Petersen Ready To Bring Speed To Brown

STAMFORD, Ct. - Mika Petersen believes he can present another aspect to the Brown University baseball program.

“I can bring more speed to the lineup to vary the attack with bunting, hitting, base running and tracking balls,” explained the Westhill senior, who recently committed to the Ivy League school. “They like that I’m fast, though it’s not their standard playing style.”

Interest in the 29th-rated 2022 outfielder in New England began in late summer when coaches at Brown saw Petersen in action.

“At the last tournament they came out to watch a game in Rhode Island,” Petersen reflected. “They saw me at an NEB tournament and watched three games. We talked for a while and I went on an unofficial visit which went well. On the way home they called and offered.”

Harvard was the other option according to Petersen, who also had some communication with Princeton.

“I like the school and the coaching staff, and also the location in the Providence area,” Petersen said of Brown. “Everything is within a 10-to-15-minute walk. I really liked my experience there.”

Admittedly, there were a few nerves being uncommitted a few months into senior year of high school.

“A little bit, but coach (Pat) Vigilio at Baseball U really helped with the process and assured me there would be somewhere to play after high school,” Petersen related about being anxious so late in his recruitment. “I just had to wait it out and see what happened.”

Joining Baseball U proved to be vital in reaching the next level according to the 15th-ranked senior outfielder in Connecticut.

“The high school team was loaded so I played on the freshman team,” Petersen explained. “At that point my high school coach made a push for me to go play with Baseball U and that’s when I got serious. Last year, my junior year, I had a good season and it continued into summer. It was then that it all became realistic and I got exposure to places like Princeton.”

Still, the recruiting process was difficult in the eyes of the 161st-rated senior in New England.

“I had to rely a lot on video,” Petersen pointed out. “Coaches couldn’t come out to see games, especially last year. A lot of it was driven on sending video to coaches. My coaches (Mike Riveles in high school and Pat Vigilio with BBU) also reached out and promoted me.

“What really got it started was my first PBR event when they timed my 60,” Petersen added. “People always said I was fast, but that got the attention of colleges when I ran a 6.5.”

The 5-11 160-pound left-handed hitting southpaw, who was recruited by Brown as a center fielder, believes he can be a major asset to the Ivy League program.

“I can help them with a variety of stuff,” noted Petersen, who lives a little more than two hours away from the university in Providence - which last had a winning record in 2009, with the most recent Ivy League title coming in 2007. “Hopefully, I’ll be an all-around player that gets on base, steals bases, gets big hits and tracks down balls in the outfield.”

The chance to do it at a prestigious school like Brown adds to the excitement for Petersen, who carries a 4.9 unweighted GPA at Westhill and is planning on a major in economics or entrepreneurship in college.

“The academics are strong, so there will be a lot of work on the school side,” Petersen explained. “But the guys I’ve talked to said the faculty is very supportive of the baseball program and do their best to make it all possible.”

An improved game helped make it all happen.

“A lot of it was confidence and thinking I can play at a high level,” Petersen pointed out. “It was also getting bigger and stronger to become more of a producer when it comes game time.”

The overall college experience while playing the game he loves is what Petersen is looking forward to the most, while at the moment just happy to have made a commitment.

“It’s really exciting and relieving to figure out where I’m going to be for the next four years,” Petersen concluded. “Relief is the best word to describe it.”