The NCAA’s latest loss in the courts has found its way to the MLB Draft League.
The hybrid amateur/professional league was thrown into chaos on Saturday night when one game was canceled and another delayed after some players refused to play in hopes of retaining college eligibility.
That decision was made after a federal court in Denver on Friday dealt the chaos-inducing blow to the NCAA’s new eligibility when it ruled that all high school class of 2022 athletes who exhausted their fourth season of college eligibility this spring are eligible for a fifth season this school year.
The ruling from U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney is expected to be appealed, but undercuts the NCAA’s plan to have the so-called “five for five” rule go into play starting with athletes who enroll in college in fall 2027.
The Thunder’s game on Saturday night at Williamsport began in a delay after Trenton’s original lineup was updated to show no designated hitter and two pitchers in the batting order. The Williamsport Sun-Gazette reported that Thunder right fielder Jake Koonin, a Princeton University graduate, and designated hitter Julian Swift had both pulled themselves from the lineup.
The game went ahead with Williamsport taking an 11-6 victory. Sunday’s series finale between the Thunder and Crosscutters was rained out.
In Aberdeen, a game between the Iron Birds and first-place State College Spikes was canceled “due to circumstances outside the teams’ control.”
Thunder President Jeff Hurley said he only learned of crisis shortly before the game started because the team was on the road. The veteran minor league executive confirmed that seven players opted not to play, but he couldn’t elaborate more when reached by phone on Sunday afternoon.
Hurley said he doesn’t believe the remainder of the season is in jeopardy.
Following an off day on Monday, the Thunder begin a three-game set at home against Aberdeen on Tuesday. The roster is likely to look drastically different.
The six-team Draft League was created in 2021 after Major League Baseball took control of the minor leagues and reduced the number of affiliated clubs. The first half of the season is made of draft-eligible amateur players, with the second half a professional league consisting of young players who exhausted collegiate eligibility.
It’s unclear what kind of standing any player who signed a professional contract and has been paid would have with the NCAA.