Interest On The Ball Diamond Picking Up For Two-Sport Standout Kaltenbach

Lucas Kaltenbach RHP / OF / Kenston, OH / 2025

KENSTON - When Lucas Kaltenbach was young basketball was his favorite sport and baseball his least.

“That was until eighth grade/high school,” explained the Kenston junior, who is now being recruited by colleges in both football and baseball. “The past two years I’ve started to fall in love with baseball. Getting to travel in the summer playing in Florida and Georgia, there’s something about it you don’t get in the other sports.”

College interest initially came in football, but baseball is now moving to the forefront when it comes to recruitment.

“Recently I’ve had a lot more contact with baseball coaches coming across on twitter with my videos online,” related the 42nd-ranked 2025 in Ohio, who listed Akron, Cincinnati and Kentucky among those wanting to get more looks at him. “I’m adamant about getting myself out there with those three trying to figure a date to see me in person.”

Pitt and Duke reached out for football and Kaltenbach, a quarterback on the gridiron, took game-day visits with schools in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Ivy League and Mid-American Conference. But now interest is coming in the sport of baseball.

“I definitely want to focus on just one,” Kaltenbach pointed out. “It would be hard to be a quarterback and a pitcher. It’s difficult doing it now, but I wouldn’t trade anything in the world for it.

“Right now I’m thinking baseball,” the 17-year-old continued. “I’m thinking there’s a lot of potential I haven’t tapped yet.”

Kyle Weldon, Prep Baseball Ohio Director of Scouting, sees a big future ahead on the diamond for the 15th-ranked junior right-handed pitcher in the state.

“Lucas is a guy to follow this spring,” Weldon said. “He’s a top returning arm on a state championship team who has great feel for spinning the baseball. It’s a big body running it up to 87 and snapping off 2500 rpm breaking balls in the bottom third. He’s as competitive as you can find them.”

Improvement has come in a number of ways for Kaltenbach, who features a four-pitch mix of four-seam fastball, sinker, slider and changeup.

“My fastball is up to 90 but that’s not my biggest strength,” the 6-3 215-pounder related. “Since I’ve gotten into high school I’ve focused on movement and spin rate. I’m good at cutting the ball and now I’m developing a true sinker and changeup. That stands out to college coaches.”

Hope is that they also see what Kaltenbach is all about.

“I don’t think anybody cares about baseball more,” the 11th-rated uncommitted junior in Ohio explained. “Nobody outworks me. Every day I work on taking the next step so I can be even more ready when I get to college. I think I have great stuff and can’t wait to show it. And nobody is more motivated to win than me.”

That is something Kaltenbach has been part of with his high school baseball team, which won the Division II state title in 2023 after losing in the Division I state semifinals the season before.

“Our team had a bond,” Kaltenbach pointed out. “I’ve never experienced the bond we had together. The work ethic and connections, we know and understand what it takes. And we could be even better this year than last year. That bond and chemistry isn’t going away.”

Through it all is a recruiting process that is heating up on the ball diamond.

“I got good exposure and my numbers up there with PBR, my spin rates especially,” Kaltenbach noted. “It was a little slower than I thought it would be but it’s starting to ramp up recently. I’m excited to think about it ramping up more this summer.”

At the moment plans to make college trips are on hold due to a fractured ankle in the last football game of the season.

“I was planning to go to Akron and Cincinnati but I’ve been in a boot for a month,” explained Kaltenbach, a 3.6 student uncertain about a college major, possibly the business route. “I’m trying to get to Kentucky in February. Not being able to throw in person is setting things back.”

For now, there is no timetable on making a decision.

“I’m just waiting for the right one,” Kaltenbach concluded.