MTCS pitcher England Bryan changes mind, commits to Vanderbilt baseball. Here's why

Middle Tennessee Christian pitcher England Bryan jotted down his baseball goal when he was just 8 years old.

The right-hander will have the opportunity to live out that dream after he committed Friday to Vanderbilt.

"My mom has a letter I wrote when I was 8 that said, 'I want to go to Vanderbilt, and four years after that I want to be drafted by Major League Baseball,' " Bryan said.

He originally committed to Kentucky in December 2021 when he was a sophomore, but that changed after he visited Lexington in October 2023. He decommitted in early November.

"It was my sophomore year and I was 16," he said. "When you're 16 and an SEC school comes knocking, you think, 'It might be my only opportunity.' It's something I rushed into, and that's completely my fault. (Decommitting) has nothing to do with their program. Coach (Nick) Mingione has done an unbelievable job. He's completely turned their program around.

"When I went to visit this past October, I realized it's not the place I was going to be happy and give my best to my teammates and coaches. It was a hard decision to make."

Kentucky has won more than 30 games four times in Mingione's six full seasons, including topping the 40-win mark twice. The Wildcats have gone to two Super Regionals in that span.

However, Vanderbilt consistently has been one of the nation's top programs during Bryan's lifetime, winning two College World Series and finishing runner-up twice in the past decade.

Bryan, a 6-foot-2, 220-pounder whose fastball hits the mid-90s, said Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin was a big reason why he has been a lifelong fan.

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"A lot of it had to do with how they raise their athletes, how they put their athletes in the weight room, and it shows," Bryan said. "You look on the field and their guys are the biggest guys on the field every time. They're the strongest guys, the most talented guys on the field.

"All of that has to do with Coach Corbin and his staff. He does a great job at showing his guys how to be leaders, not only in baseball, but how to be leaders in life and with family. That's probably what attracted me the most. He's a master at what he does."

Bryan went 4-3 with a 3.32 ERA last season, allowing 35 hits and striking out 55 in 40 innings. He's also a catcher, and hit .333 with six doubles and 23 RBIs.

He has developed more pitches to go with his top-tier fastball, something he struggled with in past seasons.

"Last year my breaking stuff wasn't there, and that's why I got beat a lot," Bryan said. "This year, I'm excited to say that I will challenge hitters with four great pitches. I will come at them aggressively and hard."