Charlotte, NC - The 2023 Major League Baseball Playoffs have been underway during the month of October. Three former NJCAA Baseball student-athletes will be competing to be named World Series Champions for either the Arizona Diamondbacks or Texas Rangers.
Former Gulf Coast State (FL) pitcher Will Smith has been a key component for the Texas Rangers bullpen. Smith was a key pitcher for the Commodores' 2008 squad, tossing 87.2 innings and striking out 84 batters. After being drafted in the 2008 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Angels in the 7th round, Smith made his MLB debut in 2012 with the Kansas City Royals. The southpaw has been a part of six different MLB franchises and was named an MLB All-Star in 2019 with the San Francisco Giants. This season for the Texas Rangers, Smith has struck out 55 batters over 57.1 innings and a 4.40 ERA. Smith has a chance to make MLB history by becoming the first player to win three consecutive World Series titles in three seasons while playing for three different teams.
The 2022 MLB Silver Slugger Award winner Nathaniel Lowe began his career at Mercer University, before transferring to St. Johns River State (FL). As a first baseman for the Vikings, Lowe averaged a .372 batting average, with 17 home runs, and 53 RBI. Lowe was also second in the nation with 54 walks on the season. These efforts earned Lowe NJCAA Baseball First Team All-America honors in 2015. The first baseman has credited his junior college experience highly for this growth as a baseball player. "Going there and paying your dues and paying it forward for a year before you get back onto the big stage definitely was something that turned my career around," said Lowe. After transferring to Mississippi State and being named a Second Team All-American by Louisville Slugger, Lowe was drafted in the 13th round by the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays traded Lowe to the Rangers in 2020 and has been the starting first baseman in Texas ever since. This season, Lowe has hit a .262 average with 17 home runs and 82 RBI. In 2022, St. Johns River State's president Joe Pickens honored Lowe with the Distinguished Alumni Award.
Instead of signing with the Baltimore Orioles out of high school in 2007, Merrill Kelly chose to attend Yavapai (AZ) and put together an impressive two-year career for the Roughriders. In his sophomore season, Kelly compiled a 15-1 record and brought home a ton of honors. He was named NJCAA DI Baseball Honorable Mention All-America and First Team All-ACCAC. Kelly transferred to Arizona State and was later drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the eighth round of the 2010 MLB Draft. After spending a few years in the minor leagues, Kelly signed with the Korea Baseball Organization club SK Wyverns in 2015. As a Wyvern, he won the Korean Series Championship in 2018 while also compiling a 3.86 ERA across four seasons. The Arizona Diamondbacks signed Kelly in 2019 where he would later make his MLB debut. In 2023, Kelly earned a spot on the United States World Baseball Classic team and was the starting pitcher for many games during the WBC. Kelly has started 30 games for the Diamondbacks in 2023. Over 177.2 innings pitched, Kelly struck out 187 batters and a 3.29 ERA.