The 2026 New Balance Future Stars Series JUCO Main Event Showdown will be held January 26-28 at Globe Life Field. Nine high-octane programs will compete to kick off the 2026 season in style.
Those nine are: Florida SouthWestern State College, San Jacinto College, Wharton County Junior College, Grayson College, Seminole State College, Amarillo College, Florence Darlington Tech, Lake Land College, and Wabash Valley College.
Let’s meet these programs, one by one.
Head Coach: Zac Cole
Home Ballpark: Buccaneers Park
Notable Alums: Carlos Rodriguez, Joel Piniero, Ryan Gusto, Jose Izarra, Tyler Kennedy
2025 Result: 44-17
2025 LEADERS
(MIN. 100 PA / 20 IP)
| STAT | LEADER | VALUE |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Devin Parks | .356 |
| HR | Jake Mueller | 15 |
| RBI | Mueller | 63 |
| SB | Luke Orfi | 45 |
| OPS | Nik Pereira | 1.079 |
| ERA | Andrew McLaughlin | 3.12 |
| WHIP | McLaughlin | 1.19 |
| K | Abel Albarran | 68 |
There is no shortage of heavy hitters among the nine teams scheduled to play in the upcoming 2026 New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series JUCO Main Event Showdown presented by DraftLine.
Florida SouthWestern State College may be the biggest of them all.
Fresh off a 44-win season and trip to the JUCO World Series, fourth-year head coach Zac Cole’s team is eager for more this season, one that will start with a gauntlet of three games in two days in the first-ever event to host regular-season JUCO games in a big-league ballpark. For a program that feels like it may be knocking on the door of a national championship, it’s a big early test.
“Last year was a historic year for Florida SouthWestern, it was the first trip to Grand Junction and a trip to the Junior College Baseball World Series in program history,” Cole told FSS Plus. “That was a huge accomplishment. Going into this year, I feel like we have another team that is capable of making that type of run. Obviously, you have to win when it matters and all that good stuff, but we think from a talent perspective that we’ve got that kind of group.
“We felt like this was the year to take a trip like this one. For a Florida team, getting on the plane and making that travel to Grand Junction is not something that we typically do in our regular season; we don’t typically leave the state of Florida, there’s so much quality competition here, and we’re typically playing most of our games here, if not all of them. So, we felt like from that perspective of having our guys get on the plane and playing in that type of environment, it’s good experience for them if we’re potentially going to be a team that can go back to Grand Junction.”
It’s something of a double-edged sword, however, in that while the Buccaneers are getting that experience, it’s happening so early in the year during a time when arms are still being built up and managed and hitters might not necessarily be in as much of a rhythm as they might like.
“That’s a big concern for us, and that’s been a concern of mine for all my years of coaching junior college,” Cole said. “It’s very early to have arms ready, so traditionally we’ve had guys on pitch counts and that type of thing, and we’ve managed our falls a lot differently. When I first got to junior college, I’d been in Division 1 baseball, so you’re used to starting in the middle of February. Those couple weeks make a big difference.
“I had to do some adjusting early on in my junior college coaching career as a pitching coach in trying to figure out what was the best time to get guys ready. We usually end in the beginning of November and shut our guys down for a little period, then on-ramp them for the season. I think we’ve gotten a lot better at managing that.”
It is, as Cole says, something he has plenty of experience with, given a circuitous, yet enjoyable route to his current post. A former JUCO player himself before transferring to a Division 1 and then eventually some time in pro ball, the now-40-year-old began his coaching career at The University of Tennessee-Martin before re-joining the Orioles, with whom he signed out of college, as a scout. From there, it was time as a head coach in the Valley League, then a return to a pitching coach role at The College of Central Florida before taking over the Bucs in 2022.
Since then? They’re 112-60, have qualified for the FCSAA Championships in all three seasons, and won their first FCSAA Championship in 2025.
“I really wasn’t sure what I wanted to do as that part of my life closed,” Cole said of his time in pro ball, in which he played three seasons as a right-handed reliever both in the Orioles system and in several independent leagues.
“An opportunity presented itself to get into coaching, and I thought it would be something worth trying out at least. Here I am, over 15 years later, and I’m still doing it. I got a passion for it very early on, I enjoyed working with guys and the actual coaching aspect of it…the recruiting, building the roster, stuff like that too. My journey has been here, there and everywhere, but I love junior college baseball. I just think that this level is so unique.”
As Cole says, the development piece on the JUCO side is vastly different than it is with four-year schools, and with that said, he’s got some intriguing players we can look forward to seeing at Globe Life at the end of this month at an event he says should be exciting given how JUCO ball has historically been overlooked, with this serving as an opportunity to get the right eyeballs on a talented group.
“Jonah St. Antoine, he was a kid who started his career at Pitt, transferred to us last year at the break, and he was probably our best hitter to start the season. He was hitting over .500, having an incredible, All-American-type start to the season, and unfortunately, tore his ACL third week of the season…he’s back with us. He had the surgery and was really limited in moving around…we wanted to take him to the World Series and wanted him to experience that because we knew it was something we wanted to try to do again, and by that point we figured out he was going to stay around with us for another year, which he chose to do.
“His fall was limited, but he’s close. He’s a guy you’ll see in some capacity early on, but as the season goes on, you’ll say, ‘I remember that guy, he wasn’t quite himself, but look at what he’s doing now.’ He’s a guy we’re excited about.”
“We did return a couple arms; the kid that started the opening game for us in the World Series, Cole Greer, South Carolina transfer, he was really good for us last year and is back. I’m sure you’ll see him in a starting capacity.
“Robert Mitchell, transfer from Wake Forest, who was in our starting rotation last year, I would be very shocked if you don’t see him in a starting role when we get to Globe Life. I think our other starting spot is a little up for grabs; we’ve got a couple of internal candidates. Parker Burgess, a kid that’s committed to College of Charleston, was a big prospect out of high school. He’s 6-5, I’ve seen him up to 97. He was 92-95 most of the fall big arm, and there’s some pro interest there.
“Our number one last year went down with an injury about two-thirds of the way through the season. He was committed to South Carolina and decided to stay with us after the injury, you’ll see him in some capacity, Andrew McLaughlin. He’s definitely a pro at some point in his career, whether it’s this year or down the road, wherever he ends up. I just watched him throw a bullpen, he’s close to being back on the mound, he was up to 94. He’s another guy we’re excited about.
“We had another arm in our rotation last year where he had an injury, and we had to shut him down as well, Brady Jones, another South Carolina transfer. Another one that’s a big arm, you’ll probably see him go up to 94-95 at Globe Life; good breaking ball. Our closer is back from last year, he’s on a 23 scoreless innings streak to end last year, Nick Lorenz. It’ll be 90-92 with a really good slider, that’s some of those pieces that we’re bringing back on the mound.”
Most of the Cole’s offense, however, aside from the injured St. Antoine, ended up in Division 1 baseball, meaning he’s got an entirely revamped group for 2026 that is looking to, at minimum, replicate the performance of a lineup that hit a whopping .334 last season. A lot can change in the JUCO world with rosters, particularly this time of year, but this is how Cole saw some of his regulars playing out among the newcomers.
Evan Taveras, now committed to UCF, came from Miami via the transfer portal and is expected to get the lion’s share of the work behind the plate. “Really, really good player and a legitimate professional prospect. The body is incredible; 60 arm, real power, I think he hit five or six homers for us this fall, and he’s a guy we’re really excited about.”
At first base? Cris Walley, who hit 18 homers at an NAIA school last year. Short? Nick April-Gath from Virginia Commonwealth. Center field? JUCO All-American Bishop Quarles, who ran a 6.37 60-yard dash at FSW’s Scout Day and hit .409 with 16 homers at Bryant & Stratton College before transferring to the Bucs, described by Cole as “toolsy” and able to do it all. Right field seems to belong to Aiden Talarico, brought in from USC Union.
“We feel good about our position player group,” Cole said, while also alluding to some yet-to-be-announced additions from D1 schools who will debut in January.
“Not only that we brought in some talented players, but some guys that have experience and played last year. Walley, Talarico, and Quarles hit almost 50 homers combined; we had a lot to replace, but we feel good about the group and what we’ve been able to bring in…I think we’ll bring a really talented group for you guys.
About New Balance Future Stars Series
The New Balance Future Stars Series presented by Program 15 is a global platform for amateur baseball development and scouting, powered by a commitment to impact, integrity, and player-focused innovation. Its alumni can be found throughout professional baseball, and its events and partnerships have reshaped how talent is identified, nurtured, and celebrated.
Connect with New Balance Future Stars Series by visiting our website, www.futurestarsseries.com, by visiting our YouTube page, and by checking out the social media channels below.
X: @ftrstarsseries | Instagram: @futurestarsseries | Facebook: New Balance Future Stars Series
Since 2003, he has covered multiple World Series and has worked high-profile events ranging from the MLB All-Star Game to the World Baseball Classic. In addition to his role working for the Future Stars Series that he's held since 2017, Ashmore currently serves as the beat writer of the Double-A New York Yankees affiliate, the Somerset Patriots, as well as national hockey writer and New York Jets game day beat reporter for The Trentonian.
A regular contributor to Baseball America, Ashmore has worked seven Super Bowls, 12 Stanley Cup Finals, the 4 Nations Face-Off, the NBA Playoffs, College Football Playoff National Championship Game, Frozen Four, Daytona 500, major UFC events and much more as he approaches 3,300 games covered in his career.
An avid trading card enthusiast, he lives with his wife, Sarah, their son, future No. 1 overall draft pick in 2042, William, their beloved dog, Bailey, and occasionally well-behaved cat, Smokey.
- 2026 JUCO Showdown Team Profile: Lake Land College - January 14, 2026
- 2026 JUCO Showdown Team Profile: Wabash Valley College - January 12, 2026
- FSS alum Owen Caissie centerpiece of return in Edward Cabrera trade - January 7, 2026
