Nee Sees Penn ‘A Good Place To Develop For The Future’

Kai Nee LHP / OF / Staples, CT / 2025

WESTPORT, Ct. - Being uncommitted as a high school senior was not the plan for Kai Nee.

“The uncertainty was very stressful,” admitted the fifth-rated 2025 left-handed pitcher in New England.

But in late October it all changed at a University of Pennsylvania camp.

“I threw well there and they offered later that week,” Nee related. “I was aggressive in the zone and they liked that. I had good fastball metrics and attacked hitters.”

There was more that brought interest from the coaches looking on from the Ivy League university.

“From a leadership perspective, I’m captain of my high school team,” Nee noted. “They like that aspect.”

With no other offers or visits on the table, the 24th-ranked senior in Connecticut decided that Penn was the right choice to make, ending a long recruiting process that had plenty of ups and downs.

“I went to a lot of school camps that I was targeting going to and I went to the Junior Futures two times, in 2020 and 2021,” Nee reflected. “That really helped me get seen.”

A commitment came soon after.

“Going into ninth grade I realized I could play college baseball,” Nee said. “It became realistic at the start of freshman year when I threw well at a tournament and I got my first offer from Duke. I was committed to them through junior summer but thought it would be better for both of us to go a different direction. They say when one door closes another opens. That happened with Penn.”

The 62nd-rated senior in New England understands the challenges that lie ahead as an Ivy League student-athlete.

“Academically it will be a lot tougher,” Nee admitted. “But with the alumni network and the people you meet there, I think it’s a great opportunity.”

Joe Oliveirea and Danny Jung at Oliveira Baseball Consulting are credited with benefiting the cause in his recruiting process, with coach Joe Mancini providing assistance with the game and “life advice since I was eight,” according to Nee, who pointed to coach Blaise Martinez and the rest of Cressey Sports Performance with also helping him improve since last winter.

“I’ve been doing a throwing program and hit my first 90 in September,” Nee said. “I’m getting more consistent with my throwing patterns and I’ve added a changeup for a third pitch.”

A commitment brings a sigh of relief for the third-ranked 2025 southpaw in Connecticut, who carries a 4.1 weighted GPA at Staples and plans to major in economics at Penn, located 31/2 hours from home.

“This is a big burden off my shoulders,” Nee admitted. “It feels very good.”

In nine months, the 17-year-old will be in college.

“I’m looking forward to picking everyone’s brains there,” Nee concluded. “From a student side, there are a lot of smart people there. From an athletic standpoint, they’ve won the Ivy League the last two years. The players are smart and athletic. I’m looking forward to seeing how they operate on a day-to-day basis.

“It looks like a good place to develop for the future,” Nee added. “The coaches are personable and dedicated to hard work.”