He’s committed to Clemson, and still chasing his dream of pitching in the pros

Noah Hall’s 12u team wasn’t used to getting shut out. It was rare when they didn’t score a lot of runs. But during a tournament at Shipyard Park in South Carolina, Hall’s team found itself down 3-0 late. He searched for an answer, and he found it in 11-year-old Chase Kiker.

With the bases loaded, Kiker stepped up to the plate. Hall remembers what his face looked like before the at-bat. He was expressionless. Kiker hit a grand slam, securing the go-ahead run.

“He just didn’t seem scared,” Hall said. “And that was different than most kids.”

As soon as the ball went over the fence, and Kiker felt the weight of what he’d accomplished, all the pieces came together.

“All the joy that gave me, it’s like this is what I want to do,” Kiker said. “I want to pursue this in life.”

As Kiker enters his last season at Metrolina Christian, the two-way player is still chasing his life goal with the same mental toughness Hall noticed when he first started training Kiker at 7 years old.

Kiker is committed to Clemson and is getting draft attention. The 5-foot-11 right-hander has a five-pitch mix, throwing a 95 mph fastball and adding a knuckleball. In 2024, he helped Metrolina Christian to a state championship.

Chase Kiker’s fearlessness

Last year, Kiker had a 0.85 ERA through 33 innings, recording 68 strikeouts. Kiker also had a .450 batting average, producing 27 hits and 19 runs in 60 at-bats. He’s the top returning player in North Carolina.

And although Kiker doesn’t know exactly where his fearlessness came from, it’s a part of him and his playing style.

“I’ve honestly just kind of had it,” Kiker said. “I’ve always just wanted to compete. I’ve always wanted to win…I guess it was not quitting and not giving up.”

Chase’s father, Travis, sees that mentality too. He’s watched his son make game-saving hits or game-changing pitches time and time again.

“He wants to be a part of every play,” Travis said. “That’s why he loves pitching. He wants the ball every play. If it’s two outs and they need one out to win the game, he wants the ball in his hands. If it’s two outs and they need a hit to win the game, he wants to be that guy that wins the game.

Drawn to baseball at age 4

Kiker was drawn to baseball as early as age 4. He loved playing catch with Travis. Some of Travis’ employees would give Chase a plastic bat, and take turns throwing him Wiffle balls. When he was 9, Chase asked Travis if he could learn how to pitch.

Chase’s earliest pitching lessons went like this: Travis stood next to a tree, telling Chase to throw the ball to him. The tree served as the batter. If Chase hit it, then it meant he hit a batter.

Sometimes Chase’s mom called the pair to come inside for dinner, but they didn’t come. There was always another ball to throw and catch. Another pitch to be made without hitting a tree.

By the eighth grade, Chase’s talent started to gain some attention.

Darren Adams had heard what a 13-year-old Chase could do, but he’d seen very little. Adams knew he could throw strikes. The Metrolina Christian baseball head coach knew he could compete. So, Adams took a chance on the eighth grader.

He promoted the JV pitcher to varsity midway through the season. Chase pitched six shutout innings. When Metrolina Christian made the playoffs in 2022, Chase threw for another eight frames, knocking off No. 2-seed Wesleyan Christian.

“Not everybody can say they did that in eighth grade,” Chase said. “Everybody there is bigger than me, older than me and probably stronger than me. But I’m there for a reason, so I’ve just got to do what I’ve done basically the whole season that got me there, and trust it.”

Adams was aware of Kiker’s talent, but he didn’t know exactly what that entailed. The head coach described the pitcher’s ability and mentality as “extremely rare,” something he had not seen in his 18 years at the high school.

“What I didn’t know was how courageous he was on the mound,” Adams said. “He was able to throw multiple pitches in whatever count it was, and he wasn’t going to be intimidated or back down from seniors at all. The mental toughness and mental strength surprised me a little bit.”

Off to Clemson and, hopefully, the pros

Now, as Chase enters his last season of high school baseball, his childhood dream is becoming more tangible. He’s earned a lot of attention, and committed to Clemson in 2024.

After visiting the Tigers’ facility and meeting with the coaches, Chase texted Travis. Previously, the family agreed they would always talk about the program after the visit and then make a decision. Chase disregarded that at Clemson. He texted Travis and said if Clemson gave him an offer during the meeting, he would accept it. Travis didn’t argue with his son. He felt it too.

“It’s not for them, it’s not for the money, it’s for the players to get them to where the next level is,” Chase said. “There was a family when I went.”

If all goes according to plan, Chase will go to college or play professionally within the next year. So, he’s trying to enjoy his final season with his friends before they all go their separate ways. He wants to win game-to-game, and secure another state championship.

And as the stage keeps getting bigger, Chase will still want the ball, and his expression won’t change.