HOUSTON – The New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series is pleased to announce the official return of the JUCO Main Event Showdown, presented by DraftLine.
The event will once again be held at Globe Life Field, home of the 2023 World Series Champion Texas Rangers from January 25-27, 2026, and will feature some of the top junior college baseball teams. The weekend will mark the start of what is expected to be another highly competitive Junior College season.
In all, nine of the top college programs in the country are set to play a 15-game schedule that will provide scouts with an exciting opportunity to start tracking the exceptionally good talent that will be on display.
“The 2026 JUCO Main Event Showdown promises to be an electric event — one that reflects how far we’ve come as an organization,” said Jeremy Booth, CEO and President of Baseball Operations for the New Balance Future Stars Series. “We’re taking the exhibition and scrimmage format and turning it into a setting with real games that count for championships. This will expand player visibility and enhance their growth and set the tone for the season in an unprecedented way.”
Currently, the following programs are scheduled to be participate:
Florence-Darlington Technical College (Florence, South Carolina), Lake Land College (Mattoon, Illinois), Florida Southwestern College (Cypress Lake, Florida), Wabash Valley College (Mount Carmel, Illinois), Grayson Junior College (Denison, Texas), Wharton County Junior College (Wharton, Texas), Seminole State College (Seminole, Oklahoma), San Jacinto College (Houston, Texas) and Amarillo College (Amarillo, Texas).
The full schedule details will be released closer to the event.
“We at San Jacinto College are honored to participate in the Future Stars JUCO Main Event Showdown this January,” said Kory Koehler, assistant coach at San Jacinto College and College Coordinator for the New Balance Future Stars Series. “This event has been a long time in the making and promises to be one of the most significant opening weekend baseball tournaments in NJCAA baseball history. We’re proud to be a part of it and confident that it’s only going to grow bigger and better in the years to come.”
The Future Stars Series was built to help players ascend into college and professional levels of baseball. This first-of-its-kind event is the next chapter in that commitment as all these programs get to open their season inside a Major League Baseball stadium.
“With great teamwork, we’ve overcome efforts that were attempting to hold this back,” said Booth. “It’s gratifying to start the season with nine of the college programs in the country, teams that on any given day can go out and beat anyone in college baseball.”
In addition to the team competition, players from each school will vie for five top awards that will be handed out at the end of the weekend’s games. Most Valuable Player, Most Outstanding Hitter, Most Outstanding Pitcher, Best Prospect and Defensive Player of the Event awards will go to the individuals that exemplify what each category is all about.
The inaugural installment of this event, held at Globe Life Field in early 2024, featured junior college programs competing against some of the organizations top high school talent like future first-round draft pick Slade Caldwell and Baltimore Orioles draft pick Derrick “D.J.” Layton.
However, this year’s edition will exclusively feature junior college programs facing off against one another in a highly competitive schedule that will provide a great early season test for each of the schools.
“This is a milestone for the Future Stars Series organization,” said Booth. “I’m thankful to everyone here for making this step a reality. It’s going to be a week to remember, and we look forward to expanding this across the country.”
This will serve as yet another step for FSS as it builds towards next summer’s JUCO All-Star Game, details of which will be revealed on a later date. All this falls in line with the organization’s renewed commitment to helping the best junior college talent in the country make their names known.
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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