Lyman Hall ace Liam Laffin, a two-time CIAC champion, commits to Vanderbilt baseball
· Yahoo Sports
Lyman Hallbaseball ace Liam Laffin made a name for himself as a freshman when he threw a shutout in the Class L championship.
A year later, as a sophomore, Laffin took the mound again to earn the win in the Class L final, making him a two-time champion.
Now, in the fall of his junior year, Laffin has announced that he will continue his baseball career with the iconic program at Vanderbilt University after he graduates in 2028.
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"It is going to be really special getting down there and being a part of that team," Laffin said. "I know my spot is not given. I really have to go down there and earn it. These next two years are huge for me, improving my stuff and velocity and getting in the best shape of my life before I get down there. It is SEC. It is hard and there are transfers going in and out. They have guys there, and I want to be one of those guys."
Laffin made the announcement via a social media post on Sept. 6, following an appearance at a Vanderbilt recruiting camp where his fastball reached 92 miles per hour. Laffin's velocity has been steadily rising over the year, including when he topped out at 91 mph in the state final.
"The velocity did go up over the summer. I started working out a little more," Laffin said. "I knew I was getting some looks, and I think I had seven different calls (the day the recruitment window opened). One of those schools was Vanderbilt."
Laffin's fastball velocity, which is boosted by his high ride, complements his big curve ball and dominant changeup, which was voted the best in the CIAC this past spring.
Connecticut has sent a handful of players to Vanderbilt over the years, a program that has become one of the best in the NCAA in recent decades. The most recent was Miles Langhorne, who graduated from Greenwich in 2022. He eventually transferred to Charlotte and was signed to a free-agent contract by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2024. He also pitched for Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic.
Before Langhorne, Connecticut baseball players to go on to Vanderbilt included 11-year major leaguer Curt Casali (New Canaan) and Jason Esposito (Amity), who was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in 2008 and currently serves as an assistant coach at Vanderbilt.
Laffin, who has played with the Connecticut Cowboys travel team, had been on Vanderbilt's radar for years through the Cowboys' coach, Vin Teixeira.
"One of my coaches, Vin Teixeira, knows (Esposito), so they opened that window a while ago for me," Laffin said. "When I was at the camp, I was told they knew of me since eighth grade, which was pretty cool to hear about."
Laffin, who was also recruited by UConn, spent much of the summer traveling and attended a camp at the University of Virginia.
Laffin is one of the headliners of a 2028 class featuring players who have committed to high-level schools. That list includes Fairfield Prep's Jackson Salmieri, who recently committed to Texas A&M, Cheshire Academy's Kansas State commit HT Jones, and a pair of UConn commits in Blake Huston (Shelton) and Gavin Halovatch (North Haven).
"I would talk to guys at these Vanderbilt and Virginia camps, and they would ask how the competition is in Connecticut," Laffin said. "I told them we really have some studs on the mound. Guys like (Jackson) Salmieri and Gavin Chakar, all these great pitchers. It is cool to be part of this great 2028 class we have."
This article originally published at Lyman Hall ace Liam Laffin, a two-time CIAC champion, commits to Vanderbilt baseball.