Lots of scheduling info came out yesterday so I guess it is time to start looking forward to the 2021 Baseball Season.
Mike Hill was on ESPN 730 yesterday and said that C-USA will go from 30 Conference games in baseball to 24 in 2021. Reducing the C-USA weekends from 10 to 8. 2021 will be Divisional play similar to football as we will play all of the teams in the Eastern Division plus a few crossover games vs the West. Right now the East has 7 members that play baseball and the West has 5.
That opens up a few weekends to play regional opponents on the weekends. Coach Woodard tweeted out that we would fill those 2 weekends by hosting both UNCW and College of Charleston.
We will also be hosting Missouri out of the SEC at the Hayes on weekend and will be making a return trip to ECU in 2021 for a series.
Mid-week (possibly at BB&T) hosting Tennessee as part of the H&H from last year.
With the MLB Draft starting tomorrow, something for us to watch is if Gino Groover gets drafted in the 5 Round draft or not. He’s ranked 188th best prospect according to MLB. He could be a very special player for us if he makes it to campus.
Thanks Mr. B for the info. What kind of money do you think a 5th rounder could command this year? Enough to entice him to go pro instead of coming here?
Looks like 5th Rounders Bonus $$ ranges from $427,000 to $324,000 this year.
Should be interesting to see how all this plays out with the high probability that MLB does not have a season. I’ve seen rumors that one team is considering “punting” the draft this year. They will just draft players knowing that they will not sign them and come back next year with compensatory picks.
You may be referring to MLB’s Continuing Education Program (CEP). A link to its current structure is provided below.
When offered to a player, it’s written into the professional contract he signs. Since the signing of the contract immediately disqualifies the player from playing Division I baseball after that point, you wouldn’t see any CEP recipients playing DI baseball.
In front offices, the CEP is generally considered a “throw away” item because the percentage of its recipients who eventually draw upon it is relatively small.
1). Does this mean the player has to attend Northeastern? Or are they just preferred?
2). Is there a limit? Can a kid leave Duke and get 60000.00 a year to finish?
3.) I’m assuming that this is available to high school kids who haven’t started school yet if negotiated, correct?
If a kid is on a partial scholarship, but leaves school after his junior year to go pro, will the MLB team pay his entire tuition(a full scholarship) if he doesn’t make it as a pro and comes back to school?
5). Can a kid play two years at a school (say Charlotte), gets drafted, negotiated the CEP and get injured. Could the kid transfer to a more expensive school (say Duke) and would MLB cover the expenses?
So this season, it seems that after the five round mlb draft, eligible players can sign for just a 20,000 bonus.
It seems to me that is a mlb will pay for your college if you don’t make it, (for Charlotte, let’s assume 80000 total), and with Charlotte only able to give 11.7 scholarships, it make sense to, if given the opportunity, to take the 20k and the tuition than attend Charlotte on a partial scholarship.
Am I wrong?
If they were to sign the deal and take the $20k they wouldn’t be eligible to play at Charlotte in your example. It is my understanding that this is worked into the deal if negotiated and once the player finishes his baseball career could go back to school at that point on the major league teams dime but would be ineligible to compete in baseball. I’m assuming the limit of what the team is willing to pay would be negotiated upfront.
I believe it is used so infrequently that most kids don’t even ask for it anymore. Once they are done with baseball they go to work or have hopefully made enough money in MLB they don’t need college.
There are two important “kickers” that limit the amount that the player will receive. First, a “Tuition Allowance” is established when the pro offer is tendered. Obviously, the more desirable the player, the higher this number goes and vice versa. Second, payments from the CEP are offset to the extent that the player achieves incentive bonuses that are also tied to the player’s contract. For example, if a player’s total Tuition Allowance is $30,000 and he earns $10,000 in bonuses while playing, his payments toward college are reduced to $20,000.
Like I said, it’s viewed as a bit of a “throw away.”
So Tintin is a NC high school kid left handed power bat. He’s good but not amazing but has upside. He commits to Charlotte.
1st question. How much of a Scholly is he getting? I know there are only 11.7 to give.
Let say Tintin gets a half scholarship of 10000 a year assuming the instate tuition plus room and board is 20000.
Scenario 1. So in June before Tintin shows on campus for summer workouts, he’s drafted in the 25th round by the Rangers.
The Rangers offer 20,000. Tintin counters with 20,000 plus my college paid for. Suppose the Rangers go for it. Are they going to give him one day) 80000 for college (20k a year x 4)?
If so, does it make sense for Tintin to take the money because all he is getting from Charlotte is 40000 (half scholly x 4).
Scenario 2: Scenario 1 happens with Tintin agreeing with the Rangers on CEP money. Tintin then blow out his knee three years later, baseball career over. I’m assuming Tintin cannot take this promised tuition to attend Duke (at 60000 per year) , because a number was reached for college three years earlier, correct?
And again, it seems like it makes more sense for kids not to play college ball and take the promise of tuition later than actually attending college on a baseball scholarship.
The CEP is generally no substitute for, say, 50% of a scholarship for 3 years because they hold the Tuition Allowance down to low levels. The CEP also tends to be reserved for the higher rounds. Using your example, a 25th-rounder would almost never be offered CEP money. At that level, the offer would be, “Here’s $5 - 10k as a signing bonus, take it or leave it.”
Virtually always, the “go-no go” decision is a trade-off between a six-figure signing bonus (and up) versus a generous scholarship for 3 years at a high level college program.
You’re exactly right. It’d make no financial sense. It’d only be chosen by those who had no desire to go to college and for whom money wasn’t a factor.
Groover wasn’t a regular on the high school showcase circuit but impressed evaluators with his bat speed at the World Wood Bat Association World Championship last October. He’s a product of The Walker School (Marietta, Ga.), which also spawned No. 1 overall pick Mike Ivie and a second big leaguer in David Hale. Though he has been scouted less than most players on this list and the shortened high school season didn’t help his cause, he’s intriguing as a possible middle infielder with offensive upside.
Groover’s whippy right-handed swing and projectable 6-foot-3 frame could translate into average or better pop as he gains strength and experience. He already shows a knack for making hard line-drive contact, fueling optimism that he’ll get to most of his power potential. He doesn’t try to do too much at the plate, keeping his stroke compact and not expanding the strike zone.
A high school shortstop, Groover almost certainly will change positions at the next level. He has reliable hands and good instincts, but his average speed and arm strength fit better at second base. Some scouts think the UNC Charlotte recruit could wind up at third base if his arm gets stronger or an outfield corner if he slows down as he fills out.
