Former Hidden Valley pitcher Mikey O’Brien has signed with the Yankees, bypassing a college career, his father said Thursday.

Jim O’Brien said the 18-year-old right-hander – selected by New York in the ninth round of the amateur draft on June 6 -- took a flight to the Yankees offices in Tampa, Fla., and signed the paperwork Wednesday. Mikey O’Brien was expected to return to Roanoke on Thursday evening with his older brother, Eric, who traveled with him.

O’Brien, whose fastball tops out in the mid-90s, was named the Timesland baseball player of the year after going 11-1 with 142 strikeouts and just 31 hits allowed in 75 innings.

He had maintained all along that entering the professional ranks immediately was his preference, but he had leverage in negotiations. A 98-percent scholarship to Winthrop University awaited him had he opted not to sign.

A sizeable signing bonus took care of that.

“Oh, yeah,” Jim O’Brien said. “He’s all right.”