Prep Baseball: Poway’s Wagenseller commits to Stanford University

Poway High outfielder Blake Wagenseller verbally committed to Stanford University on Sunday. The junior chose the Cardinal over several other schools, including San Diego State, Utah and Arizona.

“When I visited Stanford on (Sunday) I just felt at home,” said the 6-foot-1, 180-pound Wagenseller, who hit .376 with four home runs and 22 RBI as a sophomore for the Titans last season. “The coaches were welcoming and I know they can develop me into a player that can have a shot at the draft my junior year. And the education there is beyond any other school. So, if baseball doesn’t work out then I have that as a back up plan.”

Wagenseller had a breakout season for Poway in 2015 and it came while scouts were at nearly every game watching senior third baseman Tyler Nevin, who was selected by the Colorado Rockies with the 38th overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft.

“It was a great year to have a great year,” the right-handed Wagenseller said. “Having Tyler Nevin on the team had the scouts there all the time. I never really thought about them. I just played the game and had a great year at the plate. It turned out good for me, because you never know who is watching and guys were watching.”

Wagenseller said the coaching staff at Stanford told him he has a shot to earn the starting job in center field his freshman year in 2017. That was also a factor in choosing Stanford.

“It was one of my biggest things,” Wagenseller said. “I want to have the opportunity to play my freshman year.”

Wagenseller is not the only Palomar League player to recently be plucked by Stanford. Westview’s right-handed pitcher Michael Mercado, a soon-to-be junior, also verbally committed to Stanford.

Wagenseller is currently preparing to participate in the Area Code Games in Long Beach. Rancho Bernardo’s Calvin Mitchell will also be participating.