Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Interesting times for baseball, softball recruiting
4/26/2020 12:01:00 PM | General
Despite an inability to evaluate current high school juniors or junior college freshmen during their spring season of competition in 2020, Middle Tennessee's baseball and softball coaches say that will not impact their programs in the near future.
Blue Raider softball coach Jeff Breeden and baseball coach Jim Toman had already signed the majority of their incoming class so evaluations this spring and summer would have primarily been for future classes with a few exceptions.
"We had already signed seven players for the 2020 class during the early signing period so we were already set there," Breeden said. "We recruit so far in advance that this hasn't had a big impact on 2020 and 21."
Toman also has already signed players for the 2021 class. In fact, the Blue Raiders have seven in-state players ready to enter the program.
While the sudden shutdown may not hamper current classes the impact of the Coronavirus could be felt down the road.
"It is really going to affect us two to three years down the road," Toman said. "We really don't know what the roster expectations are going to be down the road. The entire thing is inner-connected and it changes things in every aspect of college baseball, recruiting and roster management."
For example, Toman already had signed seven players for the 2021 class and expected to add "eight to 10" additional players to that class due to the expectations of losing as many as 18 players following the 2021 season. Those new signees would have been incoming students for the 2021-22 school year.
That all changed when the NCAA granted spring sports student-athletes an additional year of eligibility after the 2020 seasons were canceled due to the pandemic.
Pending the 2020 draft, Middle Tennessee baseball's roster could have had as many as 18 seniors in 2021. With those players gaining an additional year they could have as many in 2022 which was unforeseen.
"This was really our first signing class and it was a big class," Toman said. "As of now we could potentially have as many as 18 seniors in the spring of 2022 that were not supposed to be here. We already have seven signed in the 2021 class and we were going to add eight to 10 to that class because we expected to lose several in the senior class, but now we have those guys back.
"When you add the seven incoming players and then the 18 seniors from the year before that's 22 players just in those two classes so that year we are already way over, but we have time to figure that out," Toman said. "We are looking pretty good for this fall. The next year is going to be really crazy but everybody in the country has the same problems."
Many variables could impact baseball's 18-member senior class for what will now be 2022, such as the 2021 Major League Baseball Draft, possible transfers, graduation, injuries, etc.
"It's definitely an interesting time," Toman said. "We are just trying to help every player on the roster we can and be as up front and honest with them as we can. When we are able to start evaluating players again we may be looking more at the (2023 and 24) classes because we already have so many in the program."
Softball is in a similar situation.
"We were already set for the 2020 class with those players coming in this fall and we are already pretty set for the 2021 class," Breeden said. "It is really going to affect our recruiting in the 2022 and 23 classes. For us, if we didn't go out all summer but we could start going out in the fall, this really wouldn't affect us in terms of recruiting. The biggest impact is down the road with players getting an additional year that wasn't expected when you were recruiting for those classes."
Blue Raider softball coach Jeff Breeden and baseball coach Jim Toman had already signed the majority of their incoming class so evaluations this spring and summer would have primarily been for future classes with a few exceptions.
"We had already signed seven players for the 2020 class during the early signing period so we were already set there," Breeden said. "We recruit so far in advance that this hasn't had a big impact on 2020 and 21."
Toman also has already signed players for the 2021 class. In fact, the Blue Raiders have seven in-state players ready to enter the program.
While the sudden shutdown may not hamper current classes the impact of the Coronavirus could be felt down the road.
"It is really going to affect us two to three years down the road," Toman said. "We really don't know what the roster expectations are going to be down the road. The entire thing is inner-connected and it changes things in every aspect of college baseball, recruiting and roster management."
For example, Toman already had signed seven players for the 2021 class and expected to add "eight to 10" additional players to that class due to the expectations of losing as many as 18 players following the 2021 season. Those new signees would have been incoming students for the 2021-22 school year.
That all changed when the NCAA granted spring sports student-athletes an additional year of eligibility after the 2020 seasons were canceled due to the pandemic.
Pending the 2020 draft, Middle Tennessee baseball's roster could have had as many as 18 seniors in 2021. With those players gaining an additional year they could have as many in 2022 which was unforeseen.
"This was really our first signing class and it was a big class," Toman said. "As of now we could potentially have as many as 18 seniors in the spring of 2022 that were not supposed to be here. We already have seven signed in the 2021 class and we were going to add eight to 10 to that class because we expected to lose several in the senior class, but now we have those guys back.
"When you add the seven incoming players and then the 18 seniors from the year before that's 22 players just in those two classes so that year we are already way over, but we have time to figure that out," Toman said. "We are looking pretty good for this fall. The next year is going to be really crazy but everybody in the country has the same problems."
Many variables could impact baseball's 18-member senior class for what will now be 2022, such as the 2021 Major League Baseball Draft, possible transfers, graduation, injuries, etc.
"It's definitely an interesting time," Toman said. "We are just trying to help every player on the roster we can and be as up front and honest with them as we can. When we are able to start evaluating players again we may be looking more at the (2023 and 24) classes because we already have so many in the program."
Softball is in a similar situation.
"We were already set for the 2020 class with those players coming in this fall and we are already pretty set for the 2021 class," Breeden said. "It is really going to affect our recruiting in the 2022 and 23 classes. For us, if we didn't go out all summer but we could start going out in the fall, this really wouldn't affect us in terms of recruiting. The biggest impact is down the road with players getting an additional year that wasn't expected when you were recruiting for those classes."
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