Pandemic brings extra year of eligibility for AU athletes—and tough choices

By Chris Rickerson | Sports writer

College athletes’ seasons got cut short due to the pandemic in 2020, but the NCAA offered an extra year of eligibility for college athletes to be able to play one more year.

Augusta University was one of many schools that did not get to finish the spring season for college athletics. Augusta baseball coach Chris Howell says it was not fun to tell the players last year that the season was canceled.

“It was challenging , and I didn’t enjoy telling the guys that the season had come to an end,” said Howell. “Three of our four seniors had professional decisions to make, and it just made life decisions come at them quicker.”

One of these players was AU catcher Jose Nogueras, who said it was a shock when he found out the season was coming to an end. 

“Last season was an absolute shock, and we thought that was it and there was nothing we could do about it,” said Nogueras, who is from Grovetown.  

Nogueras decided to come back for one more year and says he is very grateful to be able to finish his last season as a Jaguar, when he has hit four home runs and three doubles with 13 RBI.

“It went from being at the very bottom and being sad, to being at the top and just pure joy knowing that will get to play again,” said Nogueras, who played at Grovetown High School. “I am extremely grateful to be able to come back and play.”

Howell also said he was very happy for Nogueras and was excited for him to return to play baseball at AU. 

“He is a guy that walked on here and now is a scholarship guy and has a lot of passion for the game and is a great teammate,” said Howell. “We are very fortunate for him to be able and come back to play because he plays the game the right way, and it is a lot fun to watch him continue the dream and be a good teammate.”

Nogueras hit a walk-off home run to help the Jaguars get their first win at home of the season and says it was special for him because he has never done that. 

“I have never hit a walk-off in my life, so that one was pretty special, and I didn’t think I would be doing this in my last year,” said Nogueras. 

The decision to have a fifth year of eligibility is not for every AU athlete. Hunter Kimball, a cross-country and track athlete, also got an extra year of eligibility, but he had already decided to go into the U.S. Army and will not return for his fifth season running for the Jaguars. Kimball has had an outstanding track season after helping the Jaguars to another Peach Belt Conference cross-country title last fall. Last weekend, he set a new AU standard for the 5,000-meter run in a meet in Atlanta. He was named PBC Track Athlete of the Week.

Some AU athletes have decided to move on into their professional careers, and others have decided to go to graduate school.

Contact Christopher Rickerson at CRICKERSON@augusta.edu.