One of Iowa’s top high school baseball prospects is staying home after Ole Miss pulled its offer from Western Dubuque senior Brett Harris.
Harris had been committed to the Rebels since he was a freshman, following the path of his older brother, Calvin Harris. But with Ole Miss deciding it will not bring him in this fall, Harris moved quickly to the University of Iowa.
“When one door closes, another one opens,” Harris posted on X (formerly known as Twitter). “Go Hawks!”
The decision came after a difficult stretch for Harris and, according to his father, had more to do with his medical situation than baseball. Scott Harris told USA Today that he believed the scholarship was pulled because of concern over Brett Harris undergoing radiation treatment for cancer.
“It wasn’t about his ability, because he’s played really well,” Scott Harris said. “It was more the concern if he had to go up to Mayo Clinic and leave Ole Miss. We want to take the high road, but we also want to say our disappointment in letting a kid know a month before a school year is going to start.”
Harris was diagnosed with a brain tumor as a freshman at Western Dubuque. That diagnosis kept him off the high school football field for two years, though he stayed on the baseball path and returned to football this past fall.
He made an impact there, too. Harris helped the Bobcats reach the Iowa High School Athletic Association Class 4A State Playoffs while completing 91 of 144 passes for 1,118 yards and 14 touchdowns.
His brother’s name is already familiar in Iowa and beyond. Calvin Harris is now moving through the Chicago White Sox farm system after being drafted in the fourth round, and he was part of Ole Miss’ 2022 national championship team.
Like Brett, Calvin was a catcher and quarterback at Western Dubuque, and he also starred in basketball. During his career, the Bobcats won a state football title and a basketball championship.
Now Brett Harris turns back to baseball with Western Dubuque set to open Class 3A Iowa High School Athletic Association State Baseball Substate play Friday at home against Charles City. The Bobcats are 21-14, and Harris has been a steady force at the plate, hitting .402 with 31 RBI, 15 doubles, 22 runs scored and 30 walks while starting every game.
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