WINDSOR, Ct. - So how did going to California help Davis Hanson end up committing to Yale?

“I had been on their radar before COVID but because of COVID they couldn’t see me my sophomore year and most of my freshman year,” the Loomis Chaffin senior reflected. “So I went to a small showcase event two months ago in California, that’s where they saw me. I needed to get to an event with Ivy’s and that was the quickest one.”

There was an advantage to living in a different time zone.

“Being on the west coast was a blessing,” explained Hanson about an event attended by all Ivy League schools, high-academic D-III schools and smaller California colleges. “I got slotted at 6 a.m. but it felt like 10 a.m.

“I performed very well,” Hanson continued. “My first at-bat I hit a home run and ended that game with a double. In the second game I went 3-for-3 and hit 89 in the bullpen. I think I showed my cards there.”

Summer interest followed while playing in Georgia with tours of Princeton, Harvard and Yale all taking place after that. An offer from Yale ended up in a commitment a week later.

“What stood out about Yale the most is I’m very big about talking to as many people about the program as possible,” the eighth-rated 2022 shortstop in New England pointed out. “I was talking to alumni and with Yale Players and they were very adamant about structured time at Yale for baseball. You get your extra reps in, that’s expected, but the cages are open 24-7 which was good to hear at an Ivy League school.”

There was more that attracted Hanson to Yale.

“I love the tight-knit community at Yale,” Hanson related. “That made it an easy decision for me.”

The potential to pitch as well as play the field was valuable t on both ends.

“They like my ability as a two-way,” Hanson noted. “They’re looking at me as a middle-of-the-order guy playing corner infield with the ability to come in and close games. They like my versatility instead of just being a one-sided player. Eventually I’ll have to choose but I hope to do two-way all through my time at Yale.”

That only adds to the challenges of being a student-athlete in the Ivy League.

“It’s definitely going to be challenging,” Hanson admitted. “I’ll be going to the fourth-best college in the world academically. But going to boarding school now sets me up very, very well. I’ve dealt with stress and similar workloads to college. It’s going to be vigorous and not easy, but people have done it before me. I feel I’ll get a good education and at the same time play the best baseball possible.”

Biochemical and economics are potential majors for Hanson, who carries a 4.55 unweighted GPA.

“I really started taking baseball seriously around the age of 14,” related Hanson, whose family home is in Winston Salem, N.C. “That’s when I got on a serious travel baseball team and when I first thought about the Ivy League. My family is very big with education, my dad got his Masters, my mom her PHD, my sister’s in dental school at UPenn and my brother was a valedictorian.

“When I started to search for college my idea was to play the best baseball possible without sacrificing anything academically. I whittled it down to Stanford, Duke and Ivy League schools.”

The 28th-ranked New England 2022 is confident in what he can provide the baseball program in New Haven, Ct.

“I’ll bring a loud bat and high energy,” Hanson noted. “I love to be loud and get the team going. I love to do things fast and go as hard as possible.”

According to the 6-2 205-pound 18-year-old, there were two emotions once the decision to commit to Yale was finalized.

“First, I was extremely excited,” explained the seventh-rated 2022 going to high school in Connecticut. “You work so long to reach one goal and you’re waiting for it to happen. When it happened it felt amazing. But there’s also a great sense of relief. That’s a product of COVID and hearing people say why haven’t you committed yet or having teammates commit to a Power 5.”

With a commitment final, the focus turns to being prepared for what lies ahead.

“Now it’s time to put the work in and make it all happen,” Hanson concluded.