Clemson baseball commit says visit ‘blew my mind’
By: robertcadden June 24, 2023

The Clemson baseball program landed a commitment from a big-time infielder on Wednesday.

Central Bucks Eat (PA) third baseman Chase Harlan announced his commitment to the program on Wednesday evening, just one day after visiting campus for the first time.

“The visit was amazing,” Harlan said. “I’d never been to Clemson prior to the visit and it really blew my mind. I’ve always preferred urban environments, but with Clemson’s campus it didn’t matter. The campus is the most beautiful campus I’ve been on and I’ve seen a lot of campuses before. Clemson tops it all.”

Prior to his visit, Harlan had never met first-year Clemson head coach Erik Bakich. But after meeting with him, the 6-foot-3, 205-pound infielder was completely sold on Bakich as his future head man.

“It would be hard to point one thing out that sets Clemson apart from the other schools that were recruiting me, but one thing that really set Clemson apart from the other schools was the coaching staff,” Harlan said. “Coach Bakich is the coach I want to play for. He gives all of his players the ability to be the best baseball player and most importantly the best person I can be after baseball.”

As a junior for the Patriots, Harlan racked up 30 hits, 21 RBIs and five home runs while batting .435. His prowess on the diamond is good enough for a 9.5 rating from Perfect Game, which describes a ranking between nine and 10 as a “potential top 10 round pick and/or highest level college prospect.”

“My message to Clemson fans is that they’re getting someone who will work hard to help Clemson’s baseball team succeed,” Harlan said. “You will never see me giving anything less than 100% on the field and I will be bringing a ton of energy that will resonate with my teammates.”

Following Harlan’s commitment, Clemson’s 2024 recruiting class is currently the No. 17 overall class, according to Perfect Game’s team rankings.