TYLER, Texas - The JUCO Baseball Blog published its Top 50 Junior College recruiting class rankings on Sunday. UT Tyler was one of just four programs not competing at the NCAA Division I level to be named on the list.
The JUCO Baseball Blog releases the Top 50 Recruiting list along with regional and district previews, ranks junior college talent, releases teams and players of the week, and releases podcasts regarding junior college baseball across the United States. The JBB is run and authored by Noah Sharp.
Head Coach
Brent Porche commented, "What a tremendous honor to be mentioned amongst some of the great baseball programs in the country. We are replacing a senior heavy 2019 roster, going into our first full year of Division II competition in the newly formed Lone Star Conference, one of the best Division II conferences in the country. Signing a big class of impact players was a must. In just our first year with scholarship money, to be able to secure one of the top junior college recruiting classes in Division II baseball speaks volumes about this program."
UT Tyler enters the second of a three-year transition to the NCAA Division II level and the 2019 recruiting class has already garnered national attention. The Patriots will bring in 11 JUCO players to compete in the Lone Star Conference for the inaugural season since joining Division II.
UT Tyler was the second ranked NCAA Division II program on the list and 46
thout of 50 NCAA Division I, II, III, and NAIA programs in the country.
Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator
Taylor White commented, "I am extremely excited about this junior college signing class as we make the transition to full members in the Lone Star Conference. As a staff, we felt there were specific needs that needed to be addressed, and feel we have done that. With the amount of departures due to graduation, depth was a main concern, and we feel we have signed a very talented group. Our program continues to attract great players from around the country, as well as student athletes who are not only committed to excellence on the field, but also in the classroom.
The 2020 season will be the first full season for UT Tyler in the Lone Star Conference. After being accepted into the NCAA Division II Membership Process in July of 2018, UT Tyler will play a full NCAA Division II schedule this season. In the 2019 season, UT Tyler picked up home wins over NCAA Division II opponents Henderson State and East Central University.
Porche added, "All the credit to this class goes to my assistant coaches, in particular Coach White. He and the rest of the staff have worked tirelessly to bring in this first Division II recruiting class. I can't wait to get this group along with our returners on campus in the fall. 2019-2020 is going to be an exciting year for UT Tyler Baseball."
