❚ State’s high school baseball seniors may face logjam for college spots,
Carson Tucker, like his older brother Cole, could find himself a first-round pick in a Major League Baseball draft that could be reduced to five rounds this summer.
Or he could find himself battling for a starting job on a University of Texas baseball team that next season could be among the nation’s stacked Division I college teams. Grand Canyon University senior pitcher Kade Mechals believes there will be “a lot of all-star teams.”
If the NCAA decides to allow all Division I spring athletes to return next season to repeat this lost season because of the coronavirus pandemic, the current high school seniors will suddenly find themselves in spots they didn’t think they’d be in last November when they signed their National Letters of Intent.
By Monday, the NCAA could decide to either let all spring athletes repeat this season next year or just seniors.
Juniors are likely to return to college, as well, if they’re not among the draft picks should MLB reduce that to five rounds, instead of the usual 40.
“Honestly, the plan is Texas right now,” said Tucker, the Phoenix Mountain Pointe senior shortstop who has been working out with his brother Cole, a shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates, at home as sports has been put on hold during this health crisis.
“At Texas, I feel like the coaches will give everyone an equal opportunity,” he said. “I’m going to be battling for a spot.”
This is not only a time of uncertainty for high school seniors but for college seniors, like Mechals, a preseason AllAmerican, who returned to school this year instead of signing with the Miami Marlins after being chosen in the 40th round of the MLB draft. He wanted to help GCU become reach the NCAA Division I tournament for the first time.
Now, he says, “anything is up in the air,” on what he’ll do.
“It’s kind of a crazy time right now,” the 5-foot-11 right-hander said. “I still need to think it over. I can’t control what’s going on. I have to roll with the punches. That doesn’t make me mad. I’m disappointed the season ended so fast.”
GCU was just going to start WAC play when the season was pulled. Mechals, the Antelopes’ ace, was 1-1 with a 2.35 ERA, after last season tying the nation’s lead with 11 wins and posting a 2.16 ERA, the best in the program’s DI history. He helped GCU get within a game or reaching the national tournament.
“I think next year is going to be extremely competitive,” Mechals said. “I don’t know how they’re going to do scholarships. A lot of guys will be fighting for spots. It’s just going to be a reload. There will be a lot of all-star teams if people don’t leave for the draft.”
GCU coach Andy Stankiewicz said in Division I he can have 35 players during the season with 28 of those traveling for a weekend WAC series. In Division II and III, there aren’t roster limitations. Stankiewicz had three seniors on this year’s team. Two of those are pitchers.
Redshirt players count among the 35 roster spots. Stankiewicz tries to use redshirts for players who get injured and need that year to recover.
“You’re always projecting this guy leaves and this guy comes back on this money,” Stankiewicz said. “It can get dicey. If you allow everyone to come back, are we responsible for another year? A four-year scholarship now is on five. I don’t have five years of money available. It’s tricky.”
Stankiewicz, who signed 12 players in the fall from the 2020 class, believes the NCAA will have to expand Division I baseball rosters to at least 40.
Chandler Basha third baseman Ryland Zaborowski was among seven Arizona players who signed in November with the Lopes.
“It’s crazy,” said the 6-foot-6, 225pound Zaborowski, who compete in the Area Code Games last August. “This has never happened before in the history of the NCAA and Major League Baseball. The thing is, I can’t let it get to me. I just have to stay the same, go out and give 100% effort and earn a team roster. My mindset has to be to stay the same, like I would if this whole pandemic thing wasn’t happening.”
Four-year Chandler Hamilton starting outfielder Michael Brueser, who signed with Arizona State, says it’s going to be tough next year.
“Some guys are going to have to make the decision of going to their school that they’re committed to and run the risk of being cut because of larger rosters or switching schools before,” Brueser said.
Hamilton coach Mike Woods said it could be a mess.
“It will cause a ripple affect or logjam with the rosters,” Woods said. “If affects 2020 kids who signed letters of intent based on those seniors leaving, not to mention JUCO guys being affected.”
Glendale Mountain Ridge senior outfielder/pitcher Kyler Stancato, who is signed with Washington State, knows he could be in a situation in Pullman where he’s just hoping to make the team.
“I do feel for the college seniors, though, because they could have played their last game,” said Stancato, among 12 Mountain Ridge seniors off to a great start only to have their season put on hold and possibly ended by the virus outbreak. “It will be interesting to see what happens.”
Hamilton catcher Tyler Wilson said he didn’t have a comment on his situation, but, for the current college seniors, he said, “I’m happy for them that they get another shot at it.”
Community colleges also could find themselves with larger rosters with players battling for playing time next spring.
“We have not made any decisions on our returning roster but we anticipate keeping all of our players who are eligible to return,” Chandler-Gilbert Community College baseball coach Russ Luce said. “We are also planning on having all of the high school players who have committed to our school. We do know that the roster size will be larger than it normally has been and our staff is meeting on a weekly basis via phone to discuss what is next for us.”
Mechals has no regrets he decided to come back for his senior season at Grand Canyon.
“I came back because I wanted to get through to the program’s first regional,” he said.
“I tried my hardest. I’m not worried about the draft. My body of work is most important to me. I’m not the biggest guy out there. I don’t throw super hard. I just tried to duplicate what I did last year.”