Harring Ready For 'Grind Time' At Hofstra

Jake Harring 2B / SS / Austin Prep, MA / 2024

AMESBURY, Ma. - The original plan was to play for his dad in college. Ironically, Jake Harring found his future home while in the dugout of his father’s former team, UMass Lowell.

“My dad was playing them and when I got there it was very quiet in the Lowell dugout when I walked in,” Harring reflected back to the day it started in mid-May during Hofstra’s three-game sweep of UMass Lowell. “The score wasn’t very pretty. But as I watched the game I liked their approach with hard line drives the other way. I ended up following their coaches on twitter and they messaged back.

“They came to see me play and said they wanted me on campus the next week,” the incoming senior at Austin Prep continued. “I wasn’t expecting an offer but they offered. At that time I knew it was where I wanted to go.”

A commitment to the Coastal Athletic Association university came soon after.

“They gave me a two-week deadline and I accepted a week after,” Harring noted.

There was a lot to like about Hofstra according to Harring.

“I’d have gone to any school size, small or big, and Hofstra is right in the middle with 11,000 students,” Harring explained. “They have good academics and there are a lot of options for majors.”

As important, it was given the approval by his parents.

“My mom, who’s on the academic side of things, said if you can picture yourself there the next four years it’s right for you,” Harring related. “My dad, who’s on the sports side, talked about the baseball program and how he could see me playing for the coaches. I could totally picture myself living there.”

It brought an end to a recruiting process that was enjoyable for the most part.

“It went well,” the top-rated 2024 second baseman in New England said. “I wanted to find great academics and ended up finding a great spot in Hofstra.

“It was definitely a little stressful, especially for my dad,” Harring added. “I was looking at UMass Lowell and wanting to play for him, but when he resigned that was the most stressful part. I really wanted to play for him.”

After all, it was his father Ken, a head coach at Lowell for 19 years, who was his biggest influence.

“My dad played at LeMoyne (helping the Dolphins to three NCAA Tournament appearances) and signed with the Braves,” Harring explained. “He definitely knows his stuff and I look up to him. He doesn’t push me, he guides me. He’s really helped me with development with my swing, teaching low line drives. He prides hand strength and forearm strength. I love going to the field and having him hit fungos with me.”

Hofstra found a lot to like in the 88th-ranked senior in New England.

“I bunt, run and steal and they seem to honor that,” Harring said. “I know my role and do my best to perfect that role.”

Admittedly, there have been a lot of challenges along the way.

“Being smaller, I really have to work on the little things,” the 5-7 140-pounder related. “You can’t control your height but it gives you a little chip on your shoulders. It’s not cockiness, it’s about trying to be the best and then not telling anyone.”

There have also been injuries in the journey, including an upcoming shoulder surgery that will put Harring on the sidelines for four months. However, improvement has come nonetheless.

“I battled a hip injury last fall,” Harring reflected. “I’ve really worked on getting mobility and getting faster since then, but the big thing for me has been strength. I hit the weight room and I’m a lot stronger. I know this offseason will be big again in the weight room.”

The recruiting process began a little more than a year ago.

“I went to the Future Games last summer,” Harring noted. “Some colleges reached out then and some reached out after seeing me in high school. Then I had a good summer this year and had more coaches reach out to me. That’s boosted my confidence.”

The 18-year-old also pointed to the importance of his decision to reclassify and transfer to Austin Prep with J.P. Pollard in charge.

“I like the way he coaches,” Harring said of the Austin Prep mentor. “That’s one of the best decisions I ever made in my recruitment.”

With a father coaching college baseball, it is understandable that Harring has had his heart set to play at that level.

“Since I was a kid I’ve really wanted to play in college,” the 45th-rated 2024 in Massachusetts said. “I dream about playing baseball for as long as possible, keep progressing and going on to the next level.”

It started to become realistic at his former high school.

“My sophomore year at Amesbury I was first team all-league,” Harring said. “I always was smaller than other kids but played like I was bigger than I was.”

With his goal of playing baseball after high school now achieved, Harring is excited about what lies ahead at the university in Hempstead, N.Y., located four hours from home.

“College baseball has been my dream for a long time,” concluded Harring, who carries a 4.2 weighted GPA at Austin Prep. “I’m looking forward to the grind. With Division I you’ve got to be all in and I’m excited to live that lifestyle.

“I’m also excited to play in some warmer weather,” added Haring, who is considering a major in a math, science or business field. “I’m excited to room with other guys that have the same mindset as me. You wake up and it’s grind time.”