NOVI - The top-rated 2024 left-handed pitcher in Michigan has found a new home and it comes with some familiarity.

“I was really looking forward to playing for those coaches, that was most of my decision,” Brendon Bennett said about making a decommitment from Michigan after a change in the coaching staff when head coach Erik Bakich and top assistant Nick Schnabel took over at Clemson. “After I became open I talked with a bunch of schools, but it was still the coaches at Clemson that stood out. Their philosophy and what they teach and how they improve you as a player and person is what I wanted. Last summer it was between Michigan and Clemson, but with the coaching change I chose Clemson.”

A visit in late July helped seal the deal.

“The university is a really good school,” Bennett explained about the college located in western South Carolina, just two hours from Atlanta. “I like how the campus is a college town and with the lakes and everything, it’s beautiful.

“The program is always good,” added the 16-year-old, who is beginning his junior year of high school at Novi. “It can be one of the top programs in the country every year. I believe coach Bakich is on a path to have some really good years.”

The 25th-ranked 2024 LHP in the nation believes he can play a major role in helping that happen.

“I’ll bring my competitiveness and my day in and day out work,” Bennett related. “I work hard to compete every day.”

It is one of the things the Clemson coaches saw in the 6-2 200-pounder.

“They see me as a hard-throwing left-hander with a good curveball and changeup,” the fourth-rated junior in Michigan explained. “They like how I attack the strike zone. After I committed they saw me pitch a game where I threw six innings with 12 strikeouts and no walks. They really liked the no walks.”

While a number of other schools showed interest in the 237th-ranked 2024 in the country following his decommitment from Michigan, Bennett saw a lot to like at Clemson in addition to the coaching staff.

“I’m looking forward to playing down south,” Bennett explained. “It will be better for baseball being warmer and playing more games at home. I grew up a Michigan fan but I’ll be a huge Clemson guy. My sister committed to South Carolina for softball so I don’t think it will be a big deal to be too far away from home.”

Now the task at hand is to continue improving before his days of playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference begin.

“I’ve improved my consistency with locating and making sure I can hit spots when I want to with all three pitches,” Bennett noted. “I just need to continue gaining velocity and maybe even add a pitch.”   

While a major is unsure at this point - business and finance are being considered - Bennett is happy to be headed to play at a place where a number of others from Michigan are going after the coaching change at Clemson.

“It will be nice to have stuff in common and connect with them,” Bennett said. “We all kind of went through the same thing.”

A 3.5 student, Bennett is anticipating an enjoyable time once college life begins.

“I’m looking forward to going out, playing with coaches you really want to play for and going out and competing every day to win a College World Series,” Bennett concluded.