Penney Cashes In On Offer For Notre Dame

Jack Penney SS / 3B / Phillips Andover Academy, MA / 2021

WAKEFIELD, Ma. - Living in the northeast, Jack Penney had never been to Notre Dame until attending a camp in September.

The Phillips Andover Academy junior will be seeing more of the school in his future after committing to the college located in South Bend, Ind.

“Once I got to the campus, I really loved it,” explained the sixth-ranked 2021 in New England. “I’m not a big-city kid, I appreciate the country feel, yet it’s not too rural for me. I like the architecture and the spacious campus. Overall, I just felt a connection better there than at all the other schools.”

Penney, who was the 15th-rated position player at this year’s Future Games according to PBR National Crosschecker Shooter Hunt, began talking with Notre Dame during the summer.

“My high school coach Kevin Graber said they had a little interest,’ Penney reflected. “Then I talked with them at the Future Games ... they liked what they saw. We set up a call and they let me know they were very interested. Their interest was based on my interest and they encouraged me to attend the camp in September, which I did.”

Going to the camp proved to be the right decision.

“About 45 minutes after the camp they offered me,” Penney said. “They really wanted me and could see me playing at the school. They thought I was a good fit athletically and academically, but they said the offer won’t last long.

“I went back to the hotel and talked it over with my family and later that night I called and committed.”

The 60th-ranked junior shortstop in the country had offers from Rice and Harvard and had interest from “all the Ivy League schools” as well as Boston College, West Point and Duke.

“Georgia Tech, Liberty, Fordham and William & Mary also showed an interest after the Future Games,” Penney noted. “I was lucky enough to have interest from all of them.”

But the connection with Notre Dame was the strongest.