Following its magical run to the College World Series over the summer, the Mississippi State University baseball program landed the No. 2 recruiting class in the country for the 2014 season. The Bulldogs welcome 19 freshmen and transfer players as they enter fall camp this weekend. But freshman Joey Swinarski chose a bit of a different route in order to get to Starkville.
The Winter Park, Fla., native played his high school ball at The First Academy, a private Christian-based college preparatory school with a total enrollment of 1,100 students. Swinarski became a highly-touted standout, and by the end of his third year, he was listed as Perfect Game’s No. 232 prospect in the nation.
With hopes of making himself a high MLB draft pick as his talent increased, Swinarski had to make a decision after his junior year — either finish one more year of high school and enter the draft or go to college to increase his draft stock.
Swinarski made the decision to give up his senior year of high school, graduate early and enroll at MSU.
“I sat down with a couple people that were close to me and that had done this before. Either they had gone to college or gone to the pros. We kind of balanced the situation,” he said. “We felt like coming here was the best decision, ultimately, because of the coaching staff and how good their record is — for example, Hunter Renfroe and Chris Stratton, with first-rounders. I felt like this is the best place for me.”
For Swinarski, he knew he had the talent, but the only concern in his recruitment was his development to a different level of play.
 “It was all a matter of development and me getting here and being able to get better and more prepared for, eventually, the pros, which is the ultimate goal,” Swinarski said. “I felt like coming here would be a big step in helping me achieve my dreams of becoming a major league baseball player.”
Swinarski’s skill set resembles that Hunter Renfroe, who was drafted in the first round of the MLB draft last spring by the San Diego Padres. Head coach John Cohen said fans will not only get to see Swinarski showcase those skills this weekend, but Swinarski will also get to experience the speed of the game at the collegiate level.
“I think Joey is a young man who has a very high ceiling. He is a very skilled player. I think Joey has a very bright future,” Cohen said. “Like Hunter Renfroe, who had 25 at-bats as a freshman, you just don’t know. You don’t know how much playing time any of these guys will get, but the fall will be a pretty good indication of where they stand.”
Outside of baseball, Swinarski said he continues to have a smooth transition to his new college environment. Though there are major differences and changes, he said he has developed new relationships that have helped him adjust academically and socially.
“It’s been fun. It’s a lot different being from private school my whole life to being at a big university and not knowing as many people. For example, I knew my whole class throughout all of high school,” he said. “I believe I’ve made extremely close friends so far, especially my teammates, and I feel like they’ll be my friends for the rest of my life.”
Senior outfielder C.T. Bradford is one of those teammates who has already made an impression on the newcomer. Swinarski said Bradford’s help goes beyond school and friends but, more importantly, comes out on the diamond.
“C.T. has probably helped me out the most. He’s really had a good influence on me and has taught me a lot,” Swinarski said. “I’ve probably learned hundreds of things from him already, and even if it’s the littlest of things, they’re going to make a big difference for me hopefully this fall, this spring and in the future.”
Swinarski said he seeks to make an immediate impact for the team and grab attention in the fall scrimmages this weekend. Through the things he’s learned from coaches and teammates so far, he said he knows he is in the right place to succeed.
“I’m just trying to do my best and go put it on the field,” he said. “I feel like I’ve put myself in a good situation, and from what I’ve learned already, I feel like I’m going to thrive in this environment.”
Although Swinarski’s decision seems unprecedented, early enrollment is not a new trend in college baseball. North Carolina’s Levi Michael in 2008, UCLA’s Trevor Bauer in 2009 and LSU’s Michael Barash in 2012 all graduated high school early to get a head start on their college careers. 
What did they all have in common? Each went on to help their team make a College World Series appearance.