Few people, let alone teenagers, can say they’ve pursued a passion for over ten years – but Rohne Klein can.

Ever since he was four years old, Liberty junior and student-athlete Rohne Klein has played baseball. Klein currently practices six days a week, and after many years of work, all the time he’s put into the sport has paid off. 

Klein is now among the top 2.2% of high school baseball players who go on to play the sport for an NCAA Division 1 (D1) college. For the next four years after high school, Klein will be a part of the University of Utah’s accomplished baseball team. 

“I’ve been to lots of camps and met a lot of coaches. When I went to Utah, it just felt right. The coaches and players were great, and I loved the facilities. It was an easy decision,” Klein said.

Once at the University of Utah, Klein plans to try his hardest and focus on the present rather than fret about the future.

“I’ll try to earn a starting job and go from there. I want to take it one step at a time,” Klein said.

For his entire life, being an athlete has been an integral part of Klein’s identity.

“Everything I do revolves around sports. I think it’s what makes me as a person,” Klein said.

Not only is Klein a baseball player, but he was also Liberty’s varsity quarterback this past football season. He is passionate about both, but baseball presented more opportunities for him to play in college.

“I was getting recruited for baseball more than I was for football,” Klein said.

Committing to a college for baseball is an intensive process. The first step is building a connection with the college’s coach. The second step is attending any camps or fulfilling other requests so that the coach can get a better understanding of the player’s abilities and potential. 

“If you get an offer like I did, you can talk to your parents and coaches. Make the right decision. Once you know, you just call the coach and let them know you’re committing,” Klein said.

As a current junior, Klein decided on a college far earlier than his peers. Most don’t make the decision until the spring of their senior year. 

“To play D1 for baseball, you’re not going to be able to commit after senior year. It’s usually before, but you can definitely play division two or three after that,” Klein said.

Both Klein and his family are thrilled about this unique opportunity, and Klein looks forward to becoming a member of the Utah Utes baseball team.

Source: https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2015/3/6/baseball-probability-of-competing-beyond-high-school.aspx