Ryan Garvey, son of former Dodgers first baseman Steve Garvey, is leaving USC three months into his freshman year to continue his baseball career at Riverside City College, according to the Palm Springs Desert Sun.
Garvey played outfield for Palm Desert High School last season and was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 15th round, though he was projected as a top-five round pick.
He chose to sign with USC, but according to the Desert Sun has been overwhelmed by the academic demands.
“I was studying from 9:30 to 6 every day,” he said. “I was more worried about school than baseball, and my thing was to go there and play baseball.”
By leaving USC to play at the junior college level, Garvey will be eligible for the MLB draft again this June. If he had remained at USC, he would have had to play three seasons before becoming eligible for the draft again.