NEW ALBANY - While there was no high school baseball season a year ago for Caden Robinson and the upcoming campaign will also not find the New Albany junior taking the mound, there is definitely a bright future for the seventh-rated 2022 right-handed pitcher in Ohio.

An offer and commitment with Memphis has Robinson excited about what lies ahead, though the hard-throwing 17-year-old is currently out with a low grade UCL strain. That realization came on March 15, but did not hinder Memphis from going all in on the promising hurler.

“They definitely believe in me,” Robinson said. “They like me as a person and they like me fitting into the culture down there.

“They like how I attack the strike zone,” added Robinson. “I’m pretty efficient with it and can control what I throw. They also like my velo and my confidence on the mound.”

Interest from the American Athletic Conference school began in the fall of 2019.

“An assistant coach (Ryan Huber) is from Newark and in his free time he came and saw me at a practice and was impressed,” Robinson reflected. “We stayed in contact and grew our relationship. That offseason I committed to being a D-I baseball player. I got in the weight room and progressed. I grew 15 to 20 pounds, “

When the fastball velocity hit 90, attention from the next level increased. An offer came from Charleston Southern, with Xavier, Toledo and West Point also showing interest. But the restructuring of college rosters with Covid-19, coupled with the dead period for contact with coaches, limited potential opportunities. At the same time, Robinson grew closer with Memphis.

“I felt the best connection and player development for me was with Memphis,” Robinson said. “It’s the best fit for me.”

An unofficial visit to the school helped in the decision-making process.

“The campus is beautiful,” Robinson noted. “Looking at facilities from the outside stood out. I had talked with the coaches about the culture of the school and that was something else that stood out.”

A commitment came despite the difficult times endured during recruitment.

“It sucked not having them be able to go watch games and talk face to face and see how we connect,” Robinson explained. “Now it’s a lot of social media and zoom calls and connecting there.”

The 6-1 180-pounder is confident about making an impact once he is part of the Memphis program.

“I think I can bring a lot of energy,” Robinson pointed out. “I want to win every game, every loss is a disappointment. I know it’s going to be hard, but I want to be a leader my freshman year.”

But first there is a matter of getting fully healthy.

“This recovery process is going to be hard but I’m going to take every precaution to make sure it's healed,” explained Robinson, who is hopeful of being able to hit later this high school season. “As soon as I’m cleared and 100 percent, I’m going to get back out there and get after it. I want to see more velo with the 10 pounds I’ve gained this offseason.”

Business will be the major at Memphis for Robinson, a 4.15 student on a weighted scale who admits to being more than happy the recruiting process has ended.

“It’s a big weight off my shoulders,” Robinson said. “To know where my next home is going to be for the four years after high school is definitely relieving. It’s pretty far away (eight hours from home), but everyone is really supporting me all the way.”