Brotherhood At Kent State Gets Attention Of Bean

MIDDLEFIELD - “A twig” is how Jacob Bean saw himself early in 2021. Now the 6-2 180-pounder is the top-rated senior right-handed pitcher in Ohio and a Kent State commit.

“I was skinny and my dad said if you want to increase the velo you’ve got to hit the weight room,” Bean reflected. “I worked out six days a week and I’d eat till I got sick. That put the weight on and I was becoming a better pitcher throwing harder. Once I had the velo, I worked on my slider and other pitches and was becoming a better actual pitcher, throwing the right pitches in certain situations.”

That was also the time when Kent State took a liking to the 77th-ranked 2023 RHP in the nation.

“They saw me at Grand Park and said we like what we saw a lot and contacted my travel ball coach,” Bean related. “We had small talk and they ended up coming up to see me at the Top Prospect Games at Prasco and really liked me there.”

That was June of 2021 when Bean made a name for himself.

“Showed some of the top uncoachable traits we saw of the two-day event,” PBR posted about Bean on its website. “You’re looking at a 6-foot-2 dude with long levers that could easily support added weight. When you also consider the athleticism, mobility and looseness in the arm he checks off a ton of boxes for a guy who’s going to throw harder down the road.”

Velocity that was 84-85 topping at 87 at that point in time jumped to 88-89 touching 90 in the fall. By winter it improved to 90-91 topping at 93 and currently Bean sits at 91-92 with a max velo of 93-94.

Interest from Bowling Green, among others, was there but before senior school year at Cardinal High School began Bean was committed to Kent State.

“I went to a camp at Kent and talked to them there and got to know (pitching) coach (Mike) Birkbeck,” Bean explained about the outing at the beginning of August. “I also talked on the phone with (assistant) coach Barrett (Serrato) five or six times. Two weeks after the camp they offered and a week later I took the offer.”

An impression was obviously made by the fourth-rated 2023 in Ohio.

“They liked that I was a competitor,” Bean said of Kent State. “I compete in every situation. I do whatever I can to make the team better. They said I had an electric arm. I was 160 and not strong when they first saw me but said I had a quick twitch. That athleticism and fast arm is what they like to see.”

Bean was also enamored with the idea of going to Kent.

“I talked to the coaches a lot,” Bean noted. “I got to know coach Barrett and the coaching staff are all great guys. I took a visit and saw the field. It’s close to home, only a 35-minute drive for me. Everything about their program is different and I felt at home. They have a very good brotherhood and really good team chemistry. They’ll do everything to make you better and do what’s best for you, which is what I liked.”

It brought an end to a recruiting process that was “very stressful” according to the 17-year-old.

“There was always weight on my shoulders thinking I have to do my absolute best at tournaments and showcases,” Bean said. “At the end I saw they don’t care how you do, but want to see how you handle actual situations.

“The Top Prospect Games in June of 2021, that was my turning point getting in front of coaches,” Bean added. “At that time no one knew me, but I performed well and that caught the eyes of a lot of coaches. The Top Prospect Games was the turning point of my career. I was just getting into exposure and that was when I got on the radar of coaches.”

There was more help the 263rd-ranked 2023 in the country had along the way.

“Definitely the NEO coaches, Jeff Segal got me in contact with Kent,” Bean said in mentioning those that played major roles. “My pitching coach Mike Grady is another. Without him I wouldn’t be throwing 93-94 and have the pitches that I’m throwing.”

Bean also has great memories of the day a commitment was made.

“That was super exciting,” Bean explained. “I was in the kitchen with my mom and as soon as (head) coach (Jeff) Duncan said ‘I want to offer you’ my heart dropped. Once I committed it was hard to realize I was going D-I. It’s amazing thinking about how far I’ve come in two years. It’s surreal.”

Finance, economics and accounting are all being considered as possible majors for Bean, a 3.64 student who is confident about making an impact at the Mid-American Conference school.

“The thing I think I can bring is to go out and make everybody around me better,” Bean said. “I’m the biggest competitor. No matter what it is, I want to win. I can bring that to the program to help make everyone around me better.”

The brotherhood at Kent that Bean has referred to has already begun.

“I’ve done snapchat with kids that have committed and I’ve not even met, but I already see them as best friends,” Bean concluded. “I look forward to the camaraderie of being around them and working to get better every day with guys that have the same goals in mind.”