There are still several weeks remaining in the college baseball season but in about a month players will be fanning out across the country to play in a number of summer leagues in hopes of improving their chances of eventually moving on to the professional ranks.
One of those places is Waterloo where the Bucks have been part of the Northwoods League since 1995. “We view ourselves as providing college baseball players with a minor league internship,” according to Bucks general manager Dan Corbin. He says they ride on charter buses, they stay in hotels with host families and the players get seen by scouts during the games. Corbin says the league gives them all the experiences they players will face once they get into pro ball, and it helps them be ready to play.
There is no draft and the current Bucks roster features players from across the country. “Everyone is a free agent unless you finished the season on another Northwoods League team roster…other than that, everyone who is playing college ball is fair game,” Corbin says.
The season lasts for more than two months and players will live with host families for the summer. He says the families give them a little guidance as well as a place to stay during the summer.
The Bucks will open the new season on May 27th.