Unlike most of the other soon-to-be freshmen, the prized baseball recruit still wasn't sure what he wanted to do this fall.
Hayes was still in Salisbury when Tuesday, then Wednesday, rolled around. And soon, he'll sign with the St. Louis Cardinals.
UNC coach Mike Fox said that the 18-year-old shortstop wouldn't be playing for the Tar Heels, and Hayes confirmed Wednesday that he was close to inking a deal with the Cardinals.
"I just finished (American) Legion ball on Sunday," Hayes said in a telephone interview. "I had all day Monday to think about it and make my decision, and then I called Coach Fox and told him."
Hayes said that while he talked with the Cardinals organization throughout the summer, the negotiations didn't speed up until the end of his American Legion baseball season neared.
St. Louis selected Hayes in the third round (102nd overall) of June's amateur draft after he batted .465 with five home runs and 29 RBIs in 71 at-bats at East Rowan High School in Salisbury.
The right-handed-batting Hayes has been compared to players like Oakland second baseman Ray Durham and former St. Louis third baseman Terry Pendleton.
He was the Rowan County player of the year and the North Piedmont Conference most valuable player.
Hayes said he thought about attending UNC but finally decided against it Tuesday.
