Yoder, an infielder/pitcher from Berlin, Ohio, posted a .500 batting average with 11 doubles, two triples, five home runs, 49 runs scored, 31 RBI, and 25 stolen bases as a senior at Hiland High School to help the Hawks to a 28-4 record and a state runner-up finish. On the mound, he also posted an 8-1 record with a 3.38 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 58.1 innings with just 13 walks. Yoder was a two-time All-Ohio Second Team selection and a two-time Inter Valley Conference Player of the Year. He was also named to the Mizuno All-Star Game and was selected as the Wooster Daily Record Player of the Year as a senior. He holds the school records for hits in a season and in a career and runs scored in a season, and he threw one of only three no-hitters in school history in the regional finals as a junior.

"Clinton is a baseball player,” said MVNU head coach Keith Veale, who has posted a 641-310 record in 19 seasons at the helm of the Cougars. "He will have the opportunity to compete in our infield equation. We have had interest in Clinton because not only is he a solid player, he plays the game the right way. I think he will become one of our team leaders before he is done at MVNU. He has played deep into the state tournament throughout his high school career at Berlin Hiland. Those experiences are valuable for us here. We want guys who know how to win.”

In addition to playing baseball at Hiland and for the Brownlee Blackhawks in the summer, Yoder is active in his church, Grace Mennonite. He was also involved in the senior class play at Hiland.

"One of the biggest factors for me going to MVNU was the Christian-based atmosphere,” said Yoder of his college choice. "When I went for a visit, it was amazing how the professors communicated with me. They talked first and foremost about God, which was unbelievable when you compare it to the other colleges I was considering. MVNU also offers the courses I wish to pursue in education along with a very strong academic history.”

"I have also had the opportunity to look at MVNU from my brother’s perspective,” Yoder continued, referring to his older brother, Ross, who was an NAIA All-American infielder for the Cougars. "I feel like I have been a part of the university just through him, and he had nothing but good things to say about his experience. He also mentioned how he enjoyed the baseball team there and the players and coaching staff looking out for each other. All of these things added together made my decision very easy to pick MVNU.”

MVNU is an NAIA school that competes in the American Mideast Conference. The Cougars posted a 39-21 overall record in 2008 and captured the program’s sixth National Christian College Athletic Association national title. The team also advanced to the NAIA Region IX Tournament championship game for the ninth straight year. Over the years, MVNU has had 13 players drafted by Major League teams including Tim Belcher, who was the top pick overall in the 1983 draft. Seven other former players have signed free agent contracts to play professional baseball.