Andrew Harding will be part of a new beginning at Oakland University.
With plenty of family and friends looking on Nov. 21 at the Brandon High School library, Harding, a senior at BHS, has signed a letter of intent to play baseball at Oakland University beginning in the 2006-07 school year.
Harding also considered Eastern Michigan University, Central Michigan University and the University of Michigan before deciding on Oakland.
‘I liked the coaching staff there,? he said. ‘It was close to home and a good fit.?
Harding also said he decided to make a commitment to Oakland now, as opposed to waiting until spring to pick a college, because ‘I just felt like it was the right place to go.?
Several teammates and coaches of Harding’s congratulated him on his success and predicted he would succeed at Oakland.
Among these players is senior Ray Reynolds, a catcher on the Brandon varsity baseball team. ‘You’ve been a great teammate,? Reynolds said to Harding at the Nov. 21 ceremony. ‘No one deserves this more.?
Last season as a junior outfielder with the Brandon varsity baseball team, Harding hit .412 with 28 runs scored, 30 RBI, 11 doubles and five home runs. He also played summer baseball for the North Oakland Yankees travel team.
Dan Hauser, Harding’s coach with the North Oakland Yankees, said Harding is a ‘good example? of what one can accomplish with hard work.
Brandon varsity baseball coach Ron Wagner said Harding and his family were considering a number of schools, but decided to attend Oakland based on the school’s proximity to Brandon.
Harding said he is slated to play the outfield for the Golden Grizzlies during the 2006-07 school year, and plans on studying elementary education and business at OU.
Before he heads to Oakland, though, he has one more season to play for the Blackhawks. Harding said he hopes the Blackhawks can win districts this year and advance as far as possible in the state playoffs, while individually, he said he would like to make the All-State team.
The Golden Grizzlies will have a new man at the helm for the 2005-06 season, as Dylan Putnam, a 2002 graduate of Michigan State University and a former assistant with the MSU baseball program, is now the head baseball coach at Oakland.
Harding is one of seven players that signed letters of intent this month with the Oakland University baseball program for the 2006-07 season, according to the OU athletics Web site, www.ougrizzlies.com.
Last season, the Golden Grizzlies went 14-38 overall and 9-15 in the Mid-Continent Conference.