Suffern’s Jim Brennan is, indeed, headed to St. John’s and will likely sign his letter of intent this week. The senior center fielder hit .467 last year with 25 runs scored and a whopping 19 extra-base hits. He helped lead the Mounties to a berth in the Class AA championship game against Mamaroneck.

UPDATE, 11/12, 12:02 p.m.: I talked to Jimmy last night. Here’s what he told me:

His decision came down to four schools: St. John’s, Boston College, Seton Hall and Tulane. He visited St. John’s and Seton Hall, and had planned to visit BC and Tulane before he made the decision to commit to St. John’s. Part of the decision was based on location; he simply wanted to be close to home. But it was also based on St. John’s commitment to him. Coaches had followed him since the previous summer, and had even made it out to a few high school games last spring. Throw in appearances in the Area Code Games in Long Beach, Ca. and the East Coast Pro tournament in Lakeland, Fla. and Brennan had given St. John’s and others every indication he could play at the next level.

“St. John’s has been in contact with me for a while,” Brennan said. “They were there from the get-go.”

Like I said, Brennan was drawn-in by the location, but also because the school offers his desired major, sports journalism. (He is now my new favorite player.)

The Red Storm has also recruited several guys from his summer team, the Richmond County baseball club of Staten Island, where Brennan plays with players from some of the best programs in the tri-state area, like Don Bosco and CHSAA-powerhouse Moore Catholic.

“They’re doing a great job recruiting,” Brennan said. “A lot of good guys from our section are going there. (Some names: JJEF’s Joe Panik, Mamaroneck’s Sean Hagan, Beacon’s Anthony Cervone). And a lot of great players from outside our section, too.”

Here’s one interesting thing I noted to Brennan: It seems he and Matt McGovern of Mamaroneck were on the same radars. Think about it, McGovern and Brennan are similar players, center fielder/speedy leadoff types, and they were recruited by the same northeast powerhouses. Brennan said he wasn’t surprised. He ran into McGovern at a Reds tryout this year, and they have crossed paths elsewhere as well.

“That’s what happens in baseball,” Brennan said after complimenting McGovern. “Great players cross paths.”

Brennan expects to be used in that center field/leadoff type role when he lands in Jamaica. St. John’s center fielder Brian Kemp, a junior, is a draft prospect, but Brennan knows it’ll be challenge to be Kemp’s replacement.

“Nothing’s guaranteed,” he said. “I know I’d have to go in there and win the job, but I know that nobody’s going to work harder than me.”