GORHAM, Me. - The original intention was for Vanderbilt to check back in the summer of 2023 to see what progress was being made by Wyatt Nadeau. But that idea changed this fall.

“I was playing for my AAU team Maine Lightning at Bryant and Tim Corbin was there,” the top-rated sophomore in Maine  reflected back to the initial connection with Vanderbilt in early summer. “I pitched three innings and was pretty decent. I heard a little back and they said they wanted to see me next summer.”

A “couple offers” came in after that before Nadeau reconnected with Vanderbilt.

“They heard in September that I hit the high-80s,” the 6-6 230-pounder related. “Then I went to a camp there in mid-October and hit 90. After that I was on a phone call with the pitching coach and got an offer two weeks later.”

A commitment followed, bringing an end to a recruiting process that began with interest from Maine, where Nadeau’s father went to school. UConn joined Maine in offering the third-ranked 2025 right-handed pitcher in New England, who was also wanted by Georgetown after being seen at a fall camp in Maine.

“You watch Vanderbilt on TV and can’t help falling in love with it,” explained Nadeau, who also had interest from Wake Forest, Duke and Maryland. “You watch them as a kid and you’re hoping to have a chance to commit there.

“Last March we went on vacation to a game there. They play with a lot of heart and their facilities are the best of the best. I like the campus and really like the coaches. It’s a tight-knit program and just felt like it was a place I could play at.”

With a dad who played college baseball, it was only natural for Nadeau to want to follow in those footsteps.

“I was always a three-sport athlete,” Nadeau noted. “I started pitching a lot two years ago and up around Maine I was good, but it’s not Vanderbilt. I didn’t know if I’d be able to go to a place like that, but last winter I had a big jump in the 80s and started thinking maybe I’ll be able to play. Then in the summer all these offers came. It was super exciting.”

Vanderbilt saw what they were looking for in Nadeau.

“They said I was easy to talk to and seemed like I would be a good locker room guy,” Nadeau related. “They said my offspeed and my fastball were all good.”

Improvement was beneficial in making it all happen.

“The weight room was big,” Nadeau pointed out. “I hit it a lot last winter with my legs. Balance was also a big one. I’m also big on mechanical stuff, I study that. All of it really helped me gain velo and hitting and playing basketball helped in getting more athletic. 

“The guys at Maine Lighting also helped with bullpens. My first bullpen last winter was 82-84. I really had never been in the 80s before. Coach gave me a tip and that was the first time I threw 87.”

Ryan Copp and Mike D’Andrea, owners of Maine Lightning, along with pitching mentor Matt Johnston are credited by Nadeau with playing key roles in bringing an end to a “very stressful process” of recruitment.

“It went really slow, then it went really fast at the end,” the 16-year-old said. “I thought I was going to UConn and didn’t think I’d get an offer from Vanderbilt. But then after the camp, Ryan Copp said to call Vanderbilt.

“My dad has also been a big part of this and my mom and family. It’s amazing and definitely crazy. Maine Lightning has sent a few players to Vanderbilt and there’s one player (Hunter Owen) from Maine there now. People were saying how proud they were of me, it was just crazy.”

A major in the business field is being considered by Nadeau, a 3.8 student at Gorham High School who is looking forward to a future at the Southeastern Conference university in Nashville that has made five College World Series appearances since 2011, winning national championships in 2014 and 2019.

“I’m excited to just compete at that level,” Nadeau concluded. “The SEC is no joke. Everyone is coming for Vanderbilt and I think that will be fun to be part of that type of team and that environment.”