There are some rumors floating around so here is the official word on Gandy Stubblefield and the decision to play baseball elsewhere next spring:
Gandy and Coach Childress sat down last week to talk about Gandy's future. Gandy has had a very strong showing in the Texas Collegiate League the past two summers and wants to pursue a professional baseball career after college.
After the conversation, there was a mutual decision made - very, VERY amicably - that Gandy would have a better shot at a baseball career if he went to a small school that would allow him the chance to either be a weekend starter or a closer.
Coach Childress worked very closely with Gandy and his father, Gandy III, to help Gandy find a good spot for him. That spot is West Alabama University in Livingston, AL.
Did Gandy get "kicked off" the team? No.
Are the Stubblefield's and Coach Childress still in good standing? Yes, absolutely.
Is Tyler Stubblefield - the projected Friday night starter in 2015 - happy? He'll miss Gandy and didn't want him to leave, but he understands that Gandy needs to do what is best for him. Tyler is good to go. And by the way, that kid does everything right and I've heard rave reviews from my sources on how hard he is working and how focused he is on being a true ace for the Aggies as a sophomore.
Gandy is going to stay at A&M for the fall semester and is about three semesters short of receiving his degree from A&M. The plan right now is to wrap up the fall semester in December and then spend the spring at West Alabama. He'll take classes that can transfer back and then he'll wrap up school in the Fall of 2015.
Here's wishing the best for Gandy. He was considered a consensus top 4 overall pro prospect in the TCL this past summer based on Perfect Game and Baseball America rankings. And when he's on, he still has a live arm that can run it up in the mid-to-high 90s. I hope he goes to West Alabama and dominates the competition and finds himself taken in the top 10-15 rounds of the 2015 Draft. That would be quite a success story.
Gandy and Coach Childress sat down last week to talk about Gandy's future. Gandy has had a very strong showing in the Texas Collegiate League the past two summers and wants to pursue a professional baseball career after college.
After the conversation, there was a mutual decision made - very, VERY amicably - that Gandy would have a better shot at a baseball career if he went to a small school that would allow him the chance to either be a weekend starter or a closer.
Coach Childress worked very closely with Gandy and his father, Gandy III, to help Gandy find a good spot for him. That spot is West Alabama University in Livingston, AL.
Did Gandy get "kicked off" the team? No.
Are the Stubblefield's and Coach Childress still in good standing? Yes, absolutely.
Is Tyler Stubblefield - the projected Friday night starter in 2015 - happy? He'll miss Gandy and didn't want him to leave, but he understands that Gandy needs to do what is best for him. Tyler is good to go. And by the way, that kid does everything right and I've heard rave reviews from my sources on how hard he is working and how focused he is on being a true ace for the Aggies as a sophomore.
Gandy is going to stay at A&M for the fall semester and is about three semesters short of receiving his degree from A&M. The plan right now is to wrap up the fall semester in December and then spend the spring at West Alabama. He'll take classes that can transfer back and then he'll wrap up school in the Fall of 2015.
Here's wishing the best for Gandy. He was considered a consensus top 4 overall pro prospect in the TCL this past summer based on Perfect Game and Baseball America rankings. And when he's on, he still has a live arm that can run it up in the mid-to-high 90s. I hope he goes to West Alabama and dominates the competition and finds himself taken in the top 10-15 rounds of the 2015 Draft. That would be quite a success story.