Duncan Commits To ‘Dream School’ Vanderbilt

Sean Duncan LHP / Port Coquitlam, BC / 2026

PORT COQUITLAM, B.C. - The “dream school” will now be home for Sean Duncan.

The top-ranked 2026 player in British Columbia has committed to Vanderbilt after being pursued by an impressive list of schools that included the likes of Florida, Arizona and LSU.

“They saw me play with the International team and saw videos of me online,” the Port Coquitlam High School junior said of Vanderbilt. “Just tourneys and social media helped me.”

Contact began on Aug. 1, which was “definitely a crazy day” according to Duncan, who estimated there were 30 phone calls on the first day colleges could reach out to players in the 2026 class.

“It was a lot at me at one time,” Duncan related. “Prep Baseball gave me a lot of exposure through social media, but I wasn’t expecting all those schools at one time. I think I handled it well. It was cool, but also overwhelming. It was weird to wake up and have 15 schools to call. My mom and I put together a spreadsheet of who we’ve called and who we have to call.”

The idea of playing at the next level began at the age of 14.

“I just finished a tournament and had my first real call from a school,” the fifth-ranked 2026 left-handed pitcher in North American reflected. “My first interest was in the fall of grade nine. It was an eye-opening experience knowing it was possible and after that I really wanted to pursue it.”

No school was desired more than Vanderbilt.

“It’s been my dream school since I was nine,” Duncan said. “We have a family friend, Max Mitzel, who loved Vanderbilt. I thought he was the coolest guy and I wanted to go there.”

Living in Canada had little effect on that ambition.

“What made my recruitment easier for me was how big social media is,” Duncan explained. “The posts by Prep Baseball and others, I was seen a lot, along with being in the right place at the right time with the Blaze.”

Langley Blaze head coach Jamie Bodaly, general manager Doug Mathieson and pitching coach Kyle Lotzkar, as well as Baseball Canada head coach Greg Hamilton are credited with aiding his development and exposure to schools like Vanderbilt, where he took a visit in late September.

“I had a couple of calls with (assistant) coach (Ty) Blankmeyer and that moved to a call with (associate head) coach (Scott) Brown,” related Duncan, who also pointed to his parents for playing a big role in his journey to college by helping with calls and driving him to practice and to the gym. “I went on a visit there and meshed with the coaches and the guys. I loved the city. They offered me on the visit and I committed five days after.

“I liked the environment on the team,” Duncan continued. “It was very get-to-work which I like to do. It seemed like a group of guys that wanted to work.”

The coaches at Vanderbilt see the 24th-rated junior in North America fitting in well.

“I think they liked my personality,” Duncan noted. “I’m a really competitive guy which they like. They want guys that compete and dominate.”

The 6-2 175-pound southpaw is looking to do just that at the Southeastern Conference university in Nashville, a 37-hour drive from home for Duncan.

“I feel I can make a difference as soon as I get there,” Duncan explained. “‘I’m a guy that likes to compete and will fit in with the boys as soon as I get there.”

The distance from home is not a concern for Duncan, a 4.0 student in high school who points to business analytics and sports analytics as fields of interest.

“I do so much with the national team that I’m used to being away,” Duncan related. “I was in Panama for three weeks this summer, so I’m used to it.”

There is a lot to look forward to for Duncan when it comes to putting on a Vanderbilt uniform.

“Playing in the SEC and getting to work at one of the best baseball programs there is,” Duncan said of what has him exhilarated. “Going to work with the fellows is what I’m excited for.”

To be doing it at his “dream school” makes it even better.

“I’ve wanted to go there for so long,” Duncan concluded. “To know all the hard work has paid off is a great feeling.”