The spotlight is on senior Kellen Rogers, a standout on the varsity baseball team. Kellen has mastered the tough balance between high-pressure sports and a heavy workload in the classroom, showing his peers what it takes to be a true student-athlete.

For Kellen, baseball is more than just a game; it is about the people he plays with. He shared that his favorite part of the sport is “playing with a bunch of my boys and making memories.” He looks at the field as a place to decompress, describing it as “an escape from life” where he can just relax and play.

When things get intense during big games, Kellen doesn’t let the stress get to him. He manages the pressure by taking deep breaths and staying focused on the group effort. 

“I never try to win games by myself,” he said, noting that he always makes sure to work with the team.

That team focus starts before the first pitch is even thrown. To get into the right headspace, the high school team has a specific pre-game ritual: they head to the locker room together to meditate and find their focus.

Off the field, the schedule is just as demanding: “Keeping up with homework because we have about three-hour practices every day after school,” Kellen said.

Despite the long hours on the field, Kellen is killing it in the classroom with a 4.025 GPA. He manages to keep his grades that high simply by managing his time well and staying disciplined.

After high school, Kellen plans to take his talents to the next level by attending NC State for baseball. Between his elite skills on the field and his exceptional grades, Kellen continues to set a great example at Wake Forest, proving that you can be an elite athlete and a top student at the same time.