Pasadena City College isn't just a stepping stone for student-athletes right out of high school. For sophomore transfer Jameson Ferraro, playing for the Lancers baseball team this past season proved to pay off in more ways than one.

Ferraro, who became the ace of the pitching staff and an All-South Coast Conference First Team selection, accepted a playing scholarship this week to NCAA Division I University of Central Arkansas.

It is a second chance for Ferraro, who originally earned a scholarship at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Utah, but did not get the most out of his freshman experience there last year. After making just seven appearances in 2023, Ferraro decided to transfer to PCC which allowed him to return home after a successful high school career at Crescenta Valley High. 

"I was losing the love for the game of baseball while at BYU, and I didn't really like that," Ferraro said on why he turned to PCC for a fresh start. "I was already friends with some of the players at PCC and my cousin Matt Rice (2022-2023 Lancers teams) played here and had great things to say about his experience. I knew PCC did a good job to develop college pitchers and they checked a lot of boxes for me. 

"Playing at PCC brought back that love of the game. I wasn't worried, and I started enjoying the moment and I had fun. The team environment was awesome, and the players they are all competitors. I felt like I took the role of a leader on the pitching staff and that pushed me to be better."

Ferraro had a banner sophomore season for the Lancers as he compiled an outstanding 8-4 pitching record in a team-high 89.2 innings. The 6-foot-3, right-hander was third in the conference and 11th in the state in lowest ERA with a 2.31 mark. He is one of just four PCC pitchers to ever win as many as eight games and his ERA is fourth-best in a single season in Lancers history. 

One of the biggest highlights of the '24 season was when Ferraro outdueled All-American and Southern California Pitcher of the Year Derek Valdez in a 2-1, PCC upset over the then state #1-ranked Cerritos Falcons on April 18. Ferraro tossed a 2-hitter over eight innings, striking out seven batters. 

Ferraro talked about the influence of PCC head coach Pat McGee.

"I thought my high school coach was the best coach I had ever played for until playing for Coach McGee. He pushed me to succeed. He is like a father figure because you could come to him with anything. It didn't matter if you were a starter or someone who didn't get innings, he treated everyone the same. He was always there to help you."

A kinesiology major, Ferraro will play as a junior in 2025 at Central Arkansas with another former Lancer in first baseman Jake Trabbie (2022-23 Lancers), who will play his senior season next year. 

Ferraro's goal is to play professionally and he has hopes of being drafted by a Major League Baseball team in the near future.