Graham Keen recently took up pickleball, a sport he said he has picked up quickly and is already pretty good at.
And while that might be true, chances are Keen will never be as good in that sport as he is in another.
It would be fairly difficult to top being ranked the No. 2 player in the entire country.
Keen is a sophomore baseball standout at Mt. Lebanon who earlier this month was named the No. 2 player nationally in the Class of 2027 by Prep Baseball, a national scouting service.
“When I first saw that, I was so excited. It almost felt surreal,” Keen said. “I’ve worked so hard for that with everything I’ve done the last few years. I made the best out of every moment and just doing all of that has really worked out. It almost feels like it’s where I’m supposed to be.”
Well, almost.
“Two is fantastic, but it’s not No. 1,” Keen said.
The No. 1 spot is currently held by Jared Grindlinger, an outfielder-pitcher from California. Keen said he and Grindlinger are good friends.
Keen’s position long term has yet to be decided, he said. He was a pitcher and first baseman at Mt. Lebanon his freshman season when he helped the Blue Devils reach the WPIAL Class 6A championship game and earned PUP Rookie of the Year honors. Prep Baseball lists Keen as a third baseman, but Keen has played in the outfield for his travel ball team and said he expects to play center field for Mt. Lebanon next season. That spot was vacated by David Shields, who was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the second round of this year’s MLB Draft.
It’s not hard to imagine Keen being drafted one day, too. Keen, who is 6 feet 5, 205 pounds, put together an outstanding freshman season in which he was a two-way starter for a top team in the state’s largest classification. Keen hit .324 with team bests of six home runs and 24 RBIs, and on the mound boasted a 6-1 record with a 1.42 ERA.
College will be an option Keen strongly considers, too. Coaches can’t contact him until Aug. 1 of next year, so he likely won’t be committing anytime soon. Keen did attend a few camps over the summer and fall at a couple of schools he said he really likes: TCU, Virginia and Duke.
“All of those places are fantastic,” he said. “It’s going to be a really hard choice.”
“I definitely want to go somewhere where I’m a good fit. I want to go somewhere where I like the people and players are happy. Preferably some good academics. But with the way my biology class has been going, I don’t know,” Keen said with a laugh.
Keen doesn’t play any other sports competitively — except maybe for pickleball from time to time — so he uses the offseason to get stronger and faster. He said he lifts and hits at Battleground Baseball in Callery, Butler County, while he works on his pitching at PVS Baseball in Pleasant Hills.
TJ star to South Dakota
One of the top FCS programs in the country decided to take a chance on Thomas Jefferson’s Brayden White, so White gave them a commitment in return.
White, a standout senior wide receiver-defensive back, committed to South Dakota, which will play No. 1 Montana State in Saturday’s FCS semifinals. White attended South Dakota’s quarterfinal game against UC Davis. Afterward, White was awarded with his first Division I offer. The university is located in Vermillion, S.D., and the team, nicknamed the Coyotes, plays indoors in the DakotaDome, a venue which has a capacity of 9,100.
White (6-0, 175) played a large role in Thomas Jefferson winning the WPIAL Class 4A championship and reaching the PIAA semifinals this past season. He caught 68 passes for 1,287 yards and 15 touchdowns, while also collecting 43 tackles and four interceptions.
One of White’s teammates also made his college choice in the past week. Kooper Kamberis, an all-conference tight end who also played defensive end for the Jaguars, announced his commitment to Clarion.
Strader picks Auburn
After spending his first two college seasons at Miami (Ohio), Penn Hills graduate Raion Strader is taking his talents to the SEC.
One of the top defensive backs in the MAC the past two seasons, Strader signed with Auburn after taking a visit to the school Sunday. Strader was in high demand as he was one of the top defensive backs in the transfer portal. Among the many other schools to offer were Ole Miss, Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Utah and West Virginia.
Strader registered 40 tackles, 2 interceptions and 17 pass break-ups this season on his way to all-MAC first-team honors. Strader earned several Freshman All-American honors a season earlier. His younger brother, Aaron “Oobi” Strader, quarterbacked Pine-Richland to the WPIAL Class 5A championship last month and is considered one of the top sophomores in the area.
Basketball commitment
Montour’s Abby Cleary (RIT).
Football commitment
Bethel Park’s Jack Bruckner (Carnegie Mellon).
Track and field commitment
Hempfield’s Katie Dolinski (Point Park).
Brad is a sports writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at beverett@unionprogress.com.