Harajli Hopes To Make Impression Starting Wednesday

Ahmad Harajli RHP / 1B / Dearborn, MI / 2019

DEERBORN - It isn’t often a pitcher that throws the ball 90-plus miles an hour is without a commitment when senior season comes around, but that is the case for Ahmad Harajli.

“There is always a sense of anxiety when you’re not committed, but I have confidence in my ability and believe the right school is coming,” explained the 13th-rated 2019 player in Michigan. “You’ve just got to trust your stuff and go out and play.”

The 6-4 225-pound right-hander, who tied for the top velocity with a 91 mph fastball at the recent PBR Preseason All-State event on March 2, will make his high school season debut on Wednesday throwing the first two innings of Dearborn’s 4 p.m. game with Churchill.

“The exciting part is I’m going to have eyes and radar guns on me,” Harajli said of being without a college home just two months before graduation. “I’ve been getting texts and twitter DMs from coaches, many that have confirmed they’re going to come.”

What those in attendance will witness is a pitcher that has made enormous strides on the mound over the past year.

“I didn’t play much my junior year and not much in the summer, either, after injuring my ankle in a pickup basketball game,” Harajli explained as to what he tells coaches that inquire about being uncommitted. “So what I’ve been doing is refining my mechanics in bullpens. That has helped with my velo and with my command.”

Working on his pitching with Sterling Sharp of the Nationals’ organization has also been helpful.

“He has a formula with a set of five criteria,” Harajli said of the pitching program that has proven beneficial for the Dearborn senior. “I’ve hit all the criteria and that has translated on the mound.”

An 85 mph fastball when the program began back in August has now reached 91 and with it has come interest from Big 10, Big East and MAC schools in Division I along with “heavy interest” from GLIAC schools in D-II.

“Velo is the number one attention grabber for pitchers,” the second-rated unsigned senior in Michigan said. “I was getting little to no interest sitting 83 as a sophomore but when you pop 91, Big 10 schools show interest.”

That is where Harajli sees his future.