From Escanaba To Central Michigan For Hanson

ESCANABA - Living in Escanaba has, admittedly, not been the best way to get your baseball ability discovered. Jared Hanson knows that full well.

“Being from the UP is not the way to get colleges looking at you in the first place,” the 14th-rated 2022 right-handed pitcher in Michigan related. “Traveling out to Green Bay helps, but I got nothing last summer. Then everything happened this summer.”

Everything … as in recruitment from Central Michigan.

“Before high school ball started the coaches on my travel team got video to them,” Hanson reflected. “Then in high school we made a playoff run and I was able to get to Mount Pleasant, which was only 15 minutes away. Coach (Tony) Jandron got to see me.

“We got knocked out of the tournament but then with travel ball the coach was able to see me again. I talked to him and he’s from Negaunee which is close to me (a little more than an hour apart in the UP). He saw me throw on a Thursday and I was offered a spot. I took the offer the next day.”

The 6-3 190-pound hard-throwing right-hander made an impression.

“They like that I attack with my fastball,” the Escanaba High School incoming senior said. “They like my mentality on the mound where I go at each hitter. Instead of messing around, I go right at them.”

That turned out to be the way his recruitment worked as well.

“I expected it to be a long process that would take the whole summer,” explained Hanson, who had interest from recently-turned D-I St. Thomas in Minnesota as well as Division II and III schools. “But then I got an offer from my dream school and I had to take it right there.”

The desire to play baseball at the next level started early for the recently-turned 18-year-old.

“Since I was a young age I remember wanting to play college baseball and pro baseball,” Hanson noted. “It’s what I’ve worked for every day.”

The hard work has been well worth it.

“I hit the weight room, especially with Covid,” Hanson said of his recent improvement. “There was nothing else to do. I cleaned up my mechanics and started throwing smoother. Velocity came and my offspeed came. All I know is it all just clicked.”

The 35th-ranked 2022 in the state credited his father, Scott, along with the coaches for Impact Sports Academy with his development on the mound.

“I always knew I would play college baseball at some level,” Hanson pointed out. “In the spring when I popped 91 in a bullpen I knew then that I could truly be a D-I baseball player.”

Physical therapy or exercise science are under consideration as a major for Hanson, a 4.158 student who believes he can be a benefit to the program at Central Michigan.

“I’ll bring a positive attitude no matter the role I have,” Hanson said. “I’ll fill a role no matter what and help and support my teammates.”

Knowing where his baseball future is with senior year of high school ready to begin brings a sense of reassurance to the fourth-rated uncommitted 2022 right-handed pitcher at the time of his decision to attend CMU.

“It’s a big relief that the process is over and that it went that quickly,” Hanson admitted. “It’s a feeling of accomplishment, but also a feeling of motivation. I’m going to be a college baseball player and now I have to keep developing.”