Former ‘Out Kid’ Yancy Now A College Commit To Central Michigan

Jayden Yancy RHP / OF / Flat Rock Community, MI / 2026

TAYLOR - Jayden Yancy is no longer just the “out kid” on the mound. He is a college commit.

“I always wanted to do college baseball, it was always the dream,” the Flat Rock Community junior related. “This past year I started to gain velo with my fastball. When I was younger I was the out kid, but I got stronger by going to the weight room. That helped a lot.”

Central Michigan took notice and after a fall showcase things became serious.

“They got me on a visit with them,” the 12th-ranked 2026 right-handed pitcher in Michigan reflected. “It was nice there, I really liked the coaches. I felt welcome. A day or two later I got an offer.”

A few weeks after, Yancy decided CMU was where he would go to college.

“What made it right for me was that the coaches are like my high school coaches which is what I wanted,” Yancy noted. “They want me to be a handoff (from current pitchers) and I think I can be freshman year.”

A commitment capped off a recruiting process that had Oakland and Wayne as the lone colleges to reach out on Aug. 1 before “things picked up” according to the 16-year-old.

“Prep Baseball had a big outcome on everything, with going to their tournaments,” Yancy said. “That was the first time Oakland and Wayne saw me. The Top Prospect Games also helped a lot.”

Yancy - who also visited Eastern Michigan before the realization that Central “just felt like home” - pointed to improvement as a valuable part of his recruitment.

“I got in the gym a lot,” the 6-2 175-pounder related. “I was always a scrawny kid, never strong enough until I hit the weights. I gained 30 pounds in a year which was very beneficial. That translated into being able to throw the ball faster and competing with the better hitters.”

High school coach Josh Godfrey, who Yancy said was “a lot like Aaron Hilt”, the pitching coach at Central, and travel coach Ricardo Rojas are credited by the 32nd-rated junior in the state with being influential in his development and recruitment which resulted in finding a future home at CMU.

“My dad is an alumni of Central and I wanted to stick around family,” Yancy said of his commitment to the Mid-American Conference university located 21/2 hours from home. “For me it’s the next stop to another big thing, the majors.”

The intention is to major in sport management for Yancy, a 3.1 student at Flat Rock who is anxious to keep improving his game.

“Aaron wants me to work on a third pitch, so I’m working on a changeup now,” noted Yancy, who throws a fastball and slider.

Positivity is a trait Yancy looks to bring to Central.

“My high school coach preaches bringing up teammates even if you’re having a bad day,” Yancy explained. “I’ll bring a good attitude to the team.”

With a second-year head coach in Jake Sabol, Yancy sees a bright future at the university located in Mount Pleasant.

“They want to get a winning program back there,” Yancy concluded. “Winning a title is the goal. That’s what he preached.”