TALLAHASSEE, FL / ACCESSWIRE / January 19, 2017 / Former Clemson commit Derek Vail has opted to instead join the Florida State Seminole's baseball team. The announcement comes after his impending attendance at Clemson was widely considered a sure-thing. Vail, who has just finished his Sophomore year pitching for Santa Fe college, will now head to Tallahassee to see out the final two years of his college pitching career.
Vail's decision to join FSU fulfils his ambitions in becoming a NCAA Division 1 Athlete. His career at Santa Fe has been impressive to say the least, he was fielding interest form over 10 colleges before choosing to commit to FSU for the 2014/2015 academic year.
As a freshman at Santa Fe College, Vail led the team for appearances with over 25 during the 2012/2013 season. He pitched 46.1 innings with an ERA of 3.11. As a sophomore, he pitched 38.2 innings with a 3.49 ERA. Vail attended Buchholz High School in Gainesville, Florida. He was named pitcher of the year as a senior in 2012.
At FSU, Vail will most likely be looking to further his reputation for academic excellence. During his Sophomore year he was named to the All-State Academic Team as well as Santa Fe College's Dean's List; his sophomore year saw him named to the All-American Academic Team and Dean's List while simultaneously receiving the NJCAA Exemplary Academic Achievement Award.
While Vail had committed to Clemson, his choice to opt for FSU comes as no surprise considering the prestige of the program as well the proximity to his home in Gainesville. The Florida State Seminole's have been the ACC Atlantic Conference Champions every year since 2007. In 2012 they won the overall ACC Conference Championship. They have appeared the in the College World Series 21 times. They are the most successful NCAA baseball program that has never won a College World Series.
SOURCE: Derek Vail