Szczur quoted as probably entering MLB draft

[charliej]

When asked his plans after this year...“That’s a hard question to answer. You put me in a bind right now. We’re going to see how my baseball season turns out. After baseball season, I’ll probably end up entering the draft, but I love these guys."

Great for Matt.... Not so much for Nova.

http://www.championshipsubdivisionnews.com/index.php/2009/12/18/2009-d-i-championship-game-postgame-note?blog=2

[93henfan]

I highly encourage Mr. Szczur to enter the draft! xthumbsupx :p

Why risk injury?

[BigHouseClosedEnd]

I highly encourage Mr. Szczur to enter the draft! xthumbsupx :p

Why risk injury?

+1 xlolx

[ngineer]

Ditto! He is not invited to Goodman next year!;)

[UNHWildCats]

When asked his plans after this year...“That’s a hard question to answer. You put me in a bind right now. We’re going to see how my baseball season turns out. After baseball season, I’ll probably end up entering the draft, but I love these guys."

Great for Matt.... Not so much for Nova.

http://www.championshipsubdivisionnews.com/index.php/2009/12/18/2009-d-i-championship-game-postgame-note?blog=2
FWIW I dont think you actually enter the MLB draft. There are rules that determine who is and isnt eligible and then teams select from those players.

[th0m]

Haha I think the CAA and perhaps the playoff field of 2010 just let out a collective sigh of relief ;)

[charliej]

FWIW I dont think you actually enter the MLB draft. There are rules that determine who is and isnt eligible and then teams select from those players.

True, this is the first year he becomes eligible after opting out in '07 to go to school.

He attended class during the summer since getting to Nova, and kept up with his work in order to get his degree with this in mind.

That is amazing in itself for a two-sport athlete.

[tribe_pride]

Can't he get drafted in baseball and continue playing college football? I am thinking of Drew Henson specifically.

[VUCats02]

Didn't he "enter the draft" last year but still came back? I'm not really sure how the MLB draft works, but I do know that he got drafted by the Dodgers last year but still came back. I know he probably won't come back, but I really can't blame him. I won't have any hard feelings for him at all if he decides to leave. Hope he's successful in his baseball career.

[dukie]

You can go to the MLB after your Senior year of high school. Once you enter college, you must spend three years there before you can enter the draft again. This is why you see a lot of Juniors leaving school early. If a kid redshirts, you will see Sophmores do so.

Szczur was drafted out of high school but elected to go to college.

I hope he goes as I do not want to see him again next year. If he leaves, JMU will be the favorite to win the conference in 2010 as long as we don't have a bunch of underclassmen leave the program for one reason or the other.

[Zangzigger]

You can't enter the MLB Draft and still play for college football for a few reasons:

1) Once you have an agent, you can't play NCAA Athletics no matter what the sport is.

2) The MLB team isn't going to want him to risk injury. If they're paying him, they want him to do what they want him to do

3) He'll probably report to Arizona or Florida and play Fall Ball

[Tribe4SF]

You can go to the MLB after your Senior year of high school. Once you enter college, you must spend three years there before you can enter the draft again. This is why you see a lot of Juniors leaving school early. If a kid redshirts, you will see Sophmores do so.

Szczur was drafted out of high school but elected to go to college.

I hope he goes as I do not want to see him again next year. If he leaves, JMU will be the favorite to win the conference in 2010 as long as we don't have a bunch of underclassmen leave the program for one reason or the other.

Villanova will still be the CAA favorite next year. They return a ton of talent, including the core of that offensive line. The Tribe will be up there as well. JMU will need to build a better o-line, and replace Daniels and Moats from a defensive front that didn't show much depth this year.

[93henfan]

I advocate a multi-pronged approach:

Any FCS schools that could conceivably meet Villanova in the regular season or playoffs next year should instruct their baseball teams to serve up beachballs to Szczur this spring. This guy needs to be hitting .600 with 40 HRs by the end of next spring.

Then we need someone who's good with a camera to get some highlights put together and sent out to all the major league clubs.

We can do this. xthumbsupx

[yorkcountyUNHfan]

I highly encourage Mr. Szczur to enter the draft! xthumbsupx :p

Why risk injury?


+1 xlolx


Ditto! He is not invited to Goodman next year!;)

These guys are right

[tribe_pride]

You can go to the MLB after your Senior year of high school. Once you enter college, you must spend three years there before you can enter the draft again. This is why you see a lot of Juniors leaving school early. If a kid redshirts, you will see Sophmores do so.

Szczur was drafted out of high school but elected to go to college.

I hope he goes as I do not want to see him again next year. If he leaves, JMU will be the favorite to win the conference in 2010 as long as we don't have a bunch of underclassmen leave the program for one reason or the other.

Don't be so quick to label JMU as the favorite in the CAA next year. From another thread, here are the returners outside of URI and Towson from BDKJMU:


Maine: 19 (6-5/4-4)
UD: 18 (6-5/4-4)
Nova: 15 (10-1/7-1)
JMU: 15 (6-5/4-4)
W&M: 13 (9-2/6-2)
UNH: 11 (9-2/6-2)
UMass: 10 (5-6/3-5)
UR: 8 (10-1/7-1)

Take 1 away from Nova if Szczur leaves. Maine and UD are returning more than JMU and Nova would only be losing 1 more than JMU. 6 or 7 teams could win it next year. If Szczur comes back, Nova is clear favorites. If not, it could be any of a number of teams but probably Nova still gets the favorite status.

Also, being the preseason favorite in the CAA is not necessarily a good thing.

[VUCats02]

It was this year. They pre-picked Richmond and Nova to tie this year. Got that one right on the money.

[charliej]

Don't be so quick to label JMU as the favorite in the CAA next year. From another thread, here are the returners outside of URI and Towson from BDKJMU:



Take 1 away from Nova if Szczur leaves. Maine and UD are returning more than JMU and Nova would only be losing 1 more than JMU. 6 or 7 teams could win it next year. If Szczur comes back, Nova is clear favorites. If not, it could be any of a number of teams but probably Nova still gets the favorite status.

Also, being the preseason favorite in the CAA is not necessarily a good thing.

Agreed, Too many times it's the kiss 'o death xshhhx

[soccerguy315]

Didn't he "enter the draft" last year but still came back? I'm not really sure how the MLB draft works, but I do know that he got drafted by the Dodgers last year but still came back. I know he probably won't come back, but I really can't blame him. I won't have any hard feelings for him at all if he decides to leave. Hope he's successful in his baseball career.

i'm pretty sure he got drafted by the Dodgers out of high school, not last year. But I might be wrong.


Can't he get drafted in baseball and continue playing college football? I am thinking of Drew Henson specifically.


interesting... he would definitely have to be enrolled at Villanova to play football. Probably you cannot be a professional athlete and play in college at the same time, even if different sports... that would be my guess.


If he leaves, JMU will be the favorite to win the conference in 2010 as long as we don't have a bunch of underclassmen leave the program for one reason or the other.

doubtful.

[VUCats02]

Oh yeah, I think you're right too. My bad.

[nms1987]

1) Once you have an agent, you can't play NCAA Athletics no matter what the sport is.

Not true. Dozens of minor league baseball players have washed out of pro ball and later played college football. These guys all had agents.
Furthermore, every kid with a remote chance of getting drafted has an agent, only they call them advisors to avoid the NCAA. That is how you get around the NCAA and for years they have known this was the common practice and didn't seem to mind. Recently they have been trying to trying to crack down on this (google "andy oliver case" or "james paxton") but the NCAA has little chance of being able to enforce this as the courts have strongly indicated this would be impermissible as you would be denying individuals their right to have legal representation.
I'm really sick of the NCAA trying to treat agents as a problem. A kid has a right to legal representation.

2) The MLB team isn't going to want him to risk injury. If they're paying him, they want him to do what they want him to do

Sure, but there are many kids that get drafted in the summer and go back and play 1 more year of college FB. Indiana standout CF/WR Andrew Means got drafted, and signed, after his jr year of baseball but returned to campus and played his senior year of football.

) He'll probably report to Arizona or Florida and play Fall Ball

Probably, but it isn't a lock. He'd only miss about 6 weeks of minor league ball plus a few weeks of instructional league by playing 1 more year of FB
That isn't a lot

Can't he get drafted in baseball and continue playing college football? I am thinking of Drew Henson specifically.
interesting... he would definitely have to be enrolled at Villanova to play football. Probably you cannot be a professional athlete and play in college at the same time, even if different sports... that would be my guess.

You sure can play 1 sport at a pro level and another at the NCAA level.

i'm pretty sure he got drafted by the Dodgers out of high school, not last year. But I might be wrong.

Yep, he was drafted out of HS by Dodgers. He has not yet been eligible at Nova for the draft. You have to 3 years removed (Jr or Red-Soph) from HS graduation if you attend a 4-year college (JUCO players can be drafted any year). You can also be eligible before that if you turn 21 before or within 45 days of MLB draft.
Szcur was drafted in June 07, after he graduated HS. Didn't sign and played football in fall of 07. He was injured from football and missed the baseball season that following spring (08), so he got a redshirt in baseball. Played his soph year of football in fall 08, then played his R-Fr year of baseball in spring 09. This was his Jr year of football and in the spring he will play his R-Soph year of baseball. He will be eligible to play his senior year of football in fall 2010. He would also be eligible to return to play baseball in spring 2011 (R-junior) and spring 2012 (R-senior) but no more football after 2010.

[tribe_pride]

2) The MLB team isn't going to want him to risk injury. If they're paying him, they want him to do what they want him to do

Sure, but there are many kids that get drafted in the summer and go back and play 1 more year of college FB. Indiana standout CF/WR Andrew Means got drafted, and signed, after his jr year of baseball but returned to campus and played his senior year of football.

) He'll probably report to Arizona or Florida and play Fall Ball

Probably, but it isn't a lock. He'd only miss about 6 weeks of minor league ball plus a few weeks of instructional league by playing 1 more year of FB
That isn't a lot



Thanks. This point is what I was referring to. Hopefully Szczur doesn't think about this. ;)

[RookieWill]

The baseball draft is an interesting endeavour in that for many good, not great prospects, you're able to get bigger bonus money if you're in HS or leave after your junior year of college, more so than your senior year of college. If a team drafts you, and you have options, then you can negotiate from a strong position - they spent a draft pick, now they have to convince you to leave. IF you're a senior in college, they have more leverage as your options are fewer - you can not play and wait till the following season.

Matt's value as a baseball player, will therefore peak after this baseball season - first off he is still young, secondly a baseball team needs to give him enough money to give up his scholarship from Nova. if he waits until next season, he will have exhausted his football eligibility. if he waits until the following season, he'll have exhausted everything.

His opportunity to maximize his signing bonus is to have a heck of a year this year, and then leave. AND if a team is going to give him enough money to leave Villanova, he's NOT going to be ALLOWED to play football under that contract.

[nms1987]

His opportunity to maximize his signing bonus is to have a heck of a year this year, and then leave. AND if a team is going to give him enough money to leave Villanova, he's NOT going to be ALLOWED to play football under that contract.

Again, that is not necessarily true.
Plenty of MLB draftees have signed and been able to come back and play one last fall of college baseball.

It depends largely on what Szucur wants to do, as well as what round he goes in.

[RookieWill]

His opportunity to maximize his signing bonus is to have a heck of a year this year, and then leave. AND if a team is going to give him enough money to leave Villanova, he's NOT going to be ALLOWED to play football under that contract.

Again, that is not necessarily true.
Plenty of MLB draftees have signed and been able to come back and play one last fall of college baseball.

It depends largely on what Szucur wants to do, as well as what round he goes in.

You're missing my point. Of course plenty of people have done it, and matt could too, BUT he wont maximize his signing bonus if he does. Lets say a team will give him $1mm to sign - they're not going to give the same $1 million if he plays football.

The question comes down to money, imho

[nms1987]

Szcur is NOT going to be a 1mil guy in baseball. If he was picked that high, playing more FB would be an issue but in the 5-15 area, where he will get picked it won't be an issue

[JohnStOnge]

Jake Locker of the Washington Huskies signed a Major League Baseball contract prior to starting his 2009 season as quarterback with the Washington Huskies:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4401955

So apparently you can sign a MLB contract and continue to play college football.

[RookieWill]

Szcur is NOT going to be a 1mil guy in baseball. If he was picked that high, playing more FB would be an issue but in the 5-15 area, where he will get picked it won't be an issue

I have no idea where he will be picked as I don't follow college baseball, but he is the best player on Villanova - which has had high (rounds 2-5) draft picks very recently.

I do agree, though, if we are talking a smaller dollar amount (say $100k), it will be easier for Matt to demand to play both and an MLB team agreeing

[nms1987]

I have no idea where he will be picked as I don't follow college baseball, but he is the best player on Villanova - which has had high (rounds 2-5) draft picks very recently.

Villanova is close to the bottom of the barrel in college baseball. Being the best player on Nova means about nothing as far as pro potential. Its like winning a tallest midget contest, as the joke goes. On average your "best player on Nova baseball" is undrafted or a late round afterthought.

Kevin Mulvey and Brian Slocum were 2nd rounders in 06 and 02 but I believe they haven't had anyone else go in the top 15 rounds this decade. That is a pretty poor draft history for a college baseball team, though better than some.