“Everyone was just hanging in their rooms,” Hendricks says. “So I went over to DeWolfe, and I was really impressed with the rooms, and I liked the players. I thought they were a good bunch of guys. And just the name Harvard. I never thought I’d get in.”

Hendricks, of course, was accepted, but not before being courted by a plethora of other schools. He was recruited by Baylor, Georgia Tech, Miami of Ohio, Fresno State, Tulane and Wichita State, among others. But besides Harvard, two schools truly tempted Hendricks—Rice and West Point.

Playing for the Owls—currently the No. 1 ranked team in the country and a perennial national power—made sense. Rice was a strong academic institution just a few well-hit balls from home, with top-notch facilities and a reputation for producing ball players. It was Hendricks’ first choice, but Owls coach Wayne Graham wanted to wait and see what type of senior season he had before offering a scholarship. It turned out to be one of the best in Texas.

“When I had a great senior season, they came knocking, but it was too late,” Hendricks says. “I was already committed to Harvard. I didn’t want to renege on my commitment.”

Cadet coach Dan Roberts knew he wanted Hendricks long before his senior season started. When Hendricks’ father, retired Army veteran Art Hendricks, first suggested playing for the Academy during Trey’s junior year, his son was reluctant. But after visiting West Point—which was “even colder than Harvard”—and getting to know Roberts, Hendricks was torn.

“West Point pretty much promised me, ‘You are going to bat third, play first and pitch a game every single weekend,’” Hendricks says. “So that was kind of [what tempted me]. I didn’t want any guarantees from any place. I just wanted an opportunity to go in and play as a freshman.”

But playing right away wasn’t enough if it meant he couldn’t keep playing after graduation. So after procuring a congressional nomination and gaining acceptance to arguably the most selective university in America, Hendricks said no.

“It was never really in the front, because I always wanted to play baseball,” Hendricks says. “If I would’ve gone there, I could never play pro baseball, because you have the four-year commitment after you graduate.”

Ivy League to the Major Leagues

Hendricks wanted to reach the big leagues, and he thought Harvard could help him get there.

When he was a high school senior, scouts starting calling, talking about selecting him as a pitcher in the middle rounds. But Trey didn’t flinch when Art told all of them not to bother, because his boy was going to Harvard.

In the Spring of 2000, Collegiate Baseball ran a story on Hendricks’ plans. Walsh still remembers the pride he felt when he realized what Hendricks turned down to play for him.

“There was a big story in there about how Trey Hendricks had decided to spurn some offers at other schools [and] the draft and wants to come to Harvard, get his degree and then play major league baseball,” Walsh says. “Just seeing that in print, it was just a tremendous feeling as a coach to see someone that’s got their head on right and has their plans laid out, a path, and could see beyond senior year. I think that’s what Trey did when he made his decision to come here.”

Hendricks was going to Harvard, and the scouts would have to wait.

Luckily, they have. After a strong summer swinging a wood bat (.327-8-36) in the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL), Hendricks is once again considered a draftable commodity, now as a hitter.