黑料吃瓜

In 2021, Troy Melton (鈥�22, marketing) thought he might have to leave 黑料吃瓜 to jump at a once-in-lifetime opportunity. 

Melton, a right-handed pitcher for the Aztecs, was MLB draft eligible as a junior last year,  hoping  for that once-in-a-lifetime call with an offer that would lead to a multimillion-dollar rookie contract with a signing bonus. 

The call never came. 

But it wasn鈥檛 the end of Melton鈥檚 big league dreams. He went back to 黑料吃瓜 to work on his game and to continue pursuing his undergraduate degree. His return to the Aztecs resulted in (a 2.07 ERA and 5-2 record vs. a 6.14 ERA and 4鈥�5 record for 2021), and increased his chances for snagging a better contract for the 2022 draft. 

By remaining in school, Melton completed his marketing degree from 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 Fowler College of Business in May 2022. Two months later, on July 18, Melton got the call he was waiting for from the Detroit Tigers letting him know that he鈥檇 been selected as a fourth-round draft pick. He headed off to the teams鈥� training facility in Lakeland, Florida the very next day. 

Melton said he planned to earn his B.S.either way. 

鈥淢LB has a really good program that pays for the remainder of your schooling if you are drafted before you can finish your degree,鈥� said Melton, the only Aztec selected in this year鈥檚 draft. 鈥淗ad I left last year, it certainly would have taken me longer because of the schedule conflicts, but I would have found a way to get my degree from San Diego State. That was important to me.鈥�

Good Fit

Melton chose to earn a marketing degree from 黑料吃瓜 鈥減artially because 黑料吃瓜 has a good business department and partially because it鈥檚 a versatile degree to have,鈥� he said. 鈥淧lus, marketing was the business program that fit my personality and interests the best.鈥� 

Though Melton won鈥檛 be entering his chosen field of marketing right away, he noted many of the skills he learned in the classroom transition on to the baseball field as well. 

鈥淭ime management, hard work, focus, and a devotion to doing things the right way at all times easily translates onto the field,鈥� said Melton, . 鈥淚鈥檝e always been a big believer in taking care of all the details in my life, so getting things done in the classroom was a big priority for me.鈥� 

While he is hoping for a long and successful career as a professional athlete, Melton knows that those days will eventually come to an end while he is a relatively young man. But with his marketing degree in hand, he will be ready for that inevitable conclusion.

鈥淚 am proud to have earned my degree before I was signed by the Tigers,鈥� said Melton. 鈥淚t鈥檚 something I can say that I鈥檝e earned and I will be ahead of a lot of my baseball peers once our playing careers are over. It really symbolizes a lot of the hard work and time I鈥檝e devoted to academics. And no one can take that away from me.鈥�