Sophomore Kiernan Kelly is a two-sport athlete, playing both baseball and soccer. 

He started playing soccer his freshman year when the JV2 team needed a goalkeeper after the first game. This past season he was the back up goalkeeper for varsity. 

Kelly started to play baseball when he was young because of his dad. “My dad used to play it when he was a kid and just [loves] the game,” he said. When he first started, he played on a Little League team, and is now on varsity as a catcher. 

The appeal of being a catcher stems from being involved in every play, leading the team since he can see all the plays, and communicating with his teammates. Some difficulties include a pitch that gets past him or is hard to block. “But besides that I love it,” he said. 

Kelly is not the only one in his family to play baseball, as his brother and dad also play. Together, they all enjoy throwing a wiffle ball around, especially when they are camping. 

Besides playing for La Salle, Kelly also plays for the Rose City Baseball Club. Throughout his life he has been able to grow a connection with his hitting coach Jeff Bard because he used to coach at the same college as his dad. “I’ve been hitting with him since I was like four,” he said. 

He has been playing club baseball for five years, and has gone through two different teams. 

This season the La Salle baseball team has good team chemistry, even after losing some seniors last year. “I actually like it a lot,” he said. “We’ve gotten pretty close.” 

As a team they traveled to Phoenix, Arizona, during spring break for a tournament at Canyon View High School. “We had a lot of fun hanging out, eating together, watching baseball, playing baseball,” he said.

A few teammates that Kelly looks up to are seniors Will Robles and Anders Bergler. Kelly hangs out with these teammates often during and outside of practice. “[Robles] took me under his wing freshman year,” he said. 2023 alum Finbar O’Brien is also someone Kelly looks up to. 

Before games, Kelly and his teammates like to drink Red Bulls and listen to music. 

Kelly’s favorite memory is winning against Summit High School last season, as the game was favored against La Salle. “It was just awesome, probably the happiest we’ve ever been,” he said. 

Kelly has learned a lot from the upperclassmen on the team, and appreciates that everyone is accepting of each other. “Everyone respects everyone,” he said. 

Since the season is ending, Kelly has felt sad because there are nine seniors leaving after this year; however, he is also excited to see how they will do in state. 

His favorite part of the sport is the feelings he experiences during the game and succeeding at making a good catch or hit.

The most important part of baseball in Kelly’s opinion is having determination and working hard.