BELLEFONTAINE - The first is often the best. That is what Kaden Arn discovered.

The Ben Logan High School senior talked with a lot of colleges during the recruiting process, especially of late, but it was Bowling Green - which was the school that made the initial contact with Arn - that won out.

“I had a good season this year and started having contact with a lot of schools,” the 6-4 190-pound right-handed pitcher said. “They were the first to ever contact me … and that means something. In the end, they came out on top.”

The offer from the Mid-American Conference school came at the beginning of summer.

“I was considering other schools, but continued to talk with (head) coach (Kyle) Hallock,” Arn related. “He’s a great coach and our relationship grew over the summer. I knew he was right for me.”

There was more that stood out about Bowling Green to the 26th-rated 2022 RHP in Ohio.

“I loved the campus, it’s just the right fit,” Arn pointed out. “The field’s really nice and the academics are good.”

Hallock and company saw a lot of promise in Arn, a 3.19 student looking to major in information systems at BG.

“They like my size and how I get outs,” Arn noted. “They like my projectability.”

It brought an end to the recruiting process for the 17-year-old, who was also being courted by a number of other MAC schools.

“One of the big things I was looking for was great coaching … personable coaches,” Arn explained. “Academics, nice facilities and a nice campus were also important. BG checked all the boxes.”

The idea of playing college baseball began just a short time ago for Arn.

“I feel I knew I had a chance my 14U year,” Arn reflected. “I had a good season and decided then to be a PO so I could develop it more.”

A basketball standout at Ben Logan in addition to baseball, Arn then began to work toward his goal of pitching at the next level.

“My velo has improved, my offspeed pitches are moving more and my spin has gone up,” noted Arn, whose routine has included weight lifting, cardio, cracking a whip to keep the arm loose and weight balls. “My velo still needs to go up, that’s a given. Everybody needs more velo. I’d still like to have more movement on my pitches and I need to get stronger.”

One area of the game that Arn believes he can help out with in a big way at Bowling Green is the mental part.

“I feel I’m pretty good at that,” Arn said. “I don’t get fazed by anything. Just get the next batter out is how I think.”

Admittedly, the end of the recruiting process brings a sense of comfort to Arn, who had an impressive showing at the PBR Northeast Senior Games in August prior to making a commitment with BG.

“It’s really relieving to get this off my back,” Arn said. “And it feels great to be a Falcon.”