Coby Boulware, who played 2nd base at TCU, is transferring in.
Grad transfer or eligible next year transfer?
Since there are very limited scholarships, do they have the same “you got to set out a year unless you are a graduate” rules like football?
He played as a freshman. He will have to sit out a year.
Freshman All American per Collegiate baseball.
College baseball is unique in that some transfers have to sit out, some do not. Bryce Bonnin and Easton Murrell do not have to sit out at Texas Tech. It depends on whether they were on scholarship, or had their scholarships cut. If you cut a player, they don’t have to sit out.
I do not know this situation, but there are times that many of the position players do not have one penny of scholarship. And, they might be on the minimum, which is 33 percent, and have that cut. Many are on academic scholarships and that is it.
This will surprise some, but James McCann never had much of a baseball scholarship at Arkansas. He was a full academic scholarship, maybe a Chancellor’s scholar.
There are two highly coveted areas of high school baseball, those who come from rich parents and those with academic scholarships. I could name you a couple of very high profile players at Arkansas that fit in both areas. They are extremely coveted. One, they don’t take any of your baseball scholarship money, and two, they probably aren’t going to sign a pro contract for a minimum amount the summer before their freshmen year. They are coming to school, sometimes just because their parents can afford it and place a high value on a college education.
I remember talking to James’ father, Jim, about James GPA during his last year in school. He had been beaten out by Jake Bequette for a Hogspy based on academics. The reason? James once got a B in a class. That was one B in his college career.
BTW, I believe that the minimum scholarship is now 25%.
The transfer rules are by sport, not by equivalency or full scholarship status. In football, men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball, a player has to sit out a season if he/she transfers within the same division. In the rest of the sports there is a one-time transfer exemption. The Arkansas soccer team, for instance, had three transfers who were immediately eligible this season after playing at another D1 school the year before.
Boulware will sit out the 2019 season, but will be on the 35-man roster which means he will be able to practice with the team. He played infield at TCU, but don’t be surprised to see him practice some in the outfield here.
Thanks for the explanation, Matt. But please explain why, if that is the case, Bryce Bonnin and Easton Murrell will be allowed to play at Tech this season (per Clay’s comments) while Boulware must sit out?
I don’t know about Murrell’s situation, but Bonnin was released so late (in mid-July, I believe) that he was granted a waiver by the NCAA. Arkansas did not protest the request.
Boulware requested to leave TCU after fall practice.
I know the rules change from time to time. But I am 95% sure I remember players transferring from UofA to Mo State and playing the next year. It surprised me at the time.