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.
San Jacinto College Gators
Head Coach: Eric Weaver, 2nd season
Home Ballpark: John Ray Harrison Field at Andy Pettitte Park — Houston, TX
Notable Alums: Andy Pettitte, Roger Clemens, Brandon Belt, Jackson Rutledge, Sabin Ceballos, Jared Wells
2025 Result: 39-17
2025 LEADERS
(MIN. 100 PA / 20 IP)
| STAT | LEADER | VALUE |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Mac Moyer, Landon Hunt | .354 |
| HR | Rafael Furcal Jr., Eduardo Castillo | 9 |
| RBI | Castillo | 45 |
| SB | Adrian Padro | 20 |
| OPS | Moyer | .993 |
| ERA | Jarrette Bonet | 1.51 |
| WHIP | Bonet | 0.89 |
| K | Patrick Lewis | 76 |
All roads led back to San Jac for Eric Weaver.
In his second season as the Gators head coach, the veteran baseball man got his start in coaching at Alvin Community College, breaking in as an assistant coach following a decorated playing career that took him to Texas State University, where he served as their closer.
After his three years at ACC, Weaver made the jump to San Jac, where he also served as an assistant for eight years, overseeing pitching while also handling co-recruiting coordinator duties as well as being in charge of the baseball facilities and being the team’s academic advisor.
During that time, San Jac advanced to the JUCO World Series six times, including two national runner-up finishes, and brought home seven Region XIV South championships.
From there? Two years at Blinn College, where he was an associate head coach on a team that won the NJCAA national championship in 2024. But it was time to go back home.
“I played junior college baseball, played at Alvin Community College for two years and then played at Texas State for two, got out of that and didn’t really know if I wanted to go into coaching or what I wanted to do, to be honest,” Weaver told FSS Plus.
“So, when I graduated from Texas State, I went and did sales and felt a calling to get back into baseball. So, I was able to go (coach at) Alvin Community College for three years, and then a position opened up here in San Jac. I accepted that, came over here with Tom Arrington, who was the head coach then, and stayed eight years.
“Then, the job at Blinn became available, and I applied to try to be the head coach there, but they gave that to Dusty Hart; he’s a good friend of mine, and he called me and said, ‘Hey, let’s do this together.’
“So, my path led me to Blinn for two years and we had success and went to the World Series both years, won it our second year and then the position opened back up here…being able to come back to my family, being able to come back to San Jac, where I think six of the years I was there we went to the World Series, it (felt like it) would be nice to go home, coach there and try to bring a national title back to San Jac. It’s good to be back home.”
It’s an impeccable reputation that Weaver understands better than nearly anyone that needs to be upheld, with reminders of the rich history of the program scattered throughout the complex that recently hosted New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series events this past summer, with Weaver noting the Gators have been a powerhouse since the 80’s and saying he just wants to maintain what others before him had built.
To that end, the landscape of college baseball has changed over the last several years with the portal and a more clear understanding that JUCO ball remains an excellent opportunity and path for significant, meaningful playing time.
“Since the portal opened up, it’s changed the landscape, and I think right when it opened, I think every level of coaches in baseball were trying to figure out how to navigate this, how it could benefit us and how it could hurt us,” Weaver said.
“What we saw in the past was, we’d get a lot of transfers; a lot of Division 1 transfers, whether it be summer or whether it be mid-term, and I think what we’ve noticed over the last three or four years and seeing how the landscape’s changed is, in my opinion, the Division 1 game is getting older.
“It’s very hard to be a true freshman and walk in and get a significant amount of innings or appearances, so what we’ve seen is guys are jumping in the portal, and the Division 1 game is getting older, but where I think we’re benefitting is that high school senior.
“It used to be they’d be going to a big Power 4 school or they’d have bigger recruiting classes for the high school senior, and now it’s those guys aren’t getting as many looks as they were in the past, so now we’re seeing our high schools seniors that we’re able to get are very high profile, talented baseball players.”
In Weaver’s first year back at the helm of San Jac, the team went 39-17 last year, and seems poised for a jump to once again return to the JUCO World Series.
While it’s a difficult time to project exactly what a roster might look like heading into the upcoming JUCO Showdown presented by DraftLine, the veteran baseball man did take some time to go over a small amount of returning players — just four, to be precise — and incoming talent worth keeping an eye on in Arlington, a group that includes a significant amount of FSS alums.
“This is a brand new team, and we’re very, very young with a lot of freshmen,” Weaver said.
A quick look at impact returnees:
PATRICK LEWIS: “He’s one of our top arms coming back, he was a transfer last year from ULM.”
RJ FURCAL: “That’s (Rafael) Furcal, Sr.’s son. He was at first base last year, he’s transitioned out into left field, but he was in our four hole last year and will be a middle of the order type for us this year.”
Catcher ANDREW FONTE and reliever JACK MERRICK are also set to return.
Newcomers expected to make an impact:
DANATI FRONDUTO: “He’s a guy from Boston, he’s with us; first base, left-handed bat, might DH some for us. But he’s a physical, left-handed presence.”
MANNY DORANTES: “You know Manny. He’s been hurt this fall, so whether it be on the mound or whether it be at third base, we don’t know yet. We’re still trying to figure that out, but he’s a Future Stars guy.”
NATE BELLE: “Future Stars player from Canada…right now, if it started tomorrow, he’d be our right fielder and batting in the middle of the lineup.”
With a steep learning curve for a younger group, the relatively early-year start that the JUCO Showdown presents could provide something of a challenge for a San Jac team that would obviously like to get out of the gate firing on all cylinders given the level of competition the event is providing.
“Our first day we’re allowed to practice is January 9th, and (about two weeks) later is our first game, so it’s tough,” Weaver said. “It’s tough for the pitchers, and we’ve got to get them started on the mound prior to when they return.
“It’s a double-edged sword. I’m not a fan of starting up this early, but by doing it, we know high school ball isn’t going on and Division 1 hasn’t started up yet, so it’s great for the players since I’m sure there will be scouts everywhere. It’ll be great for them to get that experience playing in a big-league park, and having a ton of scouts at the game because there’s no other games that have started yet…but you don’t have much time to get a lot of at-bats in or mound work in before we start up.
“But it’s a great event, and we’re excited to be a part of it…it’s going to be exciting for our players, coaches and our administration. We’re looking forward to it.”
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.
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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.
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