Baseball Introduces Seven-Member Class of 2027
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard University baseball will welcome seven incoming first-year student-athletes as a part of its Class of 2027 for the 2023 season, Bill Decker, The Joseph J. O’Donnell ’67 Head Coach for Harvard Baseball announced on Thursday.
The class spans the continental United States with two student-athletes from the state of California and one each from Rhode Island, Connecticut, Georgia, Ohio, and Michigan. The group gives the Crimson balance across the field with a combination of infielders, pitchers, and a catcher.
Harvard’s Class of 2027 includes right-handed pitcher/first baseman Andrew Abler (Novi, Mich.), catcher Dominic Brancel (Claridon, Ohio), right-handed pitcher Will Burns (Sandy Hook, Conn.), infielder/right-handed pitcher Ryan McHugh (Narragansett, R.I.), right-handed pitcher Truman Pauley (Pacific Palisades, Calif.), infielder Jack Rickheim (Atlanta, Ga.), and infielder Tyler Shulman (Calabasas, Calif.).
The group joins a Harvard team that gained a berth in the inaugural Ivy League Tournament in 2023, securing the No. 2 seed behind a 15-6 Ivy League record, marking the Crimson’s most Ivy League wins since 2005. The Crimson captured six of its seven Ivy League series during the regular season.
Andrew Abler
Novi, Mich. | Novi
Right-Handed Pitcher/First Baseman | Bats/Throws: R/R | 6-foot-1 | 205 lbs.
Earned First Team MHSBCA All-State honors in 2023 … Took home the D1 Cold Weather Bats Pitcher of the Year award in the state of Michigan as a senior … Gained KLAA All-Conference honors three times (2021, 2022, 2023) and All-Region/All-District accolades three times (2021, 2022, 2023) … Selected to the Metro Detroit Dream Team as a senior … Garnered Perfect Game All-America – Central Region plaudits … Ranked as a top-5 RHP in Michigan, top-150 RHP in the nation, and a top-500 overall prospect per Perfect Game … Gained a spot on Prep Baseball Report’s First Team All-State and Regional East Team as a senior … Served team as a senior captain … Earned Novi’s Best Pitcher award in 2021 and 2023 … Earned four varsity letters … Competed on the club level for Legacy Baseball and Novi Heat Baseball … Also played football; acted as a senior captain … Earned Academic All-State laurels in baseball and football … Selected as one of two Division 1 Scholar-Athletes of the Year in football for the state of Michigan … Collected six Scholar-Athlete awards from Novi … Graduated summa cum laude and as an AP Scholar with Honor … Son of Jennifer and Ben Abler … Great uncle Tom Britton earned a PhD in chemistry from Harvard.
Dominic Brancel
Claridon, Ohio | Hawken School
Catcher | Bats/Throws: R/R | 5-foot-10 | 190 lbs.
Earned First Team All-Chagrin Valley Conference three times … Gained Chagrin Valley Conference MVP accolades as a senior … Garnered PBR First Team All-State twice … Selected to the All-Ohio Series in 2023 … Set school records in doubles and RBIs … Served team as a senior captain … Competed on the club level for Ohio Elite … Earned four varsity letters … Son of Kristina and Joshua Brancel.
Will Burns
Sandy Hook, Conn. | Newtown
Right-Handed Pitcher | Bats/Throws: R/R | 6-foot-1 | 190 lbs.
Named a 2023 Preseason All-American and All-Region honoree … Rated as the No. 10 player in the state of Connecticut per Perfect Game … Earned All-State and All-South West Conference accolades as a senior … Gained All-Colonial Division laurels as a junior … Collected All-SWC Honorable Mention plaudits as a sophomore … Served team as a captain as a senior … Earned three varsity letters … Competed on the club level for Run & Gun Baseball and Connecticut Clubhouse … National Honor Society student … Won the AP Scholar Award … Acted as Treasurer of the Newtown chapter of the UNICEF Club … Volunteered with Families United … Enjoys fishing, kayaking, and hiking … Son of Stephanie and Steffan Burns; Steffan played baseball and football at Johns Hopkins.
Ryan McHugh
Narragansett, R.I. | Deerfield Academy (Mass.)
Infielder/Right-Handed Pitcher | Bats/Throws: R/R | 6-foot-0 | 185 lbs.
Earned First Team All-New England … Gained First Team All-CNEPSBL (Central New England Prep School Baseball League) as a senior … Captured CNEPSBL All-League honors as a junior … Hit .441 as a senior … Acted as baseball team captain in 2022 and 2023 … Competed on the club level for Rhode Island Prospects and New England Scorpions … Also played ice hockey; served team as a captain in 2022-23 … Won the Head of School Award in 2023 for athletic and academic achievement … Son of Karen and Sean McHugh; Sean played hockey at Plymouth State.
Truman Pauley
Pacific Palisades, Calif. | Windward
Right-Handed Pitcher | Bats/Throws: R/R | 6-foot-2 | 195 lbs.
Earned First Team All-League honors in 2022 and 2023 … Won the Athletics Scholar of the Year award as a senior … Competed on the club level for Legacy Baseball and SoCal Renegades … Graduated in top 10 percent of class … Dean’s List student … Interested in robotics, model rocketry, and surfing … Son of Joanne and Matthew Pauley … Maternal grandfather William K. Doyle graduated from Harvard Business School in 1972 and maternal great grandfather Paul K. Doyle graduated from Harvard in 1938, playing baseball for the Crimson from 1937-38.
Jack Rickheim
Atlanta, Ga. | Fellowship Christian
Infielder | Bats/Throws: R/R | 5-foot-9 | 175 lbs.
Rated as the No. 8 shortstop and top-50 overall prospect in the state of Georgia per Perfect Game … Earned All-Region honors three times … Gained All-State accolades twice … Collected two Perfect Game MVP awards and 27 All-Tournament Team selections … Selected to the Rawlings and Perfect Game Preseason All-America Teams as a senior and as a Preseason Underclassmen All-American as a sophomore and junior … Four-year starter at Fellowship Christian; helped lead team to three GHSA final four appearances (2021-23) with a combined record of 91-19 … Hit .458 as a junior … Competed on the club level for Georgia Jackets and Team Elite/Atlanta Braves Scout Team; helped lead Georgia Jackets to multiple top-10 national rankings, hitting .361 over 129 games … Volunteered with Miracle League … Son of Amy and Mike Rickheim.
Tyler Shulman
Calabasas, Calif. | Calabasas
Infielder | Bats/Throws: L/R | 6-foot-0 | 175 lbs.
Earned Second Team All-CIF and All-County accolades as a senior … Gained First Team All-Marmonte League as a senior and Second Team All-Marmonte as both a sophomore and junior … Selected as a Tyler Skaggs All-Star as a senior … Helped lead team to a CIF State Regional DII title … Helped team win a pair of league championships … Served team as a senior captain … Garnered Coaches Award as a senior … Started all four seasons as a varsity player … Competed on the club level for SoCal Giants and GBG; won a pair of Perfect Game Fall National championships with GBG in 2019 and 2023 … Honor Roll student … Son of Dina and Scott Shulman.
