Hartford 'A Comfort Decision' For Blumetti

Tyler Blumetti RHP / OF / Southington, CT / 2023

PLANTSVILLE, Ct. - “It was a comfort decision for me.”

That is how Tyler Blumetti described making Hartford his college choice.

“I like how it’s not too far from home,” pointed out the Southington High School senior. “I have a lot of family that supports me, so they’ll have the opportunity to come and support me.”

The desire to play at the next level has been there for some time.

“I’ve been wanting to play college baseball since I was a kid,” Blumetti revealed. “It’s always been on my mind in high school and I knew I needed to do whatever I could do to make it happen.”

A long-time pitching coach proved to be the connection Blumetti had with the baseball program at Hartford.

“As a younger kid John Slusarz was my pitching coach and now he’s there as the pitching coach,” Blumetti noted about the second-year Hartford assistant, who had previously been with the Hawks from 2012-14. “He’s been my pitching coach since I was 13. In September he called and offered me a spot. It took me a bit to decide, weighing all my options.”

West New England and Mitchell College were others being considered by the 17-year-old before determining Hartford was the option to take.

“I like the fact that I know a guy going there, that they’re devoted to me and that they want me to do better,” Blumetti explained. “This is a big-time decision to hand over your career to someone.”

Hartford saw a lot to like about the 6-1 170-pound right-handed pitcher.

“They said I had a lot of potential with my mechanics and my build,” Blumetti noted. “They saw that I could eventually be their guy. They like how motivated I was.”

It comes off a rough junior year of high school.

“I was cut at the start of the year,” Blumetti reflected. “After I got cut, a week before a scrimmage, I remember it being a reflective week. They ended up calling me up to throw in a scrimmage and I did well. I wanted to give them a reason to have me. I definitely had a chip on my shoulders.”

Admittedly, the recruiting process was also a bit stressful according to Blumetti.

“It was not a bad stress, but I knew I needed to get myself out there,” Blumetti explained. “I didn’t know what to do. I used NCAA recruiting tools that were free but that didn’t really help. I went to a PBR in August at Mitchell College and that helped put my name out there. The Hartford coach said he saw that and he said other coaches said they saw that. I got tons of emails from that so it really helped me. PBR was the most impactful thing for me.”

But not being committed early in his senior year of high school did bring on some nerves.

“I definitely wanted to get it done before the high school season started,” Blumetti said. “I tried to narrow it down the last few months and I knew when I made the decision it was right for me. I thank God for this. I wanted to find someone that wanted me before the season.”

There is a belief he can make an impact in a Hartford program that plans to drop down from Division I to Division III in the future.

“I’m a good teammate and a leader,” Blumetti related. “I come in every day, work hard and help my teammates. At the end of the day I’ll help them win and bring success to the program.”

Blumetti, who will major in business at Hartford, is thrilled to have a college home to play baseball.

“I remember calling coach Slusarz and then calling the head coach,” Blumetti reflected back to his commitment. “What a relaxing feeling. My parents were with me and were so happy. I’ll remember that call for the rest of my life.”

The idea of pitching at the private university in West Hartford is exciting.

“I’m looking forward to the competitiveness,” Blumetti concluded. “It’s going to be completely different than throwing in high school. You’re part of a group that supports you and wants to win and that’s exciting to me. My teammates will probably be brothers for life. There’s nothing I want to do more the next four years than play baseball, meet new friends and compete at a high level.”