BERLIN, Ct. - While not the “straight path” many aspire to take, Jamie Palmese has found a home in his pursuit to play Division I college baseball.

A connection with East Tennessee State went quickly for the post grad at Westminster.

“My Clubhouse coach reached out to them and they mentioned they were in need of an outfielder,” Palmese explained. “I went to a tournament and Jamie Pinzino, an assistant coach, had a chance to see me and I played well. There ended up being an offer and I committed right away.”

Offers had already been made by Sacred Heart and Iona, but East Tennessee State had what the 18-year-old desired in a college.

“I always kind of wanted to go away and get out of Connecticut,” explained Palmese about choosing a university he has never been to that is a 12-hour drive from his hometown in Connecticut. “The baseball program is very developed and I love the coaching they have there.”

The third-rated 2023 outfielder in New England made a quick impression when seen by the East Tennessee State assistant, a former pitching coach at Army who had previously been a head coach with William & Mary, Bryant and Assumption.

“He said I had the tools to be a Division I player,” the 5-11 175-pounder said. “He liked how I ran and showcased my outfield abilities and said that I had potential at the plate.”

Palmese, who will be visiting the university located in Johnson City in November, has had a desire to play at the next level since seventh grade.

“It’s one of those things where I didn’t want to give up playing baseball,” Palmese related. “I had a lot of potential and knew if I could get my bat up I could be on college radars so I worked to perfect the tools I had that weren't Division I.”

Improvement at the plate, as well as with the rest of his game, followed.

“I practiced knowing I wanted to be a Division I player,” Palmese noted. “I put in the hours needed hitting, fielding and throwing every day. I knew I had to step it up a notch while preparing mentally because college is a lot different than playing baseball in high school.”

It also meant an extra year of schooling was needed to get the results desired.

“I was an original 2022 grad but did post grad at Westminster to open up some options for me,” Palmese explained. “I was a little nervous doing post grad, but it helped my future. It seemed that I was always being a step behind then two steps forward. I went to a few PBR events and that helped get my name out there where coaches can see your stats.”

Palmese also pointed to additional assistance in helping it all come to fruition.

“The whole Clubhouse staff, Matt Burns who is not with them now, and Mike Porzio, who is still with Clubhouse, were big in this, and definitely my parents for trusting my process even though it was not the straight path we thought it would be,” Palmese said. “They believed in me and helped me find the right path.”

Admittedly, making a commitment after the long journey proved to be special.

“It was relieving on mine and my parents behalf,” Palmese noted. “It’s something I’ve been waiting to do for a long time. To get the recruiting process off my back is a big point in my life.”

The 50th-ranked 2023 in New England is confident about what he can provide the program at the Southern Conference university.

“I’ll definitely be one of the hardest working players there, I pride myself in that,” Palmese said. “On the field I’m a defensive specialist who gets on base a lot to help the team win.”

There is more that Palmese, a 3.2 student planning to major in business, is looking forward to when it comes to college.

“I can’t wait to explore new places in the U.S.,” Palmese said. “Connecticut is cool, but I want to explore other places. I also look forward to playing in the south. Southern baseball and northern baseball … there’s a difference there. There’s a different feel for the game.”