Abler Excited To Attend 'The Best School In The World'

NOVI - The “backup plan” became the perfect aspiration for Andrew Abler.

“I was talking with Northwestern for a long time but they kept stalling on an offer so to make sure I had a backup plan I reached out to the coaches at Harvard and Villanova,” the Novi High School senior explained. “I ended up getting an offer from both.”

Surprisingly to Abler, in the end it was Harvard that stood out above all other schools.

“I was blown away,” Novi said about his visit to the prestigious Ivy League school in Cambridge, Ma. “I didn’t have high expectations about the Boston area, I’m used to Detroit. But during my visit I went to Fenway for a Yankees and Red Sox game and that was great. I liked the campus so much and all the opportunities at Harvard. It’s one of the best schools in the world. Everything happened at the last minute. I went there Aug. 13-14 and I committed two days after.”

The 10th-rated 2023 right-handed pitcher in Michigan made an impression on Harvard as well.

“They liked that I threw hard, but the main thing was that I threw four pitches and could locate all of them for strikes,” Abler noted.

A commitment brought an end to a recruiting process that accelerated a year ago when Abler pitched for Team Michigan at the Future Games.

“It all started last summer when my summer coach reached out to Western Michigan,” Abler said. “He was going to offer but wanted to wait because of my grade. Then I went to the Future Games and that really helped. When I reached out to them afterward he said we saw you there.

“Probably the main thing was when I pitched at the Procase and threw 90,” added Abler in reference to the Michigan PBR event in early March. “I threw 90 and maybe five schools started to show an interest after that. Getting my numbers officially validated with PBR helped out a lot.”

The desire to play at the next level actually became strong after a change in summer teams.

“When I moved to Legacy and started doing a weight-training program is when I started thinking about college baseball,” Abler related. “I was throwing 81 at the time. Then I did a PBR with Legacy my sophomore year winter and threw 86. That’s when I started to get interest from schools like Dartmouth.”

While Abler ended up selecting another school from the Ivy League in Harvard, the challenges ahead remain high.

“I’ve always been strong in school, especially in math subjects,” Abler pointed out. “I enjoy studying, so I’m not that worried about being overwhelmed. I’m more worried about the basic English classes.”

The plan is to major in computer science and after graduation get an MBA according to Abler, who carries a 4.0 unweighted GPA and 4.22 weighted GPA at Novi.

“It’s really exciting to go to Harvard,” Abler explained. “My parents, friends and family are really proud of me. The stress that built up is gone and now I’m looking forward to going to the best school in the world and playing baseball.”

The belief from the 30th-ranked senior in Michigan is that an impact will be made once arriving at the Ivy League university.

“I have a lot of confidence in my abilities,” the 6-1 201-pounder noted. “I know how to get batters out and I can throw all of my pitches for strikes. I’m also a gamer and good at getting locked in. I love baseball which really helps out a lot.”

While there is still a senior season of baseball to play at Novi, the 17-year-old looks ahead with anticipation at his future days at Harvard.

“The main thing I’m looking forward to is the competition and trying to win the Ivy League,” Abler concluded. “I can’t wait to meet and form bonds with teammates. If we’re winning, the team culture is so much better and it’s so much more fun.”