You can reach the pros without going to Arizona, Arizona State
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PHOENIX — When assessing the Major League Baseball talent pool that originates from Arizona, two colleges tend to come to mind: Arizona State University and the University of Arizona. The rival schools have sent nearly 800 players to the professional level throughout the history of their storied programs.
From a lesser perspective, some of the country’s most talented baseball players have discovered their own path to the major league level.
The junior college route.
Across the United States, junior colleges are providing major league hopefuls with a less traditional, yet highly regarded path to the big leagues. Home to a hotbed of athletic talent and optimal weather year-round, JUCO baseball programs in Arizona have created their own measure of prominence.
“If it weren’t for Coach Dangler and Yavapai, there’s no chance I’d have made it to the big leagues,” six-time All-Star pitcher Curt Schilling said in a text message about former Roughriders coach Dave Dangler.
Central Arizona College coach Anthony Gilich calls Arizona “an all-around mecca for baseball.”
Gilich knows. He leads a program with a proud tradition of success. Between players who have committed to Central Arizona and those who played for the team this past season, the Vaqueros had six players selected in this year’s MLB draft.
A member of the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference (ACCAC), the Coolidge school competes against 13 others in one of the more revered JUCO conferences in the nation. Eleven of the 14 teams finished this past season with a .500 record or better and three of the schools — Central Arizona, Mesa Community College, and Yavapai College — have combined to win 10 national championships.
Although comparing the talent level of a JUCO program to one at the Division I level is much like comparing apples to oranges, the history of the ACCAC is certainly not short of draft picks.
Central Arizona, Mesa, and Yavapai have combined to send over 400 players through the draft. Of those players, 55 have gone on to major league careers. Renowned names include Schilling, Mike Devereaux (Mesa CC), Ian Kinsler (CAC), Rich Harden (CAC) and Kole Calhoun (Yavapai).
When choosing to attend a junior college program, players weigh a number of reasons when making their final decision. One of them appears to be more obvious than others.
“A lot of times, good players and good students will turn the opportunity at the four-year level down to come to junior college because they want to continue to be draft eligible every single year,” Gilich said. “That door is open in baseball much more than other sports and that’s one of the leading reasons why players end up pursuing junior college.”
At four-year schools, the MLB rule outlines that players can not be made draft eligible until they’ve completed their junior year or are at least 21-years-old.
This allows for a quicker and often more effective route to professional baseball for players at the JUCO level. Not to mention, it also allows players the opportunity to see immediate playing time whereas those at a four-year school may be forced to beat out a 22-year-old fifth-year senior as a freshman or sophomore.
“They’re competing against guys their own age,” Gilich said. “It makes it a little easier to get on the field and contribute right away.”