The Skyline View: What got you interested in playing and what was the first team you played for?
Devin Kelly: My grandpa signed my brothers and I up for Pee Wee baseball in South San Francisco when I was 8 years old and I just fell in love with the game. The first team I ever played for was the Pirates.
TSV: How difficult is it to train when being on the team? Do you have to make sacrifices?
DK: I believe the harder you train the stronger you will become and the tougher you will be both mentally and physically. Sacrifices are an everyday thing; you have to give up everything now to gain it all in the end.
TSV: Does being on the team affect your time needed to study for course-related work?
DK: No, I learned throughout high school how to time manage and be responsible to get homework done after practices.
TSV: About how many hours a week do you practice? Describe a typical practice.
DK: Almost 15 hours a week during the fall semester and only about 9 hours a week during the spring because of games. A typical practice usually starts about 1 p.m. and starts with stretching, then playing catch. Sometimes we will break everyone up by position and do defensive work probably for one hour or so, and then all position players come together to hit in the cages or out on the field.
TSV: What would you say is your favorite part of playing on the Skyline team?
DK: Just the tradition of the program and all the players that have worn the jerseys before me and seeing everyone learning the game and how we flow as a team when we’re doing well.
TSV: So you’ve received a scholarship to a 4-year college. How did the Western Kentucky University scout you, and how did they persuade you to join?
DK: They got in contact with my coaches and me. We just started talking and they were interested, and I took a visit out to their school and they offered me a scholarship.
TSV: Are you hoping to make a career out of baseball? Other than playing, what career would you choose to pursue?
DK: One of my goals was to use baseball as a way to get college paid for. Now, since it’s going to give me a free education, I would like to take it as far as I could. I’m going to major in sports management to be apart of the game somehow.
TSV: What would you suggest to any Skyline students hoping to get on a team and one day getting on a college team?
DK: Work hard and be mentally strong. Don’t let anyone say you can’t do it.