As a junior, Chase Haglund hit .443 with three doubles, a triple and a home run to go along with 13 RBIs and 39 runs scored. On the mound, he went 5-1, posting an ERA of 0.40 and striking out 67 batters in 35 innings. P-J file photo

The Frewsburg Bears baseball team lost just one game in the 2024 season, posting a 21-1 record and cruising to the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association Division 2 title.

When a team is that dominant it likely has several talented players and in the case of junior Chase Haglund, it has Division I talent.

No matter where the Bears put Haglund on the field he has shined and recently he announced his commitment to play for Division I Marist College, which competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

“I just feel incredibly grateful for the opportunity to play at Marist,” Haglund stated. “I just want to thank my coaches, my family and teammates for all their support.”

Haglund is a versatile player for the Bears, flourishing in his junior campaign both in the field and at the plate. He hit .443 with three doubles, a triple and a home run to go along with 13 RBIs and 39 runs scored. On the mound, he went 5-1, posting an ERA of 0.40 and striking out 67 batters in 35 innings.

“Ever since I was (young) I’ve dreamed of playing at the collegiate level,” Haglund stated. “This commitment to Marist College is the realization of that dream and I couldn’t be more excited for the journey ahead.”

Posting those results in his junior year clearly caught the eye of Marist, but there were other Division I offers out there and several Division II and III programs were interested in Haglund as well. However, he had his sights set on Marist and it was an easy decision for him to commit to the Red Foxes before he even begins his senior year.

“Honestly, it was a shoo-in for me,” Haglund said about the decision process. “Marist was all that I ever dreamed of being a part of. Their competitive aspect just fit right with me.”

Haglund’s numbers were fantastic on the mound, but at the next level the intentions are for him to put his arm to use in the outfield.

“They recruited me as an outfielder,” Haglund said about his future with the Red Foxes. “I’m going to be done with pitching and just focus on outfield and hitting. I have talked to them pretty much every day. I really grew my relationship with the coaching staff. I’ve been sending them videos of me hitting and they have just truly been helping me out to become a Red Fox.”

Frewsburg head coach and Chase’s father, Eric Haglund, has seen the possibility of Chase being a Division I talent for a while, but to make it come to fruition there was a lot of time and effort to get to that level.

“Years and years of training,” Coach Haglund said. “Training with local people and out of town people as well. A lot of ups and downs, baseball is a rollercoaster ride, some bad and some good, but we’ve gotten to this point. At a younger age he was a little more advanced when it came to speed and his hands and his footwork. We just tried to build upon that to make him marketable for a Division I athlete and he’s done his own share of hard work in the offseason training with numerous people. We just felt and knew it would be a possibility.”

On top of playing for Frewsburg, Haglund also plays travel baseball with the NY Stingers which has helped him get exposure to more colleges.

“It’s been extremely important,” Haglund said about travel baseball’s role in his recruitment process. “Travel … that’s where I got the looks and I just want to thank the New York Stingers program. They have been an extreme help to me and my family to my success.”

With only one loss in his junior season, Haglund capped off an incredible year by committing to play Division I baseball. However, he is not satisfied with how the Bears’ season ended and is going to continue working to make sure his senior season is even better.

“It’s definitely nice, but we would like to go farther,” Haglund said. “That was definitely a heartbreak for us and we’re definitely not done yet.”

While Haglund is unlikely to pitch in his senior campaign, he is working to get stronger with offseason training and workouts.

“Definitely my bat,” Haglund said about the areas of the game he wants to work on. “Getting bigger in the weight room, of course, and getting faster.”

Haglund will look to grow and develop his game before he steps on the field for the Red Foxes, but his goal on the field is getting the Bears farther into the postseason in his senior year.

“It’s a great opportunity for our whole program,” Coach Haglund said about Chase’s commitment. “It helps open up doors, too. Frewsburg, at the varsity level, we have some other kids too that are going to be college-bound as well. We look forward to seeing them on their path, too, so I’ve got a feeling we’re going to have more than just one college commit this year. … It makes it easier for me as a coach, they’re super dedicated and put a lot of time into it.”