Of the top 33 ranked players in the Pennsylvania Class of 2013, only three have not yet made a college commitment. That number now stands at two as Hempfield HS 1B/OF Nick Yarnall has committed to Pitt. Yarnall is ranked No. 18 in the class. 

                                               

OF Von Walker from Central Mountain HS (No. 12) and RHP Cole Boozel from Mount Union HS (No. 16) are the only players left in this group yet to commit.

Yarnall is coming off of a standout 2012 high school season that culminated with him being named to the AAA All-State Second Team. The 6-foot, 195-pound prospect is a gifted offensive player who hit .446 in 2012 with five homeruns and 27 RBI. Yarnall's summer was highlighted by an invitation to participate in the East Coast Pro Showcase this past August in Syracuse, NY at Alliance Bank Stadium.

Yarnall spoke with Prep Baseball Report about his college choice.

PBR:  Where have you decided to attend college and why did you make this choice?
Yarnall: I have chosen to go to the University of Pittsburgh. I made my choice to go there because it felt like I could spend the next four years there and the coaching staff is amazing.

PBR:  What other schools were you considering?
Yarnall: I was also considering NC State, Kentucky, Mississippi State and Potomac St. (JUCO)

PBR:  Was distance from home a factor in your decision?
Yarnall: No, but the distance is nice. If I need to go home for any reason it is not a bad drive at all.

PBR:  Where did the coaches first see you?  How did your relationship develop with their coaching staff?
Yarnall: I am not sure where they saw me first, but we started developing a relationship through talking on the phone and on my official visit.

PBR:  What role do the coaches expect you to play your first year on campus?
Yarnall: They expect me to come in and help contribute to the team with my bat and defensive skills.

PBR:  What is your biggest strength as a player and how do you feel that will help your team?
Yarnall: I think hitting is my biggest strength and it will help out my team because you always need to score more runs than the other team.

PBR:  Who do you play for in the summer and what was your most memorable experience from this past summer?
Yarnall: I play for PA Select and my most memorable moment was just getting to play with a great group of guys and a awesome coaching staff.

PBR:  What is your current GPA?
Yarnall: My current GPA is 3.11

PBR:  Now that you have your commitment out of the way, what are your goals both individually and for the team going into your senior season?
Yarnall: My goals for this high school season are for our team to win our league championship, the district championship and hopefully a state championship. My personal goal is to help out anyway I can to make sure we find a way to win tough games.

Send all Pennsylvania recruiting information to PA Director of Scouting - Greg Williams