Miller Ready To Show He Belongs At The Highest Level

SANDY HOOK, Ct. - Hayden Miller is anxiously looking ahead to spring baseball.

“I want to prove what I can do and show that I belong at the highest level,” the Salisbury School junior related.

That opportunity did not happen sophomore year when the pandemic brought a cancellation of the high school season.

“Things heated up last spring and everyone wanted to see me play in the spring and summer, but they couldn’t do it so I had to rely on video,” Miller said of his recruitment. “It’s still slow now because of covid but it’s starting to heat back up.”

Basketball season has also started for Miller after an offseason of working hard to improve his game on the ball diamond.

“The virus set me back with nobody watching me personally, so during the quarantine last March and April I worked on getting stronger and faster,” Miller reflected. “That really helped me out over the summer. All the work I put in showed and helped me overall as a ballplayer.”

At the moment, four or five schools from the Big East, Patriot League and Ivy League are showing an interest in the 45th-ranked New England junior.

“Most saw me on video and a couple live-streaming at the Future Games,” noted Miller, a member of Team Connecticut at the PBR event. “I feel I did pretty well, but could have hit better. But my defense was there and it was a great experience. It was one of the most solid tournaments I’ve ever been to.”

Schools he is talking with are very much attracted to what Miller can do in the field.

“They love the D,” pointed out the 11th-rated 2022 shortstop in New England. “That’s a big part of me. The arm strength is definitely there. They say I could have a little more bat, but I’m working on that. I’m near triple digits (exit velocity) and working on it six or seven days a week. I feel I’ve improved there the most.”

Miller admits to learning a lot about himself against the strong competition at the Future Games, where his highlight at the plate was a double off the wall against Team Massachusetts.

“I noticed against the faster speed (pitching)  at the Future Games I was a little late, so I’ve been working on my timing and focusing on that this winter,” the 5-11 193-pounder pointed out. “I’ve gained 10 to 15 pounds and added a lot more strength. I feel what I’ve done this offseason will show up this spring.”

It was only a few years back that Miller, who turned 17 on Christmas Day, began thinking about playing ball at the next level.

“When I first got on the big field at 13 or 14 is when I started taking it seriously,” Miller explained. “I watched the College World Series on TV and told myself that I want to be in that position.

“Around the age of 14 or 15 is when kids started to drop out of playing baseball and you could see the talent level and which people were putting in the work. I realized then I was better than most.”

That is the case in the classroom as well where Miller, who is considering sport management or film photography production as a college major, has a 3.95 GPA on a 4.0 scale.

“I feel I can help a program off the field on the academic front while on the field I can help by being a leader,” Miller noted. “I’ll push people to get better and help the team get better overall.”

The eighth-rated uncommitted 2022 position player in New England points to being part of the Clubhouse travel team as a major asset in his recruitment.

“I’m kind of late in the recruiting process,” Miller admitted. “When I joined them in August/September they really helped me get to the next step with emails and reaching out. People know who I am.”

The aim is to make a college decision sometime in the spring “so I can relax this summer and have fun playing the game I love,”.explained Miller.

“I’m looking for a school that is good academically and athletically,” Miller said. “I want to go where in four years I’m proud to have gone there and represent the school and program in the best way possible.”