Wyoming Area’s Jake Kelleher signed his National Collegiate Athletic Association Letter of Intent Wednesday to play baseball on scholarship at East Tennessee State University. From row, from left: Anna Kelleher, sister; Emma Kelleher, sister; Jake Kelleher; Holly Kelleher, mother; and Lily Kelleher, sister. Back row, same order: Rob Lemoncelli, head baseball coach at Wyoming Area; Chris Kelleher, father; Dr. Jon Pollard, principal; Joe Pizano, athletic director.
Submitted Photo
EXETER — Jake Kelleher made up his mind about his baseball future early this year.
Then, he went out and served as the defensive anchor and the leading hitter on a Wyoming Area team that advanced all the way to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association state championship game.
Kelleher does not see it as a coincidence.
“It’s definitely just a weight off your shoulder,” Kelleher said of the earlier verbal commitment that he formalized Wednesday by signing his National Collegiate Athletic Association Letter of Intent to accept a scholarship to play baseball at East Tennessee State University. “You can play looser. You don’t have to worry about anything.
“You just worry about playing the game for each other.”
What Kelleher brought to his teammates was outstanding defensive play behind the plate as catcher.
At the plate, Kelleher led the Warriors in batting average (.381) and RBI (24) while sharing the team lead in doubles (six).
Kelleher originally began talking to ETSU pitching coach Jamie Pinzino when he was on the staff at Army West Point when Kelleher was considering that program. They remained in contact and Kelleher looked into the ETSU program.
“It seemed like a real good fit,” Kelleher, who had checked out a few other schools in unofficial visits.
Kelleher will study sports management.
East Tennessee State went 24-25 in the 2021 season, including 13-16 in the Southern Conference.
