10 Reasons to Play Junior College Baseball
By: Andy Partin
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There are over 300 junior college baseball teams in the USA. And there are up to 24 junior college baseball scholarships at these programs. I hear the question sometimes, “do junior college baseball programs have baseball scholarships?” The answer is yes, there are baseball scholarships for junior college. They can cover all expenses like tuition, registration fees, books, housing, etc.

When it comes to playing college baseball, a 2-year junior college baseball program can be a perfect fit for some high school players. It boils down to several different factors. Let’s take a look at 10 potential advantages of playing junior college baseball opposed to playing at a 4-year school.

1) Academic development
So many players struggle with academics in high school, so JUCO is a perfect opportunity to reestablish yourself as a good student with high academics.

2) Another shot at your dream 4-year school if you didn’t get accepted or recruited by them
4-year programs recruit on a need basis and maybe your dream school(s) didn’t have a need for you in your high school graduation class, but perhaps they do in 1-2 years.

3) Cheaper cost/less debt
Not everyone can afford a 4-year tuition so JUCO provides a less expensive way to continue your academic and athletic career.

4) MLB draft eligible after both seasons compared to having to attend a mandatory 3 years at a 4-year school or being 21 years old
If you are a potential MLB draft prospect, JUCO could be your best option.

5) A lot of 4-year programs fill immediate on-field needs with JUCO players
A lot of 4-year programs will choose to do this for obvious reasons (proven statistics, physical maturity, experience, etc.) opposed to signing and relying on a high school player.

6) Greater potential to play right away/everyday
Not the case for all JUCO programs, but you could certainly have more opportunities at some JUCO programs to play right away opposed to a 4-year program.

7) Physical development
Some kids just mature physically later than others; I see this all the time. Plus it gives you another 2 years to get stronger and faster.

8) Social development
Smaller environments (classrooms, school size, rural vs city, etc.) can sometimes lead to increased social development so kids can learn how to better deal with teachers, friends, adversity, new forms of learning, etc.

9) Longer fall playing schedule with more games
4-year programs are limited to a couple games in the fall to compete versus other schools, but JUCO’s can play other college teams and even high school teams as much as they’d like.

10) Unlimited practice calendar
The NCAA gives 4-year programs an allotted amount of time each week to practice whereas JUCO has no time restraints on practice time.