Alex Clemmey shined on the Hendricken mound. Here's where he'll play in college
WARWICK — Three years might seem like a long time to keep a promise, but not when it’s made between the likes of Alex Clemmey and the baseball program at Vanderbilt.
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The left-handed pitcher at Bishop Hendricken and the five-time College World Series participant appreciate what they have in one another. That ongoing relationship led to last Wednesday afternoon at Pepin Gymnasium.
Clemmey was one of three Hawks to participate in Signing Day, joining track and field athletes Mike LaFlamme (Holy Cross) and Alex Morin (Bryant). The commitment to the Commodores made by the Middletown native as a freshman is now official.
“I didn’t really know what the future was going to hold,” Clemmey said. “I knew all this hard work was going to pay off eventually.”
Recruitment is the ultimate exercise in projection, and Vanderbilt was in early on a future Perfect Game All-American and gold medalist with the Team USA 18U squad. Clemmey was dominant for the Hawks in the spring, helping them reach the Division I state title series against North Kingstown. He stands 6 feet 6 inches and runs his fastball up to 97 mph.
“Being a Commodore is a huge accomplishment for me,” Clemmey said. “All the hard work and dedication to this point have gotten me to where I am today. I can’t be thankful enough for my family.”
Clemmey should enter next season as the frontrunner for the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year honors. The current holder of that title, former South Kingstown pitcher Ben Brutti, was on campus to watch Clemmey put pen to paper. Brutti and Clemmey are workout partners at Hop’s Athletic Performance in Coventry — the right-hander bypassed a commitment to South Florida and signed with the Cincinnati Reds after being drafted in July.
“Right now, I’m worried about getting stronger, putting on weight and winning a high school championship,” Clemmey said. “The draft’s not even on my mind right now.”
Clemmey continues the Northeast pipeline to Nashville under head coach Tim Corbin, who is a New Hampshire native. He’s made a point of targeting the best prospects nationally and that includes heading back to his roots on occasion. Portsmouth star Ryan Westmoreland was initially committed to Vanderbilt in 2008 before being drafted by the Red Sox and signing for a bonus of $2 million.
“Playing up north is much, much different because of the cold weather,” Clemmey said. “My first high school start last year was 30 degrees and raining.”
The Commodores have produced 19 first-round picks under Corbin, including a pair of future World Series champions who went No. 1 overall — left-handed pitcher David Price to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2007 and shortstop Dansby Swanson to the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2015. Swanson was a key member of Corbin’s first national championship club in 2014 and Vanderbilt captured a second in 2019.
“Standout baseball program, SEC, winning reputation — that's what stood out to me,” Clemmey said. “That was the right fit for me and my family.”
Clemmey will enter the season amid some transition in his personal circle. John DeRouin, the pitching coordinator for both Hop’s and North East Baseball, has accepted a position with the Detroit Tigers as their rehab pitching coordinator. He attended the ceremonies but is set for a move to Florida shortly — his home base will be at Detroit’s spring training home in Lakeland.
“We knew this was something that was going to come,” Clemmey said. “His level of understanding of pitching and the respect he has in New England and the country, he was going to have this job come soon. I’m still going to work with him — it's going to be remote.”
LaFlamme and Morin also have some unfinished business before they head for Worcester and Smithfield, respectively. They’re both members of a Bishop Hendricken football team that will enter the upcoming postseason as the No. 1 seed at the state’s top level. The Hawks are aiming for a fifth straight title and their 12th since 2010.
On Twitter: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: From RI to Nashville: Hendricken ace Alex Clemmey signs college NIL
