Harvard Offer A 'No-Brainer' For Tahnk

NEWBURYPORT, Ma. - An offer from Harvard was a “no-brainer” in the eyes of Owen Tahnk.

“Right off the bat the name speaks for itself,” Tahnk said. “Since I was young my parents have pushed academics and Harvard is the best in the world.”

There is more that stood out than just the name and academics according to the recent Harvard commit.

“They have a very good baseball program,” the Newburyport junior pointed out. “I also like that it’s in Boston, the best city in the world. That made the decision easy for me.”

Initial interest from Harvard came a week before the Future Games.

“One of the assistant coaches briefly saw me,” explained Tahnk. “But where I really picked up interest was at the Future Games.”

The sixth-rated 2024 right-handed pitcher in New England had a stellar performance pitching for Team Connecticut at the prestigious PBR event.

“I felt I threw well,” Tahnk said. “I did a good job showcasing my fastball and curveball. I had good command in my outing and showcased myself to the best of my ability.”

More coaches than Harvard took a liking to what the 6-3 195-pounder displayed.

“A few more schools reached out after the Future Games,” noted Tahnk. “If Harvard didn’t work out I would have chosen Northeastern or Cornell.”

But the Ivy League school in Boston, located 45 minutes from his Newburyport home, had a mutual interest in the 17-year-old.

“They like my arm action, my projectability and my command of all three pitches,” Tahnk related.

A commitment helped the third-ranked junior RHP from Massachusetts reach a dream.

“College baseball has always been in the back of my mind since I was young, but more recently in the last three years I’ve wanted to play Division I baseball at a high-academic school,” Tahnk explained. “That led me to work hard in the weight room and the classroom.”

Improvement followed in leading up to the commitment to Harvard.

“I have worked hard in the classroom to maintain my grades and on the baseball side I’ve gotten a lot stronger and gained more mobility which has led to my throwing harder,” Tahnk said. “Last year I was throwing in the low-80s and this year I’m a lot stronger and have more mobility and I’m throwing 86-88, topping at 89. I think with more work this offseason I’ll be in the low-90s, that’s my goal.”

Admittedly, the recruiting process was not easy.

“For me it was definitely stressful,” the 20th-rated 2024 in New England said. “Before the Future Games I was getting some interest and a few offers I wasn’t ready to commit on, but the Future Games opened some doors. Twenty-four hours after the Future Games I had six or seven D-I coaches reach out and ask my coach to call them. It was a pretty quick process after the Future Games. I committed to Harvard two weeks later.

“PBR really helped my recruitment and helped me commit,” Tahnk added. “If an opportunity to go to the Future Games comes to anyone, take it. It will open a lot of doors for you.”

Tahnk, who carries a 4.2 weighted GPA and is taking four AP classes this school year, understands the challenges ahead at a university such as Harvard.

“The coaches told me the hardest part is getting in,” explained Tahnk, who is uncertain about a college major, currently considering pre-med or engineering. “They have a lot of resources and the professors there are great. They’ll help me stay on top of my work and when I’m done with that I can focus on baseball.”

On the field Tahnk believes he can be a big asset to the Harvard program.

“I’ll bring a hard-working attitude and competitor,” Tahnk said. “Wherever I go I strive to be the hardest worker and I love to win. I think I’ll bring those two things.”

To have a commitment final is a great feeling according to the ninth-ranked 2024 in Massachusetts.

“It’s definitely relieving knowing the process is over and satisfying knowing all my hard work in the classroom and baseball has paid off,” Tahnk related. “My family was surprised and also proud. That’s a great feeling to have.”

While there are still two more years of high school remaining, Tahnk looks forward to his days ahead in college.

“I can’t wait to being on the Harvard campus and meeting all the guys,” Tahnk concluded. “I’m also looking forward to the games and competing at the next level. It will be a great opportunity to compete for the regionals.”