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Lyle-Pacelli’s Hunter VaDeer hasn’t even begun his junior season of baseball, but he’s already landed his sights at the Division I level.

VaDeer made his verbal commitment to play baseball at Creighton University on Friday and the flame-throwing right hander has been told by the Bluejays staff that he has a chance to play as a pitcher and a position player.

“This has been a long time coming,” VaDeer said. “It’s been a goal of mine for as long as I can remember. It’s finally a sure thing and I can’t wait.”

VaDeer started realizing he had a chance to play college baseball in August of 2021 when he went down to Georgia to play in the Junior Future Games and his recruitment spiked when he returned to those games again this past summer. VaDeer has drawn interest from other schools that include the University of North Carolina and North Dakota State University, but he has made up his mind on Creighton.

“In this past month or so, things picked up quite a bit,” VaDeer said. “I visited Creighton and I absolutely loved it. I went to a basketball game and I loved their campus and their baseball coaches. Ultimately I felt that Crieghton is the right fit for me and it’s where I can become the best player that I can be.”

VaDeer started focusing on baseball in 2020, and he’s put in a majority of his free time crafting his skills. There have been 20-day road trips in July, long sessions in the batting cages and pitching mounds in the offseason and the constant competition against opponents in games and other players in recruitment camps.

“I just kind of focused on myself throughout it; everybody has their own process and their own level,” VaDeer said. “I don’t really feel the pressure, and I just lock in on my own process. I’m still trying to do the best that I can.”

Last season, VaDeer went 9-1 overall with an ERA of 1.43 as he led the Athletics to a second place finish in the Class A state tournament. He struck out 115, while allowing just 20 hits and 39 walks in 49 innings.

At the plate, VaDeer hit .449 with two homers, eight doubles, four triples and 29 RBIs.

As for VaDeer’s future, L-P fans can take a deep breath of relief. He said he’s 100% committed to staying in L-P for the next two seasons and he’s even getting some of his Athletics teammates to put in offseason work for baseball.

“I’ll definitely stay,” VaDeer said. “We’ve had other guys working hard as well and we have a chance to be even better.”

With new NCAA rules come new possibilities for Division I athletes. While the NIL rule hasn’t affected college baseball immensely, it could be a factor by the time VaDeer arrives at Creighton.

“The coaches don’t have anything to do with it, but a lot of schools are building a foundation for players,” VaDeer said. “I think it will pick up a lot in the next two or three years and it’ll be a great thing for college athletes.”

Creighton is located in Omaha, Neb.

The Bluejays finished 25-24 overall last spring.