Neosho’s Brylie Ware signs with Oklahoma as MLB Draft looms

Brylie Ware didn’t see the need to waste time once the season was over, and the wunderkind Neosho College freshman third baseman moved quickly when it came to picking a four-year college.

Turned out one school had the upper hand all along.

“It’s been a dream of mine to play for Oklahoma my whole life,” said Ware, a Sedgwick product. “I grew up an OU fan, grew up going to campus and going to football games.”

Ware, who led the nation in batting average, home runs and RBIs for the NJCAA’s first Triple Crown since 1985, signed with the Sooners last week. He also had offers from Kansas State, Arkansas and Wichita State.

Ware had no Division I offers after he graduated from Sedgwick last May, and could still go pro if he’s picked in the Major League Baseball Draft that begins June 9.

Last season’s top prospect from Jayhawk Conference was in a similar situation. Cowley freshman third baseman Garrett Benge signed with Oklahoma State, was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 22nd round and the NJCAA Division I Player of the Year opted for college.

Benge was a second-team All-Big 12 pick this year, hitting .299 with 36 RBIs and 15 doubles and will be eligible for the 2017 draft. If Ware decides to play for Oklahoma, he wouldn’t be eligible to be drafted again until 2018, per NCAA rules.

“If it’s life-changing money with the signing bonus, I’ll certainly take it,” Ware said. “The main thing is that I continue to get to the play the game that I love. Playing at the next level is always the goal, whether that’s going to be Division I or the pros. But the ultimate goal is to play in the pros.”

Ware briefly considered returning to Neosho, where he helped lead the Panthers to a 51-11 record, a brief stint atop the NJCAA rankings and a Jayhawk East title.

“I don’t think I have a lot left to prove at the juco level,” Ware said. “It was time to move up.”

One thing Ware will have to do at the next level, pro or Division I, is improve his fielding. He was second on Neosho with 16 errors this season and his .895 fielding percentage wasn’t in the Jayhawk Conference’s top 50.

He also came up short in the Region VI Tournament, going 3 for 13 in four games with one extra-base hit and no RBIs in top-seeded Neosho’s final two games on their way to elimination.

Ware said his plan right now – not taking the draft into account – is to play for the Kansas Cougars this summer, then join the NJCAA national team for the National Baseball Congress World Series in July.

“As far as Brylie goes, he handled everything awesome during the season,” Neosho coach Steve Murry said. “Right up at the very end, I think he was getting pulled in a lot of different directions because there was always a coach or an interview or a questionnaire to fill out and that was a bit of a distraction.

“I think defensively he has a lot still to prove, but he got better as the year went on. I also think, wherever the kid goes, he’s gonna hit. That’s one thing I know for sure.”

This story was originally published June 1, 2016 at 3:51 PM with the headline "Neosho’s Brylie Ware signs with Oklahoma as MLB Draft looms."