Three MSJC baseball players have already signed scholarships for the 2022 season at the NCAA Division II level.
Travis Shaff-Brown out of Palmoa Valley High School has signed at West Texas A&M University. Shaff-Brown made 6 appearances last season throwing 12 2/3 innings, all in relief. He struck out 18 batters while posting a 2.84 ERA in the Eagles' shortened season. MSJC head coach Michael Lonsdale said of Travis; "The coaching staff is very excited for Travis and the entire Shaff-Brown family. Travis has the opportunity to continue his collegiate baseball career at one of the historic division two programs in the country. West Texas A&M will be adding an excellent left-handed reliever to the back end of their already strong bullpen". He went on to add, "The Buffaloes coaching staff will love being around and working with TSB. We're looking forward to seeing Travis make an immediate impact on the mound and graduate with his bachelor's degree from WTAMU."
Two other MSJC players have made their commitments before ever playing a game for the Eagles. Cameron Vollmer is headed to St. Cloud State University while Patrick MacDonald has signed with Cal State San Marcos.
Vollmer, who is a transfer from Holy Names University and a Hillcrest High alum hit .283 in 53 at-bats while serving as an everyday player for HNU working in at Catcher, first base, and designated hitter. Londsale on Vollmer; "Cameron is the epitome of a student-athlete, carrying a GPA well into the 3's and excelling at the division two level the last two seasons before transferring into our program. We're ecstatic that Cameron landed at one of the premier division two baseball programs in the country. Cam will contribute at St. Cloud at multiple positions and he will have a chance to help his team compete for a D2 world series. We can't wait to watch Cam win on the field and graduate from St. Cloud in just a few short years."
MacDonald is also a graduate of Hillcrest High School in Riverside and will play the corner infield spots for the Eagles. "Patrick is truly a pleasure to work with and has been a joy to get to know from the day he joined our program. Most importantly, we're happy to see Pat healthy after he battled injuries that limited his time on the field the last two years. CSU San Marcos is getting an excellent, mature, left-handed hitter that will compete for a spot in the middle of their order. We're very happy to see Pat land in the CCAA conference in Southern California where his family can watch him continue his collegiate career while he earns his degree", said Lonsdale.
The Eagles have opted in for the Spring II season so they are planning to compete this year with official practice beginning March 27th and games starting April 10th. A 2021 schedule will be posted as soon as it is available.