BAY CITY - The recruiting process went quickly for Tanner Sonntag.

The Michigan Fall Prospect Games brought attention to the ability of the Bay City John Glenn sophomore and before the year was over Sonntag was committed to Oakland University.

“I didn’t picture it happening this soon,” the fourth-rated 2023 right-handed pitcher in Michigan admitted. “It’s crazy. If I’d known it had been like this, I’d have gone to them last year. It’s kind of mindblowing. Between Twitter and PBR, those two things gave me the exposure I needed.”

Oakland was the first school that the 6-2 175-pounder talked with during his short recruitment.

“They found me after I went to the PBR event,” said Sonntag, who also received interest from Michigan. “After that we were calling and talking and the sixth or seventh call I got an offer.

“We talked about things like what I want to go into and then about where I see myself playing position-wise and what I wanted to go into at school,” Sonntag added about the conversations with Oakland. 

The 17th-ranked sophomore in the state went on an unsupervised visit with his parents in November to check out the campus located an hour and 20 minutes from his Bay City home.

“It seemed safe and I like how it was spread out,” Sonntag related. “I met a few people there and they were super nice.”

The Horizon League school fit what Sonntag was looking for in a college.

“It’s close to home, they have accounting and finance and with baseball they’re building a new program and I really want to be  part of that,” Sonntag explained.”I like the coaches, too.”

The opportunity to be a two-way player added to the fondness Sonntag has for Oakland.

“That was one of the big things,” pointed out Sonntag, a corner infielder or DH when not on the mound. “It was one of the first things Oakland brought up. I like that I can have a shot at that rather than going to a big, big D-I where they already have position players.”

Playing baseball at the next level is something Sonntag has long desired.

“I’ve always wanted to play college baseball and go further,” Sonntag reflected. “I just like the game. My older brother was always there with me and he wanted to play in college. It ended up being a goal for me and some of my friends.”

Sonntag pointed to his parents as being a big part of helping get to the point of becoming a Division I commit.

“My dad would always throw to me and my mom was there shagging balls,” Sonntag said. “All my coaches have also really been helpful.”

Hard work has benefitted the cause as well for Sonntag, who carries a 3.6 GPA at Bay City John Glenn.

“This summer I’d go to the baseball field and go to a training facility every day,” Sonntag noted. “I’m doing a pitching program now and also doing individual workouts.”

The plan is to continue improving before moving on to the next level.

“I need to gain velo,” Sonntag said. “I’m working on building a changeup. I have a fastball, curve and slider but now I have a change that’s almost there. My fielding also needs to get there a little more, but it’s coming along nicely.”

Making the decision at this time was easy according to the 15-year-old.

“I wanted to show my respect for the coaches,” Sonntag explained. “They’ve been there 100 percent for me and I wanted to be there 100 percent for them. Plus, my parents wanted me to go there.”

It brought delight to the family once a commitment was made.

“It was a bunch of happiness for my parents and family,” Sonntag said of the feeling felt by those close to him. “It showed me that all the hard work has paid off and what I’m doing is working. Now I just need to keep doing it everyday.”