Troy Buckley, the baseball coach at Long Beach State, was the ultimate beneficiary of McNeil’s transition back to baseball. Unable to secure a golf scholarship, McNeil played baseball for the California Wahoos in a scout league after his junior year of high school and committed to California State University, Northridge, even before suiting up for Nipomo High as a senior. But the Northridge coaching staff was fired before McNeil ever made it to campus. In turn, Northridge recommended McNeil to Buckley, who watched him play for one weekend and offered him a scholarship. McNeil was now a Long Beach State Dirtbag.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/14/sports/jeff-mcneil-mets.html
The New York Times
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Athletics