Former Bonny Eagle High star Jacob Humphrey has transferred from UMass-Lowell to college baseball powerhouse Vanderbilt. Nick Grace photo/Courtesy of UMass-Lowell athletics
Jacob Humphrey really didn’t want to transfer for his junior season of college baseball.
But when the speedy outfielder decided he had little choice but to move on after UMass Lowell Coach Ken Harring resigned, Humphrey discovered he was coveted by many of the top Division I college baseball programs in the country.
After a whirlwind process, Humphrey decided to spend his junior year at Vanderbilt University. He will go from facing the likes of Maine in the America East to playing in the Southeastern Conference, home of reigning NCAA champion Louisiana State and seven other teams in the final NCAA.com Top 25, including No. 19 Vanderbilt (No. 14 in the final Baseball America poll).
“I had no idea where I would end up. It was definitely a huge risk,” said Humphrey, 20. “I knew I could play for other teams in other conferences but I was definitely shocked by the degree of teams that reached out.”
Harring resigned July 24 following accusations that his dismissal of a Black player from the team in February was racially motivated. An external investigation determined Harring had not violated school policy but said some of his behaviors were troubling.
Humphrey said he felt loyal to Harring, the one college coach who actively recruited him, and would have stayed at Lowell if Harring did. Harring’s resignation opened a 30-day entry into the NCAA transfer portal for Lowell’s players.
“As soon as he went in the portal, his phone was blowing up. My phone was blowing up,” said Ryan Copp, Humphrey’s former travel ball coach with the Maine Lightning.
Humphrey’s first call came from Vanderbilt. In short order, 2023 national runner-up Florida, Wake Forest, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Boston College and several other schools let it be known they also wanted Humphrey, who hit .337 as a freshman, .317 with added power as a sophomore, and had stolen 79 bases while being caught only six times (92.9 percent success rate).
Humphrey played his final three games with the Harwick Mariners in the Cape Cod Baseball League, then flew to Nashville and made an official visit at Vanderbilt on Monday, July 31, accompanied by his parents, Becky and Shawn Humphrey, and his younger brother, Jackson. The next day the family went to Wake Forest for another official visit. By Friday the decision was made.
“My world flipped upside down in like 24 hours,” Humphrey said. “Especially going on the visits and seeing how great the facilities are at both schools. It’s unimaginable how nice they really are.”
Jacob Humphrey as a high school senior at Bonny Eagle. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer
Copp said had it not been for the pandemic, Humphrey likely would have been recruited by top programs coming out of Bonny Eagle, where he helped the Scots win the 2019 Class A football championship and the 2019 Class AA South basketball crown.
“His prime recruiting year was the COVID summer (of 2020),” Copp said. “Because there was no recruiting going on it was almost impossible to get him in front of the right people.”
Humphrey made an immediate impact at UMass Lowell with his speed and instincts, stealing 46 bases in 47 attempts as a freshman. As a sophomore Humphrey had 33 steals in 38 attempts. He also showed increased power, doubling his total extra-base hits from 11 to 22 with nine homers compared to two as a freshman.
Playing for the Harwich Mariners in the Cape Cod Baseball League, Humphrey hit .226 with 35 strikeouts in 102 at-bats, stole 15 bases in 17 attempts, led Harwich with 23 runs, and committed one error playing right field, center field and second base.
“It was really fun. I had a great experience and it was definitely the best competition I’ve ever seen in my life,” Humphrey said. “I still have a ton of work to do just hitting and on the offensive side but I think I was able to prove to myself that I can play really good defense and I can still steal some bases off some great competition.”
Humphrey’s 3.46 grade-point-average in plastics engineering shows he can handle the classroom at Vanderbilt. He should also have the opportunity to compete for a starting spot on the diamond.
Vanderbilt’s top two outfielders were taken in the Major League Baseball draft, center fielder Enrique Bradfield Jr., in the first round and right fielder RJ Schreck in the ninth. Four returning players shared time in left field.
“I’m going to give it my best shot. There is an opportunity to play so I have to show what I can do,” Humphrey said.
If Humphrey can play regularly and produce at Vanderbilt it will increase his stock prior to the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft.
“The goal is for Jacob to be one and done at Vanderbilt,” Copp said. “If he has a good year he should be a fifth-round pick, somewhere around there. That’s part of the plan. You want to get drafted and move on.”
Vanderbilt has a history with Maine players, most recently pitcher Hunter Owen (South Portland), who was drafted this summer in the fifth round by the Kansas City Royals.
Wyatt Nadeau, who will be a junior pitcher at Gorham High, has verbally committed to Vandy. Former major league infielder Ryan Flaherty of Portland was an All-American for Coach Tim Corbin, who has led the Commodores since 2003.
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