Determination got Joe Kaleck to where he’s at now.
When the Neshaminy grad walked off Boyertown High School’s baseball field after losing in the PIAA state semifinal, he was unsure if his baseball career would continue.
He held two Division III offers: Arcadia University and Widener University. But those schools didn’t fit the bill of what he was looking for.
Kaleck was drawn to West Chester University (WCU). The campus layout, the availability of his desired major and the well-reputable baseball program the university has built – previously winning the NCAA Division II Championship in 2017, marking the program’s second (first in 2012) – made it a perfect fit for him. There was only one problem, WCU had shown no interest in recruiting him.
“West Chester caught my eye midway through high school,” Kaleck said. “I very much liked the school, regardless of baseball. But they had a good program on top of that. I reached out to their coaches and there wasn’t much interest at all.”
Despite the lack of interest, Kaleck remained resolute. He decided to take a chance and try out for the WCU baseball team as a walk-on, fully aware that if it didn’t work out his career could have come to a close.
“After my last high school game, in my head I was kind of like ‘these are my last baseball games ever,’” Kaleck admitted. “But once I decided to go to West Chester, I just took my chances. I knew there was a pretty good chance I wouldn’t make the team because they weren’t even interested to begin with.”
Despite initial uncertainty during his tryout, due to his only catching a couple short bullpen sessions because he was a catcher in high school, Kaleck’s resilience paid off. The head coach at the time, Jad Prachniak, called Kaleck five hours after his tryout with some news – he had made the fall team.
Kaleck joining the fall roster was essentially a trial run. Prachniak wanted to see what he had and Kaleck had something to prove.
After a successful fall, he earned a full-time roster spot with the Golden Rams. His first year with the team was cut short due to COVID-19, but he was determined to make his mark the following season.
He did just that. Although, he did it under new leadership.
Mike LaRosa, Widener University’s baseball head coach for the past nine seasons – and the same coach who extended an offer to Kaleck – succeeded Prachniak and was taking the reigns for the Golden Rams.
“With Widener and Coach LaRosa, I really liked him. The school just wasn’t a fit,” Kaleck said. “After Jad left, I heard LaRosa was a candidate for the opening and I was hoping he got it.”
In his first year under LaRosa, he slashed .400/.489/.491 with 18 hits, four RBIs and 12 runs. He appeared in 15 games and started 14 of them.
The following season, Kaleck was promoted to starter. He served as a utility guy, as his positional value wasn’t limited. He played first base and the outfield, primarily left field. But an everyday starter promotion wasn’t the only thing Kaleck earned that season.
In November of 2021, the players voted on who they thought the four captains should be. And while the team gathered at an event before the voting took place, LaRosa texted Kaleck who wasn’t able to be there.
“It was the day of the Turkey Trot, which I missed because I was getting my wisdom teeth out,” Kaleck said. “I didn’t nominate myself for captain because I didn’t know if I was ready. I’ve never played a full season, one of the younger guys in the lineup. LaRosa reached out and was like ‘hey, why don’t you put your name in for captain, I think that would be a good idea.’”
Two hours later, the players voted and Kaleck was named one of the four captains.
“To me, that was one of the best days of my life,” Kaleck said. “When you got 30 guys that just kind of support you in the leadership position at such a young age, and they choose you, it’s a way better feeling than just the coach saying ‘hey you’re a captain.’”
“When you look at him choosing to come to West Chester because that was the program he wanted to be a part of ... walking on, making the team, earning a starting role and earning the respect of his teammates, I think all of that just goes into it,” LaRosa said.
The player-coach relationship the two developed in a short amount of time was crucial in the team’s considerable success that season. They hosted and won the 2022 Atlantic Region Super Regional Championship.
“He and I are cut from the same cloth,” LaRosa said. “He’ll come to me with suggestions, feedback, whether it’s practices or on other players, he’s almost like having another coach on the field.”
And while Kaleck admittedly had somewhat of a down year that season, hitting a substandard .258 with a career-high 40 strikeouts, he only cares about the team and how they do as a group. He got a taste of how far they can go and set out to get back there. In an attempt to do just that, he had quite the bounce-back year.
Even at a unfamiliar third base, Kaleck was named first team All-PSAC East, as he batted .322 with three home runs and stole 35 bases.
Now, after graduating in May with a bachelor’s degree in political science, Kaleck returns to the Golden Rams with one year left of eligibility as he pursues his MBA. And while he stands just five bag-swipes away from the school record with one year left of eligibility, all he can think about is how far the team can go.
“The goal is to win a natty,” Kaleck said. “I want to win the most games in West Chester history. I keep looking at the 2012 team, that’s the goal.”
Join our readers whose generous donations are making it possible for you to read our news coverage. Help keep local journalism alive and our community strong. Donate today.
