Infielder Matt Kroon will transfer from the Oregon baseball team and enroll at Central Arizona College, he shared on social media on Monday night.
Central Arizona College is a public community college located in Coolidge, Arizona, approximately 45 minutes outside Phoenix. The Vaqueros finished the 2016 season 45-14, best in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference.
“Transferring out of the University of Oregon was the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make,” Kroon wrote. “However, I look forward to starting my next chapter of my baseball career at Central Arizona College. I will miss Eugene but am excited for the future.”
Kroon does not appear on Oregon’s 2017 online roster.
“Matt has decided to make a change,” Duck coach George Horton said through an Oregon spokesman. “We wish him well.”
https://twitter.com/Matty_Iceeee/status/821183799778099200
Kroon hit .184 in his freshman year with the Ducks. He played in 35 games and started in 20. He scored 10 runs and tallied 14 hits.
The Scottsdale, Arizona, native was picked in the 38th round (1,135th overall) of the 2015 MLB Draft by the Cincinnati Reds. He’s the son of Marc Kroon, a former major league pitcher.
“Thank you to my teammates who helped create the player I am today,” Kroon wrote. “I wouldn’t have made it this far with out the everyday support and constructive criticism that came along with being their teammate. Good luck to the boys, and I’ll be watching every step of the way.”