MANCHESTER-BY-THE.-SEA, Ma. - After performing well at the Future Games numerous schools became enamoured with Kellan Heney. A month later, the sixth-ranked junior left-handed pitcher in New England found the right college fit.

“They originally saw me at a prospect camp the first week of September,” Heney said of Richmond, which is where the southpaw recently committed. “I pitched well, striking out eight or nine out of 11 and they basically offered before I left. They followed it up with money a week later.”

There was little contact with schools before the Future Games but that all changed after fanning the side while allowing one hit in the first inning while pitching two shutout frames in relief for Team Massachusetts against Team Connecticut.

“That helped out a huge amount,” Heney reflected about the PBR event in Georgia at the beginning of August. “It opened so many doors with other schools. A couple more were gonna come watch me in Florida but I ended up committing before going there.”

Richmond was the only offer on the table when the 18-year-old made his college choice.

“I was talking with Bucknell and Radford and 10 or more others were going to watch me after the Future Games, but I knew Richmond was where I wanted to go,” the 63rd-rated 2023 in New England said.

It did not take Heney long to decide that the Atlantic 10 school was the right fit.

“I walked on campus before the camp and I had that feeling right away,” Heney related. “I talked to the coaches and built a relationship with them. They genuinely wanted me the most and the academics are also a huge plus.”

Business is the planned major for Heney, who took a cumulative 3.4 GPA to Governor’s Academy where he recently transferred after reclassifying before the current school year.

“I started thinking about college my freshman year,” noted Heney, who was the winning pitcher in the Division 4 state title game for Manchester-Essex. “I had a really successful  year and after I pitched at state, I started getting attention. From there I’ve worked my butt off to reach that goal.”

Richmond sees a lot of promise in the third-ranked 2023 southpaw in Massachusetts.

“They said I’m projectable,” related the 6-2 165-pounder. “I still have a lot of room to grow and fill out. They like my competitiveness and my work ethic. I’m always working to get better. They also like that I can command three or four pitches in the zone.”

That has gotten better of late.

“I’ve improved a huge amount,” Heney pointed out. “I’ve put on 15 pounds but I still have a ways to go. I want to get to 180 before next season. But I’ve gotten stronger and really been working on my repertoire. I mix in my offspeed and place my fastball which has made me more effective.”

In addition to his parents, Heney credited Gardy O’Flynn, the director of NPA East; James Baker, Colby College pitching coach; Charlie Bilton and BJ Weed, from North Shore Freedom; Rich Gilbride from East Cobb New England Expos; and James Cramphin, Governor’s baseball coach, with being influential in development and recruitment in helping him land at the university located in northern Virginia, a 90-minute plane ride from home.

“I really enjoyed the whole recruiting process,” Heney said. “I hear a lot of kids felt pressure trying to find the right fit for them, but I knew it would come for me. I learned a lot of things throughout it that I’ll use for the rest of my life.

“It was all really exciting,” Heney added. “It all happened quickly ... in a two-or-three-week span. When I called the coach the first week of school and said I was ready to call Richmond home it was an awesome feeling.” 

As for Richmond, the third left-handed pitcher in the New England 2023 class to make a college commitment believes he can contribute immediately to the program.

“I’ll bring a strong work ethic and competitiveness to help push all my teammates around me,” Heney said.