shouldn't be thought of as an alternative to the draft, but rather a stepping stone to the better programs you are unable to get to out of HS, whether that be because of injury, to improve grades, or to become better conditioned.

Your son illustrates a perfect example.
ClevelandDadClevelandDadHSBBWeb Administrator
quote:
Originally posted by smalltownmom:
CD,
This is a great idea. However, I am under the impression that there might be some who have negative ideas about the ACADEMIC JUCO experience that might be keeping them away. There are a number of successful individuals who began their education at JUCOs and gone on to tremendous professional careers.

Among them:

Jim Wright- former US Congressman and Speaker of the House Weatherford College (JUCO) transferred to UT at Austin

Jim Leher- news anchor- Victoria College (JUCO) transferred to University of Missouri College of Journalism

George Lucas transferred from a JUCO to USC School of Cinematic Arts

Billy Crystal - Nassaus Community College to NYU

And finally- Nolan Archibald, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Black and Decker. He was once the youngest CEO of a Fortune 500. He graduated from Dixie Junior College and transferred to Webster State University where he was All Conference and Academic All American in basketball. From there he transferred to Harvard University where he received his MBA in 1070.

JUCOs provide great athletic and academic opportunities!

Thank you smalltownmom. You can add my name to the list. I have an electrical engineering degree and a law degree and it was all made possible by JUCO.

There are so many snobs out there. IMHO, many of the best teachers in the world are teaching at JUCO's. They aren't doing it for the money but simply because they love to teach. I've sat in physcis clases at the University with over 200 students and they were hard to take. I've had similar physics classes at the JUCO level and with less than 30 students in the class, you could ask any question that needed to be asked and it would be answered with passion. All this for 1/3 the cost. I would advise all students to consider JUCO's in these tough economic times. You get a quality education at low cost where you take the basic classes like all other freshmen and sophmores in the country and then you transfer to practically any college in America where that is what it will state on your degree.
Next

Add Reply

Post

Membership Required

We're sorry. You must be signed in to continue. Sign In or Register
×
Are you sure you want to remove from your Block List?
×
Loading...
×
When you block a person, they can no longer invite you to a private message or post to your profile wall. Replies and comments they make will be collapsed/hidden by default. Finally, you'll never receive email notifications about content they create or likes they designate for your content.
Note: if you proceed, you will no longer be following .
×
Advanced Search
Advanced Search
Link copied to your clipboard.
×