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.
JUCO SHOWDOWN TICKETS
FULL TOURNEY | DAY PASSES
Seminole State College Trojans
Head Coach: Mack Chambers, 8th season
Home Ballpark: BCM Complex — Seminole, OK
Notable Alums: Adam LaRoche, Abraham Toro, Nick Blackburn, Jeremy Hefner, Christian McGowan, Brock Rodden
2025 Result: 34-20
2025 LEADERS
(MIN. 100 PA / 20 IP)
| STAT | LEADER | VALUE |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Wilfred Gonzalez | .394 |
| HR | Hunter Dearman, Grayson Childers | 8 |
| RBI | Childers | 55 |
| SB | Tyler Payton | 31 |
| OPS | Gonzalez | 1.037 |
| ERA | Denver Hamilton | 2.25 |
| WHIP | Hamilton | 1.05 |
| K | Declan Dahl | 73 |
Chambers, a draft pick of the then-Cleveland Indians in 1992, took over the program in 2019. He also played college football at Northeastern State University for three years while going back to get his degree after his professional baseball days had ended. He began his coaching career in 1999 and made a handful of stops, including serving as an athletic director, before advancing to his current position at Seminole State, where he played some of his college baseball.
“I’ve enjoyed being able to come back and give back to what Coach Simmons gave to me while I was here,” Chambers told FSS Plus, referring to College Hall of Fame coach Lloyd Simmons, who served two lengthy stints at Seminole as recently as 2016.
“You get an opportunity to lead such a prestigious program, it’s always a great honor to be chosen and given that opportunity. One thing Coach Simmons told me when I took the job was, ‘Just be you. Don’t try to be anybody else, just do your thing the way you do it.’ And that’s what I’ve done.”
So far, so good; Chambers has led the team to 35-plus win campaigns in three of his seasons there, including back-to-back NJCAA Region II Tournament championships in 2023 and 2024, and has taken pride in continuing some of the many traditions the program had established when Simmons was there, not just winning.
However, at the end of the day, that’s the name of the game, and the way the landscape of college baseball has changed over the last few years in particular has paid dividends in fortifying his roster.
“You’ve got those guys who want to be in the glam life of a D1, but my philosophy when we talk to more recruit guys who want to go to a Power Four, I tell them that if you can go play there, you’ll probably be in the first three rounds of the Draft,” Chambers said. “If you see yourself in the first three rounds of the Draft, you can go see yourself with an opportunity to step in and play as a freshman at one of the big-time Power 4 schools.
“Coming here for a year and getting an opportunity, now you can get your at-bats and then not be wasting a semester at a D1…now, if they still want you, they’ll come get you. Especially with the limited (roster spots), some guys see that the JUCO route is the best route to go.”
With that said, a JUCO roster is often in flux, and that remains the case for Chambers and his team in advance of the season-opening JUCO Showdown. However, Chambers is excited about the potential group he’ll have in his lineup, and listed quite a few likely returning players worth keeping an eye on in two months.
“We’ve got a bunch of talented guys that have been playing together that are engaging to push each other, and that’s big,” he said. “You see guys pushing each other in the weight room, and that’s been huge.”
Cohl McCoy: “He’ll be a guy that’s going to hit the top of our order and play second base…brings a spark to the team at the top of the order.”
WT Jones: “He ended up playing short at the end of (last) year once our shortstop went down with a knee injury, and he’s a guy that’s two hole to the middle of the lineup, left-handed hitter with a lot of power.”
Hutch Russell — “Third base guy, another left-handed hitter and a guy that’s going to bring a lot of patience in the three or four hole, which is huge.”
Carter Sterling: “Limited at-bats last year…we have a few guys who are going to play up the middle, so we’ll have a rotation early; WT and Sterling will play shortstop and also play third and first. Hutch Russell will play third and first.”
Brayden Harpole: “He started out last year hitting in the four hole for us; he’ll be back and play first and DH.”
Bennett Crafton: “He got a lot of at-bats a year ago, he’ll play right.”
Jackson Lundquist — “He’ll probably be our center fielder; he got a lot of experience last year in left, but all our outfielders can play all the positions.”
Jaylon Humbles: “Another sophomore who got limited at-bats last year with a left-handed stick who we feel we’re going to be able to get in our lineup a lot.”
Tagen Simon: “He was a shortstop for us last year, but in the middle of the year we had a catcher go down, and he caught a little bit in high school, so we converted him to a catcher, and he’s been really good back there. We’re excited for what he’s going to do for us this year.”
Additionally, Chambers listed off some incoming freshmen he expects to make an impact in his lineup, notably Texas high schooler Joe Frazier as a potential right fielder that he can utilize more so against left-handed pitching, as well as switch-hitting Coby McBride, who put down 6.6 60 times on the amateur circuit. Infielder Jarret Halter, who had been committed to ULM, and Kendric Molina will also have opportunities to make an impact on the dirt.
Pitching-wise, Chambers will have some arms worth keeping an eye on over the first few days of the season, most notably the return of his number three starter, Matt Hudspeth, who struck out 62 batters in 63 2/3 innings last year, but struggled at times to a 6-8 record and 6.36 ERA with a three-pitch mix that featured a fastball up to 89. Cash Coble, Jackson Pickelsimer, Clayton Moore, and Hunter Gibson will also be among the standout returnees to the Trojans’ staff.
“We’ve got a few guys that have some experience and over 20-plus innings, and we’re excited about that, because that experience on the mound, you can never have enough,” Chambers said, while also noting his excitement over some arms returning from injury, including Jaxon Ramos.
Ultimately, this is a big opportunity for whoever ends up on the roster during that last week of January, and Chambers is eager to get his program onto the field at the home of the Texas Rangers and see what his team is made of against a loaded field.
“We try to challenge ourselves very early and make sure we’re battle tested,” he said. “To be able to do this at the venue it’s at, it’s going to be something our guys are never going to forget to be able to experience that and be able to play against the quality of those teams.
“Recruiting-wise, being able to get down there and knowing that they’re putting us on that stage like that to be recognized and to be seen from the professional guys and the D1 guys…it’s huge in that regard.”
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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