Plainedge star Jaxson Torres commits to Arizona State for baseball, will not play high school football this fall
Plainedge pitcher Jaxson Torres throws to the plate during Game 1 of the Nassau Class A baseball finals against Wantagh on May 28, 2026 in Farmingdale. Credit: Dawn McCormick
Jaxson Torres’ future is much clearer now.
Torres, a rising senior at Plainedge, told Newsday on Saturday that he’s committing to play baseball for Arizona State University.
The 17-year-old righthander from North Massapequa is one of the best pitchers in the state, but he also is one of Long Island’s best quarterbacks. He threw 41 touchdown passes in leading Plainedge to a 20-3 record the last two years.
However, with the commitment to play college baseball, Torres has decided to not play football this fall. He said he informed new Plainedge football coach Adam Hovorka of his decision to leave the team on Friday, shortly after committing to Arizona State.
It is yet another big departure for Plainedge’s football team, which lost longtime coach Rob Shaver to retirement and also graduated several important offensive pieces, including wide receiver Taylor Nitsch, running back Dylan Fella and right tackle Bobby Wescott. Torres also was the team’s punter.
“It was a very long, hard decision,” he said. “I’ve been playing football my whole life — longer than baseball, actually. It was a tough decision me and my family went through, but overall, baseball is where my future is. I feel like I have a better future in baseball, and that’s where the money is, too, so I think overall, that’s the better decision for me.
“Injuries come into play, 1,000%, too,” Torres added. “I’m going to miss it a ton. Hopefully Plainedge still does well and wins. I’ll be rooting for them.”
His performance as a junior helped lead the Plainedge baseball team to a 28-1 record. The Red Devils reached the state Class A final but lost to Averill Park, 5-0, to spoil their perfect season.
Torres posted an 11-0 record with a 1.03 ERA and a 0.56 WHIP in 67 2/3 innings as a junior, striking out 122, and threw four no-hitters, including three in a row. He also batted .443 with seven doubles, a triple, five home runs, 28 RBIs and 18 runs scored. He was named Newsday’s Nassau Player of the Year for his two-way dominance.
Torres, who stands 6-4 and has topped 93 mph with his fastball, has gained many suitors from the high-major and Power Four conferences. He chose Arizona State over Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Kentucky, Stetson, Florida State, Miami and West Virginia.
He also had a football scholarship offer from Syracuse.
“It’s very comforting,” he said. “It was a tough decision, but now that I know where I’m going for the next three to four years, I feel great. Between the waiting game, the different schools reaching out, the visits, performing well or not performing well, it’s a very stressful path. Now that I know that I’m finally committed, it’s very stress-relieving.”
Torres fell in love with the culture of Arizona State.
“It’s a winning program, and the coaches there are really down-to-earth people,” he said. “They made me feel like I’m already part of the team without even going there yet. It’s a beautiful campus, beautiful field, very beautiful environment, and that’s mostly why I chose there.”
Said Plainedge baseball coach Colin Fratrik: “He’s done a tremendous job of growing every single year as a baseball player, and it’s a tremendous achievement for him. We’ve been saying it ever since we first laid eyes on him: He has no ceiling. The sky’s the limit for him.”
Mike Anderson is a high school sports reporter who has covered 12 sports so far at Newsday. He was the sports editor of Stony Brook University's campus newspaper for two years.
