A change of scenery on the travel baseball circuit made a world of difference for Tottenville hurler Jason Bassett.
The right-hander, who did a superb job on the mound during his first varsity season with the Pirates last spring, opted to join the TKR Reds after last season ended and it was there he started working with pitching coach Dustin Javins.
Before long, Bassett’s velocity went from a high of 82 MPH to as high as 89 MPH.
“I started getting looks,’' said the 17-year-old Bassett, the one-time South Shore LL All Star who attended St. Joseph by-the-Sea for two years before transferring to neighboring Tottenville. “I didn’t know who was going to actually reach out to me, but I was opening to listening to any school.’'
Marist College came calling and following a productive visit to its Poughkeepsie, N.Y., campus, Bassett recently signed a National Letter of Intent to attend the D1 school on a partial athletic scholarship, the Advance/SILive.com has learned.
Prior to his visit, Bassett had communicated with recruiting coordinator Mike Coss and eventually, he met head coach Lance Ratchford when he toured the MAAC school’s campus.
“I visited the school and wound up loving it,’' he said. “It’s right off the Hudson River, and I know it can get cold up there, but that didn’t matter to me.
“I’m really happy with my decision. I put a lot of prayer in and I think Marist is a good fit for me,’' Bassett continued. “I always wanted to play college baseball at the highest level and to have this opportunity is a blessing.’'
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Bassett’s junior season with the Pirates was nothing short of sensational. He posted a 5-0 record with a 0.66 earned run average during the regular season. In 32 innings pitched (8 games), the righty surrendered just 11 hits, 10 walks and three earned runs while striking out a whopping 52 hitters. His WHIP was 0.66.
During his lone playoff appearance, Bassett tossed a no-hitter and struck out 17 of the 18 batters he faced during a 10-0 victory over Van Ardsdale.
“Marist saw I had a good connection with my pitching coach (Javins) and that I made progress,’' said Bassett, whose arsenal includes a fastball, change-up and slider. “They’re looking for someone who throws strikes, (can throw) a lot of innings and, of course, has good grades as well.
“They like that I throw all three of my pitches for strikes and that I can get outs with them,’' the Woodrow resident added. “They said it’s possible to get time as a freshman and that also influenced my decision. I absolutely do want to play right away and I’m going to just do my best to help the team win.’'
Bassett is undecided on a major, but is considering Business. He also received offers from Iona and CSI, as well as interest from Sacred Heart and Maine.
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College Signings 1 (Dec. 12, 2024)