Baseball: Delbarton's Jack Leiter tells MLB clubs he is going to Vanderbilt

A month ago, the belief was Delbarton right-hander Jack Leiter would be selected in the first round of the MLB Draft and shortstop Anthony Volpe would be headed to Vanderbilt.

In the days leading up to Monday night's first round in Secaucus, things changed for both players.

RELATED: Yankees take Delbarton SS Anthony Volpe in 1st round of MLB Draft

Leiter made it clear to Major League Baseball clubs he was unsignable and would be going to Vanderbilt in the fall. Volpe also changed his mind and let it be known he would sign if taken high and the price was right.

Volpe was taken with the 30th overall selection in the first round by the Yankees. According to MLB.com, Volpe's projected bonus would be $2.37 million.

"I think both kids made good decisions," said Delbarton head coach Bruce Shatel Monday night. "Jack wanted Vanderbilt and Anthony wanted to play pro ball right now. Both kids had the full support of their families."

Leiter, son for former big league pitcher Al Leiter, has a fastball that was clocked at 98 mph this spring. Volpe is a slick-fielding, hard-nosed shortstop who will probably play second base at the professional level.

Leiter and Volpe will play one more game together, Thursday at 4 p.m. in the Non-Public A final against St. Augustine at Veterans Park in Hamilton Township. The winner of the game will likely be ranked No. 1 the state by NJ.com.

"All night, Jack's name kept scrolling across the television saying he was the best available pitcher," said Shatel, who watched the draft along with all the Delbarton players at Volpe's home. "We all knew that up until (Sunday) he was telling teams he was unsignable. There were organizations calling right up until the last minute.

"I think Jack would have been a top 15 pick had he decided to choose pro ball."

Pitching before scouts and MLB executives every time he took the mound this season, Leiter has been nothing short of brilliant. He has 88 strikeouts and 19 walks, while allowing just 23 hits in 52 plus innings, with an 8-1 record and 0.54 ERA.

Besides an overpowering fastball, Leiter has a curveball one scout said "is better than (former Mets Cy Young Award winner) Doc Gooden's." He also has a slider that he didn't even throw until recently.

"I think these decisions were made by Jack and Anthony," Shatel said. "I'm happy for them both."

Leiter's uncle, Mark Leiter Sr., and cousin, Mark Leiter Jr., also pitched in the big leagues. Mark Sr. pitched for a number of clubs, including the Yankees and Phillies, in his 11-year career. Mark Jr. is with the Toronto Blue Jays and recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Joe Zedalis may be reached at jzedalis@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @josephzedalis. Like NJ.com HS sports on Facebook.