Hayden baseball's Cooper Grace commits to Nebraska

TOPEKA (KSNT) - Hayden baseball's Cooper Grace is planning to take his talents to the next level.

Grace announced his commitment to pitch for Nebraska on Aug. 8 via social media, just two weeks after he visited the campus in Lincoln. The rising Wildcat senior said it was a long recruitment process, but it was worth waiting for the perfect fit.

"Not having to decommit, flip, do all this other stuff," Grace said. "Make a decision that's completely right for me, and that's where I want to be for four years."

Hayden's senior pitcher says he fell in love with Nebraska as soon as he stepped foot on campus. His parents were just as excited when he got the call about an offer.

"They trust me when I go up and say something that I want, they understand that I'm not a kid that changes my mind that much," Grace said. "... I got a call a week later with it and called my dad and I could tell he was crying. We talked about it before that, if I get that call, that's where I want to go, and we made it happen."

Grace is counting down the days until he heads to Lincoln, but he's making it a priority to soak up his senior year in the meantime.

He's ready to keep terrorizing opposing batters with his fastball, but has his eyes set on winning a back-to-back 3A state championship in his final year at Hayden.