Jared Freilich of Worcester, a starting pitcher on Williston Northampton School’s Varsity Baseball team for one year, has signed a letter of intent to play for the University of Kentucky this fall.

“Jared worked very hard in the fall and winter preparing for the season,” said his coach, Matthew Sawyer. Freilich had a back injury several years ago and needed to condition to prepare for play. “Then, he worked at his mechanics and now uses his 6’5” frame very well,” Sawyer added.

The University of Kentucky Wildcats play in the Southeastern Conference of the NCAA, one of the best baseball conferences in the country. The team will play more than 50 games in a season and will travel throughout the nation.

“Jared uses his height and strength as a pitcher very well,” said coach Sawyer. “He has a very good fastball and a plus curve ball. He is a competitor on the mound, and an excellent teammate off of it.”

Freilich’s mother, Lisa Freilich, said that since Jared was a Babe Ruth League player as a child, “He’s been a quintessential baseball player.” She said his goal is to play major league baseball, and heading south to play for the Wildcats takes him closer to that goal.

“This year has been great for him,” she added about his postgraduate year at Williston. “He flourished and was supported. He gained independence and confidence. His coaches did an incredible job with him. They stuck with him when he struggled and figured out how to correct what was wrong.” She added he made some great friends, calling it, “a true brotherhood.”

See more photos of Jared’s signing here.