Published Feb 22, 2019
Dukes, First Baseman Harju A Perfect Fit
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Greg Madia  •  DukesofJMU
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HARRISONBURG — With his baseball career in limbo, Brady Harju waited anxiously for what was next.

Less than a year ago, Harju’s junior college playing days were done following two strong seasons at Frederick Community College, so if he wanted to keep playing he had to find a four-year school he could call home.

“I had no idea,” the now James Madison junior first baseman said of the uncertainty he dealt with during the recruiting process this past summer. “The season ended and I didn’t know if I would be done playing or I’d be playing Division I or Division II or where it would go. So it was definitely a long process, but I’m glad I’m here for sure.”

JMU is glad to have Harju, too.

The 6-foot-5, 215-pound junior college transfer is hitting right in the middle of Madison’s lineup. He’s batted third or fourth in each of the team’s first four contests while helping the Dukes to a 4-0 start entering a three-game home series that begins today against Lafayette.

He’s one of two juniors in a lineup constructed mostly of freshmen and sophomores.

“He’s kind of an old-school baseball guy with some of the stuff he does on the field,” JMU skipper Marlin Ikenberry said. “And he’s taken it to the next level of learning how to prepare and do things. I mean, he’s going to fail like everyone else does, but he gives you that presence in the middle of our lineup that we needed with this young group.

“He’s got some juice in his bat.”

Harju had an RBI single to score JMU’s first run of the year in its season-opening victory over Norfolk State last Friday. And in Tuesday’s 3-1 win over Longwood, he had a sacrifice fly to give the Dukes an insurance run.

Overall, he has five hits including three doubles in 14 at-bats (.357) to begin his time in Division I baseball.

“I felt like if I got an opportunity I would always make the most of it,” Harju said. “I never figured for a second that I wasn’t going to play.”

He said that’s why he went to junior college after aspirations of going straight to Division I from Battlefield High School never materialized.

“I figured if I go JUCO, maybe, I’ll have a chance to play Division I after that,” Harju said. “And I definitely got a lot of at-bats. That’s the good thing about going to junior college, I played a lot as a freshman and sophomore. I’ve already been through two 56-game seasons, so playing a full season here is nothing new really. I’m used to the grind.”

Harju hit .331 with seven homers and 40 RBIs over 181 at-bats last spring with Frederick C.C., and that was enough to at least draw the attention of Ikenberry and his staff.

“He really was a guy we had heard about,” Ikenberry said, “and a guy we followed a little bit, and then he was one of those guys that [assistant coach Alex] Guerra recruited.

“And AG said, ‘Hey, this kid can hit. He’s a great kid and I think we need to give him a shot.’ So that’s how it happened. And it was late in the year and it even went into the summertime, but [Harju] did a really nice job of playing when we saw him play and we liked how he competed.”

Ikenberry said his staff also knew Harju through JMU pitcher Joe Williams, who went to Battlefield as well.

Harju continued to impress the staff during the Dukes’ fall practices and into the preseason to earn the everyday first base job.

“And Brady’s the reason I think we’re going to be really good defensively,” Ikenberry said. “He gives us that mainstay over there at first.

“… But he’s an outstanding young man, loves to work and has our blue-collar mentality that we like in our program.”

Harju said he’s just excited he fits in well with his new team at JMU.

“I absolutely love it. I’m so happy I’m here,” Harju said.