By Chris Valentine
Ohio Scouting Director

Picture this for just a moment.

You are a junior at a high school in Ohio and potential college baseball prospect. The spring season is coming to an end, and you are about to enter the summer headed into your senior year. You are beginning to hear from a wide range of programs at the Division I, Division II, Division III, and NAIA levels.

But, you can’t seem to quite that fit. Maybe the programs don’t feel right. Maybe your family is experiencing some economic hardships. Maybe your grades or test scores aren’t at the level needed for entrance into a four-year institution. Or, maybe you are just looking for another option.

There is another option, and it is the two-year, junior college (JUCO) route.

Traditionally, Ohio has been behind most states in overall awareness of JUCO opportunities for student-athletes.

Take a minute to scroll through the PBR commitment list and compare the number of student-athletes headed to a JUCO from Illinois and Indiana compared to Ohio. It isn’t even close.

Now, there are several factors that lead to this conclusion, but, the times are slowly changing in Ohio, and some of the credit belongs to Steve Dintaman, the head baseball coach at Sinclair Community College located in Dayton.

His job isn’t easy, but he has embraced the challenge.

Currently, Ohio has four JUCO college baseball programs: Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Cuyahoga Community College outside of Cleveland, Owens Community College outside of Bowling Green, and Lakeland Community College outside of Lorain.

So, one wouldn’t necessarily call Ohio the hot bed of JUCO baseball in the Midwest compared to states such as Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan, who all have ten or more JUCO programs located in their respective states.

Dintaman said, “In those states, a lot of the top prospects choose the JUCO route and it’s very acceptable and celebrated in fact. When I first started here at Sinclair, I remember how difficult it was to sign a top player early because how uncertain they were about the level of play and the program itself.”

Over time, this changed.

In 2012, Sinclair ended the season 44-14, appeared in the top ten NCJCAA poll, captured their fourth consecutive OCCAC title, and added to their total of seven players moving on to a Division I program in the last three years.

“Now that we have established ourselves, and have proven that we can send players to great four year programs, our program and the level of play have sold itself,” he continued.

What are JUCO’s Looking for in Recruits?

Just like any college coach, JUCO coaches are looking for players that can play at the highest level of baseball. In some cases, a player may not be ready for that level now, but he may reach that goal through additional development and growth through the college experience.

Overall, Dintaman notes three type of players that he targets for his program at Sinclair.

The first type of player that can be placed on their recruiting board is an NCAA Non-Qualifier. Typically, this type of player has the talent and interest from Division I schools, but doesn’t have a high enough grade point average or standardized test score to meet a college’s entrance requirements.

On this topic, Dinataman noted, “In the past, this was one of the only reasons that JUCO’s got players in Ohio but that culture has changed.  Just because someone has poor academics, doesn’t mean that I will be recruiting them at Sinclair.” 

And the reason is simple: the culture is changing. 

“We demand excellence in the classroom here and if they can’t buy into that accountability measure, Sinclair is not for them … last year over 75% of our entire roster was filled with NCAA qualifying students.  These student-athletes had great test scores, some with 30 ACT’s and strong GPA’s in high school.

The second type of player that can be placed on their recruiting is a prospect that just seems to be missing something to be a top-level guy. The examples are endless: a fast player who needs to get stronger; a Division I level bat who doesn’t have a position; slower middle infielder; and a pitcher who may throw hard but doesn’t have the command or sharp enough secondary pitches yet. 

Dintaman said, “Recently, we’ve had a lot of recruiting battles with Division I schools in the area who offer these type of players low scholarships or walk-on spots.  We have lost a lot of these players but are starting to win more and more.”

The third type of player that can be placed on their recruiting is a prospect that has something to prove. Often, this type of player has a tool that you can’t measure and the drive to do whatever it takes to succeed. 

In many cases, Dintaman said, “These guys feel snubbed in the recruiting process and want that second chance to show what they can do … Sometimes, these are the most rewarding players to coach.”

How do Scholarships Work for JUCO Players?

Just like the NCAA, there are three different divisions of Junior College Baseball.

The NJCAA Division I programs offer athletic scholarships and provides housing. Currently, the closest Division I JUCO programs are located in Illinois and Tennessee. In total, a Division I JUCO program can offer up to 24 scholarships.

The NJCAA Division II offers athletic scholarships but does not pay for housing. Sinclair is an example of a Division II program.  Typically, Sinclair student-athletes are able to access affordable housing due to the campus’ proximity to the University of Dayton, which is only a few miles down the road. In total, a Division II JUCO program can offer up to 24 scholarships.

Lastly, a NJCAA Division III program cannot offer athletic aid. 

Tomorrow, we will bring you part II in our series about the state of JUCO baseball in Ohio. We will cover topics such as the benefits of JUCO baseball compared to NCAA/NAIA institutions; the costs involved; and moving on to a four-year program after the JUCO experience.