Andover's Yastrzemski chooses Vanderbilt

Bill Kipouras
sports@eagletribune.com

November 18, 2008 11:49 pm

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ANDOVER - Mike Yastrzemski made only one official college visit over the summer: to Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.

"It's down south, which is what I wanted, so I could play ball almost all year," the 18-year-old outfield prospect from St. John's Prep said.

The grandson of Red Sox Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski didn't waste much time in joining the baseball ranks of the Southeast Conference by choosing the Commodores. He gave Vanderbilt baseball coach Tim Corbin a verbal commitment on his Sept. 4-6 visit and signed with the school last week.

Boston College offered Andover's Yastrzemski the same type of tuition package as Vandy did. He also checked out Brown and Harvard, which also recruited him.

"I was sold on Vanderbilt right away," Yastrzemski said. "It was exactly what I was looking for ... hard-nosed baseball. I especially liked the attitude on the field and how they prepare mentally. The coaching staff is excellent, too. Coach Corbin grew up in Wolfeboro on Lake Winnepesaukee."

Vanderbilt was above all other colleges for him in terms of academics and baseball, he said. There was also the scouting exposure afforded the southern ballplayers.

"I'm going to major in communications. I'd like to do something like being on ESPN if I can't make it baseball," the Prep senior from Andover said.

Yes, his famed grandfather Carl Yastrzemski was involved in the choice. He's back working with his grandson most every Sunday as he recovers from triple bypass surgery.

"He had a lot of contacts and made calls for me, looking for the best academic-athletic situation," said Mike Yastrzemski. "My mom (Ann-Marie) was a big part of it, too. We had an advisor, Jack Toffey of Boston. He was a friend of my dad."

The 5-foot-11, 175-pound Yastrzemski, who throws and bats left-handed, is the Prep's leadoff hitter. He hit in the high .400s as a junior.

"I'm thankful for what the Prep has done for me," he said. "I also have to give a lot of credit to Dave Bettencourt, who operates DB's Baseball and Softball Academy in North Andover. Dave has always been there for me in my needs."

Corbin saw a lot of Yastrzemski at the annual Area Code Games Showcase in Long Beach, Calif. The Commodores were looking for a left-handed hitter and had an open spot after one of their recruits, Ryan Westmoreland of Rhode Island, signed with the Red Sox instead.

"It would be easy to fall in love with a prospect named Yastrzemski," Corbin reflected. "We tried to look at him as if he was Mike Jones, not someone who was the grandson of an all-time great. I think he was a great fit because Vandy is so well-recognized for academics, and that was a feature for him.

"Mike's a hard-nosed kid, very smart. He's a prospect, no question. We'll use him in all three outfield positions."

Can he step in and play?

"That point in time is up to him," Corbin said. "It's a real a tough conference for any freshman, but we never would have recruited him if he didn't fit into our plans."