Upper St. Clair’s Casey taking steps toward MLB draft selection

First Kent State player invited to MLB Draft Combine

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Jake Casey poses with his father, Sean, who played 12 seasons in the major leagues. Casey is looking to follow in his father’s footsteps when MLB hosts its amateur draft July 13-14 in Atlanta.

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Jake Casey makes contact during one of his high school baseball games. Casey is an Upper St. Clair High School graduate that just completed a stellar senior season at Kent State University and is hoping to be selected in the upcoming MLB amateur draft.

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Jake Casey was named first-team All-MAC conference as well as invited to participate in the MLB Draft Combine, a run-up to the amateur selection event to be held July 13-14 in Atlanta.

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Jake Casey of Upper St. Clair recently took a big step towards following in the footsteps of his father, Sean, who played 12 seasons in the Major Leagues.

A 6-2, 190-pound outfielder, he participated in the 2025 MLB Draft Combine held June 17-21 at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona.

The combine brings together the top collegiate and high school prospects nationwide for five days of intensive workouts, interviews, and evaluations by all 30 Major League Baseball teams and prepares them potentially for their possible selection in the amateur draft to be held July 13-14 in Atlanta as part of the all-star festivities.

Of the combine, Casey’s college coach, Jeff Duncan, said it was an “incredible honor” and “testament to his hard work and dedication” to the sport.

Casey is the first player in the Golden Flashes’ history to be invited to the Combine.

“It’s truly special,” Duncan said. “Jake has represented Kent State with class and excellence throughout his career.”

Over his four-year career at Kent State, Casey compiled a .277 batting average with 149 hits, 155 runs, 41 home runs, 34 doubles, and 127 RBIs across 161 games.

Incredibly, he recovered from Tommy John surgery and had a breakout season this spring. He posted a .356 batting average with 74 hits, 74 runs, 17 home runs, and 55 RBIs while appearing in all 56 games. Casey also added 20 doubles and 20 stolen bases.

“Going into my senior year and coming off the surgery, I didn’t put too much pressure on myself. I just tried to go out and play and help my team win games. Enjoy the game and have fun,” Casey said.

In addition to enjoying a great season statistically after being red-shirted because of the elbow injury, Casey garnered multiple honors. He was selected to the ABCA All-East Region First Team and was the runner-up for MAC Player of the Year laurels. Casey also earned All-Mac academic honors for his excellence in the classroom. He graduated with a degree in sport, exercise and performance psychology.

Sean Casey said that he was “proud” of the way his son came back and “trusted the process” as well as his abilities.

“If you want to play with the big boys, you have to have a process-oriented mentality. One pitch at a time. When that process and mentality meets the talent, you start to see a pro player,” Sean said. “I think we saw that during Jake’s senior year.”

During the combine, Casey hoped his skills caught the scout’s eyes. He ranked seventh in the 30-year dash with a 3.58 time. Additionally, he ranked in the Top 10 in Exit Velocity

“I think that I bring a combination of skills to the game. Legitimate power and sneaky speed,” he said.

In addition to his own playing experiences, Casey has been immersed in the game because of his father. Sean played professionally for the Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates, Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox. He was a three-time MLB all-star. He owned a .302 career batting average, slugged 130 home runs and drove in 735 runs. Sean has been inducted into the Upper St. Clair High School, WPIAL, University of Richmond and Cincinnati Reds Halls of Fame.

“Since I was born, I have been hanging out in clubhouses,” Casey said. “I don’t remember much but I know that dad and I are on the same page.”

By mid-July, Casey may also be on the same path.

“We are excited for Jake,” Sean said. “He did well at the Combine and it was a great experience for him. We are just waiting for the draft and see what happens. We are not sure where he’s going to go. We are just hoping he gets selected by a team at some point.”

Notes

Bethel Park graduates Eric Chalus and Evan Holewinski were named to the 2025 academic All-MAC team. To qualify for the honor, student-athletes must maintain a minimum 3.20 cumulative GPA and participate in at least 50 percent of their team’s contests during the season.

A senior pitcher, Chalus maintained a 3.75 GPA. He majored in sport administration.

A redshirt freshman and also a pitcher, Holewinski pulled down a 3.72 GPA. He is majoring in business.