Keller Looks Forward To The Challenges At Cornell

GOODRICH - Three offers in one night came for Noah Keller after throwing a no-hitter with 17 strikeouts in a game this past spring.

A college visit soon followed and the Goodrich High School 2022 was all set to make a commitment when a phone call changed his mind.

“It was the Cornell coach and I told him that I was going to commit to another school,” the fifth-rated senior left-handed pitcher in the state of Michigan reflected. “He asked ‘what’s an Ivy League education mean to you?’ I went to Cornell the next day and I fell in love with it and committed.”

A major in Industrial and Labor Relations is the plan for Keller, who carries a 3.98 GPA in high school.

“My parents have always pushed me that college was not a four-year decision, it’s a 40-year decision,” Keller related. “It’s going to set you up for the next 40 years.”

That was just one big selling point for Keller with the Ivy League school.

“Cornell is absolutely a beautiful region,” Keller noted. “It had the big-school feeling I like and a down-to-earth feeling. I also loved the facilities. It all just felt like home.”

The idea of playing at the next level has been there for a long time according to Keller.

“My dad played college baseball at Albion and my family has always been huge baseball fans,” Keller noted. “My dad pushed me at a young age and said ‘you can do this, you just have to work at it.’ Since I was 10 it’s what I’ve wanted. When I was 12, I went to a regional college game and I knew then more than ever it was something I wanted to do.”

Not long after it started to become realistic.

“I made varsity as a freshman, that was a big confidence booster,” Keller said. “This year I played with Arsenal and that helped give me exposure. Coaches were telling me you’re going to play college baseball.”

An improved game helped the cause for the 43rd-ranked 2022 in Michigan, who received interest from schools like Dayton, Xavier, Wright State, Ohio U, Central Michigan, Western Michigan, Eastern Michigan and Wayne State in addition to Yale.

“Last year I did the Prime Time velocity program and that took me to the next level,” explained the 6-1 200-pound southpaw. “I was 81-83 and now I’m 85-87. Working 12-15 hours a week with them took me to an entire new level. Now I throw both secondary pitches whenever I want. My two-seam moves and I can control it. And I feel the best is still to come with it.”

Keller believes he can be a valuable asset to the Ivy League program located in Ithaca, N.Y., seven hours from his home in Goodrich.

“I’m a huge team guy, I’ll bring a lot of positive energy,” Keller related. “I’ll go in with a strong work ethic and help set the tone for the program. I hope to gain respect from the older guys and help bring a positive tone and good atmosphere.”

A college decision, admittedly, brings a great feeling to Keller.

“It’s a sense of relief,” Keller said. “I had all these goals and the big one was to get committed. But then it’s a feeling of what’s next? So I sat down the next day and made some new goals.”

The 17-year-old understands the challenge ahead being a student-athlete at Cornell.

“The academic part scares me a little,” Keller admitted. “I don’t know what to expect, but they say it’s like any other college, just everyone's a little smarter. I’ll find a way, I always make it work. If others can do it, I can.”