Dedicated Yoest Happy To Make Hartford College Home

FOXBORO, Ma. - No spring baseball season brought disappointment to so many.

Sean Yoest was one of the disenchanted.

“A lot of schools were interested and wanted to see me but it couldn’t happen because of Corona,” explained the 20th-rated 2021 right-handed pitcher in New England.

Fortunately, the discontent of not getting an opportunity to play in front of college scouts turned into a selling point for Yoest.

“I was bummed out not being able to play my high school season, but they like players with that kind of attitude,” Yoest said of Hartford, where the Foxboro senior recently made a college commitment.

Talk with the American East Conference school first took place in the fall of 2019 when Yoest attended a camp. However, the recruiting process slowed down in general come spring before picking up in the summer.

“I went to the PBR Top Prospect Games (New England TPG II) and the Monday after that I had a zoom call with them,” Yoest reflected about how the July event turned into the exposure needed during the pandemic. “I liked what they had to say. They liked that I was committed to hard work and they also liked my attitude.”

A visit to Hartford on an academic tour took place about that same time.

“I liked that it was a medium to small school in the northeast, not too far or too close to home,” Yoest said of the college located 90 minutes from Foxboro. “That’s what I wanted.”

The desire to play sports at the next level has been there since he was young.

“It’s always been a goal for me,” Yoest explained. “My dad (Mike) played basketball at West Virginia and when I was younger I wanted to do what he did. I played basketball until ninth grade but that’s when I decided to focus on baseball.”

The dream of playing college ball then began to become realistic.

“I started dominating when I got to high school and realized baseball was something I could do,” Yoest pointed out.

The desire to succeed is strong for the 17-year-old.

“I’m not a player that’s going to sit around and talk before the game,” Yoest said. “Once it starts, it’s game time for me. There’s plenty of time afterward to socialize, but I’m not a big person that’s going to sit around talking crap. I’m just a level-headed player that wants to work at being his best.”

It is a trait Yoest looks to bring to Hartford.

“I’m going to work hard ... I won’t stop working,” Yoest noted. “My dedication to the game is something that can rub off on others. I’m a hard worker that wants to keep on getting better.”

That is something Yoest has been doing.

“My changeup is a lot better than it was a year ago and my slider has also improved,” related Yoest. “Knowing when to throw it and when not to throw it is also something I’ve gotten better at. I’m being smarter.”

Yoest also wants to get faster.

“I want to get my velocity up,” Yoest said of where improvement is needed the most now. “I’ve got to throw harder.”

A 3.0 student considering business management or criminal justice as a major, Yoest admits it was not the recruiting process he thought it would be.

“It was a lot different because of Corona,” explained Yoest, who pointed to his parents and all the coaches with the GBG Hawks as being his biggest influences for “believing in me and saying I can do it” on the field. “I was expecting to have a lot of coaches watching me.”

Still, Yoest was not worried even as an uncommitted incoming senior.

“I knew there’d be a place for me somewhere,” Yoest said.

Hartford proved to be that place.

“It’s a huge relief off my back to have this finally over,” Yoest admitted. “I’m happy and think this is a very good decision for me. Now I can focus on just getting better.”