All Hallows (N.Y.) High School junior shortstop Stephen Alemais verbally committed to Tulane University March 25.

ESPNHS ranked Alemais as one of 20 top position players in the state of New York. The shortstop considered several prominent baseball programs, including Oklahoma State and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, before making his decision.

“I looked at Miami [Fla.], Vanderbilt, LSU, Florida State, [Central Florida], quite a few schools,” Alemais said. “Tulane just offered a different environment.”

His visit to Tulane’s campus from March 23-25, however, made his decision easy and sealed his future as a Green Wave baseball player.

“I didn’t get the same vibe at Miami,” Alemais said. “Miami had lots of fans, but Tulane had more of a family feel. I was there for the weekend, for the University of Maryland-Baltimore County game, I think it was. I was there for the whole series. I asked them a lot of questions, kind of interrogated them. Kyle [Mckenzie], I got close to him, and I also got close to Greg Miller. They were just telling me about the program and why I should come here.”

Besides the South’s warm weather and the personal connections he made with the baseball team, the city of New Orleans also helped prompt his verbal commitment to Tulane.

“I live in New York. I’m tired of the cold,” Alemais said. “[Tulane] is a D-1 program, and New Orleans is a great city. There’s always a lot going on, and I can adapt better because I’m used to the city.”

He is also expected to consistently take the field his freshman year. He holds a .351 batting average and leads his high school team in stolen bases and hits. All Hallows head coach Ed Gutierrez said he expects Alemais to draw interest from Major Leagues eventually.

“He can run, he can hit and he can throw it,” Gutierrez told the New York Post. “I would definitely consider him a five-tool [player].”

Given all of his choices and the unbinding nature of a verbal commitment, there is always the possibility that he may change his mind. Amerais, however, said he has no plans to do so and is presently committed to a future at Tulane.

“I am 100 percent certain,” Alemais said. “I have visited all the schools I had to visit. My parents are 100 percent – I’m 100 percent. Tulane was the first to approach me, and they seemed the most interested. As soon as they approached me, I looked them up. I had not visited all of the schools at that point, but they seemed like what I wanted from the beginning.”

Alemais should make an immediate impact on Tulane upon his arrival, but he still has almost two seasons left before he commences his college career as a shortstop. As of now, he is certain that he wants to begin that career as a Green Wave baseball player.