Kean's Hitting Drew Attention From Morehead State
September 6, 2022
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Kean’s Hitting Drew Attention From Morehead State
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Kean’s Hitting Drew Attention From Morehead State
WOODSTOCK, Ontario - Alex Kean made quite a first impression on Morehead State.
“I went to a camp there in early June and when taking BP I put five or six balls out,” the left-handed hitting Kean reflected. “They really liked that. It made me stand out. Then when they saw me play at Cincinnati, in the first game I hit a solo home run and in the second game I hit a grand slam. It was definitely hitting that got their attention.”
Enough so for an offer to be presented the next day after being seen in The Queen City.
“I talked it over with family and decided to take the offer,” noted Kean, who also had college interest from North Carolina-Charlotte. “It was a fairly quick process.”
The top-rated 2023 first baseman in Ontario found a lot to like about the university located in northeast Kentucky.
“When I was there I got a tour with one of the assistant coaches,” Kean related. “The campus was beautiful, definitely somewhere I want to be for the next four years.
“The coaches seemed like great guys,” Kean added. “They really were invested with the players from my time at camp with how they interacted with them there. Also, the students I met were really friendly with each other.”
There is also the potential of being a two-way player that intrigued Kean.
“They recruited me at first base but said keep working at pitching,” the 6-4 220-pound right-hander noted. “They told me they wanted me as a hitter but to keep pitching and maybe I could go there as a two-way. It’s not a huge deal, I want to be a hitter more, but it gives me more opportunities to get on the field. It’s just another safety net.”
The desire to play college baseball began as a teenager for Kean.
“I was probably 14 when I joined the Ontario Nationals,” the seventh-ranked 2023 in Canada said. “I met some older guys that were on another level. After seeing them, and knowing they were going to school, it clicked for me that this was something I definitely wanted to do. After that I wanted to do whatever I could to play college baseball.”
Kean found aid in a recruiting process that had some difficult times.
“PBR definitely did help with the videos,” Kean explained. “I talked with a couple coaches that said they found my video on PBR, that’s when they first saw me. It also helped with sending out videos. It was tough for me to get down to the states, especially during Covid times, so many days I spent sending my videos out.
“Before Covid I went to a few showcases and camps,” Kean added. “It was a good experience. I thought it would be good to get acclimated to showcases to get comfortable with them at a young age. Now showcases are just another day to play baseball.”
For now, his baseball days in college will have to wait. The 18-year-old graduated from St. Mary’s High School this past June and began a job in August before heading off to Morehead State in the fall of 2023.
“It really felt great, like a weight was off of my shoulders,” Kean said about making a commitment. “The recruiting process is finally over, no more emails, no more showcases. But it’s also a feeling of a new beginning. Now that my recruitment is over, getting to the level of college ball starts. It’s about being able to get up to that level and being able to compete.”
Computer Science will be his college major according to Kean, a 3.9 student in high school who is excited for what the future brings playing baseball at the Ohio Valley Conference university.
“Right now I’m looking forward to all the training I’m going to be doing this year,” Kean concluded. “I love training and being with the guys in the weight room. That will be a highlight for me this year. Then when I go to Morehead I’m looking forward to meeting new friends and playing ball.”