The Vanderbilt Culture Makes Impression On Horne

Brendan Horne SS / 2B / Pinkerton Academy, NH / 2025

PEMBROKE, N.H. - It was at the Future Games when Brendan Horne got the news.

“My travel coach told me coach Baxter was watching me the whole time,” the fourth-rated 2025 shortstop in New England said in reference to Vanderbilt assistant Mike Baxter.

After the PBR event in Georgia, a trip to the campus in Tennessee took place in September and before the month was over Horne was a Vandy commit.

“I signed up for a camp so (head) coach (Tim) Corbin could see me in person and I did pretty well,” the Pinkerton Academy junior reflected. “It was a normal camp, not an invite camp. I got a tour of the facilities, they called me a few days after and now I’m committed.”

Vanderbilt was just what Horne and his family were looking for in a college.

“Their structure, the way they do things, it’s like a military program,” Horne related. “My dad, being an ex-Marine, he was set on it. The way coach Corbin does things, he makes sure recruits are polite and have good character. My mom loved that.

“The big piece of it was the culture,” Horne continued. “The facilities are very nice with what they’re doing to it moving forward. The little things they have, a pro locker room where guys that were there can go back and have their own locker.”

The city of Nashville was another plus according to Horne, whose other offer was from Rutgers.

Ironically, Vanderbilt was a school that the 16-year-old had interest in years back, a reason the decision to make a commitment now was an easy one.

“In eighth grade I was really looking at college baseball and Vanderbilt was a place I wanted to go to starting back then,” Horne said. “Why would I want to wait now? It’s a dream.”

Vanderbilt lost in the College World Series finals that year, two years after bringing home a national championship in 2019.

“I watched every game,” Horne pointed out.

Now the second-rated 2025 from New Hampshire will be part of that program he enjoyed watching.

“I hope I can help them win another championship,” Horne said about what he believes he can bring to the program. “I have the ability to get on base, make plays locking down on defense and on offense bring guys in.”

Vanderbilt saw Horne as another piece to the puzzle.

“They like my athleticism and my hand speed,” the 20th-ranked junior in New England related. “They saw me in their current shortstop Jonathan Vastine. They also like my New England grit. Coach Corbin is from New Hampshire, so he was kind of set on me.”

The recruiting process, which is now at an end, began for Horne freshman year.

“My high school team won state and I contributed a lot, and a few local schools started looking at me,” Horne explained. “I always went to PBR events to help myself out and by the fall of my sophomore year I was getting looked at by every school in New England. Then the Future Games really opened it up. I had no connections to the top dogs until then. The Future Games really helped that out.”

An improved game also proved vital for the 5-10 165-pounder.

“I took the gym seriously,” Horne said of his improvement over the past year. “I didn’t miss a single day this offseason. I had no power before, but I gained power this offseason and I’m also better with the glove.

The top-rated 2025 shortstop in New Hampshire pointed to travel coach Matt Bouchard as a valuable part of his baseball journey.

“He’s been coaching me since sixth grade,” Horne noted. “He’s always supported me.”

Making a Vanderbilt commitment official was a memorable day according to Horne.

“The first thing I did was I went to hug my mom,” Horne related. “She’s been through some tough times with me. I called my dad and I celebrated with friends I’ve been working with.”

A 3.1 student at Pinkerton, Horne is considering a major in business as he anticipates what the future will be like at the Southeast Conference school nearly 18 hours from home.

“I’m looking forward to being on the most competitive stage, it doesn’t get better than that, the SEC,” Horne concluded. “The Vanderbilt coaches are all from the northeast, so it just felt right. They all have a passion for Vanderbilt and what it stands for. It’s completely what I’m looking forward to.”