Draft or Doctor? South Florida’s Koscso Has Options

South Florida’s Jonathan Koscso isn’t hanging his fate on Monday’s MLB Draft. While the third baseman for South Florida loves baseball, he has other plans: medical school.

“Of course, I would love to continue playing baseball,” said Koscso. “I’ve been playing since I was four year old. But I also want to be a doctor.”

Koscso, who was named to the Big East first team for his play this season, has been on the medical school track for a while. A pre-medical academic track is difficult enough for a student not playing Division I athletics, and Koscso somehow balanced his stellar play on the field with a class schedule full of biology, chemistry and other sciences.

“It was very tough, but I wanted to do it,” explained Koscso. “It was very tough. Any amount of free time I had, I had to devote it towards coursework. There was no sitting around, playing video games or watching TV. You don’t have much time to be social when you’re pre-med, but I knew it would be worth it in the end.”

Koscso’s hard work paid off – he was offered admittance South Florida’s medical school. And while he isn’t sure exactly what type of medicine he’ll practice post-medical school, his baseball career may influence his decision.

“This past summer, I worked alongside our team doctor, who does sports medicine and orthopedics, and that really interested me. I got to see a variety of surgeries, rehab, and injuries. It related well with my experience as a baseball player.”

His experience playing the game isn’t the only aspect from baseball that will help him in baseball. He served as team captain, and showed die hard dedication by never missing a start in his four year career. He started 229 consecutive games, and earned himself a variety of Big East and team honors along the way. Koscso finished his college career with 274 hits and 181 runs scored.

“Koscso is really the leader of this team,” remarked teammate Kevin Quakenbush. “He’s been a great captain.”

Of course, if Koscso is drafted this week, he might have a difficult decision on his hands. But he says he’ll cross that bridge when he comes to it. “I’ll look at all of my options. I’d love to continue playing baseball, and following that as long as I can.”