LYLE – Lyle senior Jordan Hart didn’t have an easy decision to make about his baseball future, but he’s pretty sure he made the right one.

Hart recently made his verbal commitment to play baseball at Division II Mankato State University in Minnesota for next season. Hart, who has been offered an athletic scholarship from MSU, also drew interest from other Northern Sun Conference powers St. Cloud State University and Winona State University.

The Mavericks baseball team won the Northern Sun last year with an overall record of 48-11 overall, SCSCU (37-14 overall) finished third and WSU (27-22 overall) took fifth. Hart participated in baseball camps at all three schools.

Hart said MSU won him over when he visited its campus. He said the coaches were easy to talk to and the baseball program is as good one. He’s glad to have his decision out of the way well before spring.

“It won’t be so stressful anymore. I was stressed out trying to pick a school and it was a long couple of weeks to decide,” Hart said. “Once I decided, a lot of stress and pressure came off me. It was good to have options, because then you get to use your opinion on which one is the best for you.”

Hart had a big season for the Lyle-Pacelli baseball team last year as he hit .539 with 2 homers, 12 doubles and 42 RBIs in 20 games. He also had a strong summer for the Austin Post 91 Legion baseball team and the Austin Greyhounds. In his final weekend with Post 91, Hart went 6-for-9 with 2 homers, 2 triples, 1 double and 10 RBIs in a pair of games in the District tournament at Winona State’s field.

LP head baseball coach Brock Meyer said Hart has always had the physical tools to play baseball and now he has become leader on and off the field for the Athletics.

“I love coaching him, he works his tail off and he is respected by all his teammates and coaches. If he keeps working hard and can get through some of mental challenges that come with playing at the next level, the sky is the limit,” Meyer said. “But the best thing about Jordan is the great young man he has grown into and I wish him nothing but the best in future after high school, he deserves all the success and I look forward to watching him play. I am glad to have him for one more year.”

Hart has always been a three-sport athlete at LP as he was the quarterback on the football team and he will likely finish his basketball career as a 1,000-point scorer. But baseball has always been his focal point.

“I grew up playing All-Stars in Austin and I played VFW and Legion. I like playing baseball because it’s easy to understand and it’s a team game,” Hart said. “I think it’s fun to play each sport and I’ve committed to them too, especially when we have low numbers in the school. I’d like to put more time into baseball.”

Hart, who has played multiple positions for the LP and Austin Legion baseball teams, will most likely play outfield at MSU, although he could see some time at infield and pitcher as well. He’ll know if he is red-shirting or playing as a freshman after next fall when he gets together with his new team. Hart is excited for the challenge of college baseball, but he wants to finish his LP career on a high note.

LP will bring back most of its team that nearly advanced to the Section 1A tournament. Hart is hoping the Athletics can put together a solid spring when baseball season rolls around.

“I hope we go far,” Hart said. “I want to make this last year memorable and I want to help out the team as much as possible.”