By Sean Duncan
Executive Director

Casey Kempner, a 6-foot, 145-pound Class of 2016 left-handed pitcher from Glenbrook North HS, verbally committed Heartland CC on Tuesday.

“I’ve wanted to go to Heartland for a while,” said Kempner. “I felt like it was a great fit for me. Heartland is a great program and they have state-of-the-art facilities.

“Heartland has always been my No. 1 choice.”

Kempner marks the second rising sophomore in Illinois to pledge their commitment, joining Geneva SS Nick Derr, who verballed to Florida State last fall. Kempner’s decision also marks the first rising sophomore to commit to a junior college program since the Prep Baseball Report’s inception in 2005.

Pitching on Glenbrook North’s freshman team last spring, Kempner posted a 7-0 record with a 1.02 ERA. Kempner will be participating in the Prep Baseball Report’s Class of 2016 Top Prospect Games on July 23-24 at the University of Illinois-Chicago.

Kempner’s father, Scott, played at Trinity International University.

“My dad really helped me decide,” Kempner said. “He felt Heartland was the way to go. It just felt like it was the best decision.”