Bloom to Stanford

Weston High pitcher Sahil Bloom has verbally committed to Stanford University, he said Thursday night.

Bloom chose the Cardinal – which has been to six College World Series in the last ten seasons – over Duke, Boston College, Vanderbilt and North Carolina. He had considered the school his top choice, and said the school had expressed a significant amount of interest since last February.

“When I visited Stanford in the middle of February, I fell in love with it. The campus is gorgeous,” he said via cell phone.

Bloom has emerged as one of the state’s top pitching prospects over the last 12 months. The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder is capable of throwing five pitches for strikes, and has a fastball that was clocked as high as 91 miles per hour earlier this season.

He finished with a 3-5 record, but struck out more than 75 batters in just 57 innings of work. The Wildcats went 13-9, bowing out in the second round of the Division 3 North sectionals this spring.

This summer, Bloom played for the New England Ruff Necks AAU team, and found some success against national competition at several showcases. Head coach Kirk Fredericks, also the head baseball coach at Lincoln-Sudbury, said Bloom’s fastball typically hit in the range of 86 to 88 miles per hour.

“As far as summer goes, he really pitched well for us,” Fredericks said. “More importantly, he learned how to become a pitcher at that (high)level.”

Bloom said he’s also been contacted by major league scouts. There is a possibility of him being selected in next spring’s amateur draft.

“If he continues to work hard, we could hear more from him down the road,” said one National League scout. “I wish him nothing but the best.”