Maclay 2027, Perfect Game Player of the Year Chase Fuller commits to Florida State

It won't be in the immediate future, but the Fuller legacy will continue at Florida State.

Maclay eighth-grader and travel team national standout Chase Fuller announced his commitment to play baseball for the Seminoles Wednesday night.

Fuller, 14, is the No. 1 ranked player in the Class of 2027 by Perfect Game USA and won the 2022 Perfect Game 13U National Player of the Year award.

"I'm feeling great," Fuller said.

"I'm proud of my decision and all the hard work I've put into this."

In 95 Perfect Game events in 2022, Fuller, who plays shortstop, hit .367 in 261 plate appearances and 180 at-bats. He had 66 hits and 65 RBI. On the mound, the right-hander had an ERA of 3.80 in 26 innings pitched, striking out 41. His fastball has also been clocked at 90 mph. He hits and throws from the right side.

Fuller has invested a lot of time in holding down the top spot in his class and continuing to push his development. It's a year-round process that he said requires a lot of hitting and fielding practice, but also weight training and taking care of his body.

"These past couple of months have been very intense in all the working out and training," Fuller said. "I'm trying to maintain that number one spot and be the best version of myself every day."

Tallahassee connections part of decision

Staying close to home played a major role in Fuller's decision.

He had shown interest in Clemson, Florida, Georgia Tech, and Vanderbilt, but Florida State had a lasting impact, along with family ties.

His father, Corey Fuller, is the current director of football relations and was a part of the 1993 national championship football team.

Fuller played in the National Football League from 1995 to 2004 before returning to the Big Bend as a head coach at East Gadsden, Gadsden County, and Godby, along with a short stint at Florida A&M. He played high school football at Rickards.

"Staying home was a big part of my decision and so was my dad going there and winning a national championship," Fuller said. "The (FSU baseball) coaches, Link Jarrett and Rich Wallace are awesome and have been so great throughout this entire process."

Following his son's announcement on a Perfect Game live feed, Corey Fuller posted on social media:

"Proud father moment. All the sacrifices, commitment, early mornings, late nights, long trips Chase has had have all paid off. From tee ball, to Perfect Game player of the year, to now be committed to FSU, I couldn’t be more proud of you. Surreal moment for me as a father to see my son follow my footsteps not as a football player but a baseball player at Florida State University. Thank you God."

More:Corey Fuller's plea to team after field trip to Orange Avenue Apartments

Fuller: No pressure to commit early

While most kids his age are preparing for high school and not so much thinking about where they're going to college, Fuller didn't see any difference in his recruiting process and didn't feel pressured about making a commitment so early.

Under NCAA rules, Division I baseball coaches can't have direct contact with high school-aged players until their junior seasons.

Verbal commitments are also non-binding.

"People might say it's early to be thinking about this kind of stuff, but if you find the right college, go to the campus and go to the camps and like it, I think you have a good chance," Fuller said. "There's no point to wait if you're going to get recruited at the same time next year."

Fuller still has plenty of time before heading off to college.

The 6-foot-1, 165-pounder will join Maclay's JV team this spring. He also plays basketball.

Still, Fuller has aspirations of winning a national championship with the Seminoles.

"I'm looking forward to winning national championships for Tallahassee," Fuller said.

Jack Williams covers prep sports for Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at jwilliams@tallahassee.com or on Twitter @jackgwilliams. 

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Maclay 2027 baseball standout Chase Fuller commits to Florida State