Kehden Hettiger is a perfect fit for dream school Oregon
Editor’s note: The Philadelphia Phillies selected C Kehden Hettiger with the No. 343 pick in the eleventh round of the 2023 MLB Draft on July 11.
PALMDALE, Calif. (BVM) –Kehden Hettiger knew what he wanted to do at a very, very young age. He started playing baseball at 2 years old and has not looked back since.
“I picked up a bat and I wouldn’t sit it down,” Hettiger said.
Now every time Hettiger picks up a bat, he attracts everyone’s attention. The switch-hitting catcher has one of the sweetest swings in the entire state of California and it is why he is so coveted.
Prep Baseball Report has Hettiger as the No. 95 player in this year’s draft class.
Home Run #6 for Kehden Hettiger @Kehden2 was a nuke today. pic.twitter.com/FXoUqn5Y3y
— Chad Eberhardt (@chad_eberhardt) April 28, 2023
He began to hear from colleges in the fall of his sophomore year, but he wanted to remain patient for the opportunity to play for his dream school, the University of Oregon. He initially was enamored with the school due to its vibrant green and yellow colors, but it eventually became much more than that.
“Once I got older, I looked into it more and I realized I fit in perfectly over there,” Hettiger said.
The Ducks eventually offered him in the summer leading into his junior year, and without even visiting the campus, he committed the very next day.
Hettiger will get the unique opportunity to play for his dream school, but he may also have another unique opportunity to be taken fairly early in the 2023 MLB Draft. The outcome will likely decide his immediate future.
“It’s definitely something me and my family have been talking about,” Hettiger said. “It’s been a dream of mine to play professionally.”
Fresh off a commitment to @OregonBaseball after the PBR Future Games, ‘23 C Kehden Hettiger (CA) drops the barrel on this changeup for a double off the wall.
Bat continues to show well with each look.
@PBR_California pic.twitter.com/YhBpm2b1qE
— Shooter Hunt (@ShooterHunt) August 13, 2021
Hettiger’s big junior campaign put him on the map to pro scouts, and it set the bar high for him going into his final year of high school, but he did not let it get to his head and he delivered.
“I didn’t let that get to me,” Hettiger said. “I was just being me. No one knows me better than me. I was just going out there, having fun and being myself. I wasn’t letting the pressure get to me at all.”
‘23 Grad C Kehden Hettiger doing what he does for Sierra Canyon, one hopping the fence in RF for a double against Justin Lee, he continues to hammer good pitching. Switch hitter with serious thump from the left side pic.twitter.com/jT53eWIt8U
— Cameron Emamian (@CameronEmamian) March 23, 2023
Hettiger’s long-term goal is to make it to MLB, but he knows it is going to take a lot of hard work and dedication regardless of the route he takes.
“My goal right now is to take it day-by-day and each day get a little bit better,” Hettiger said. “It’s not going to be an overnight thing to get to the big leagues, it’s going to be a long, hard process. Even if I get one percent better every day, I feel like that will eventually come.”
