Titans 2-Time MVP Nolan Keating Commits to the Southeastern CC Blackhawks in Iowa

Veteran Titans catcher Nolan Keating capped off 2022 by committing to Southeastern Community College in West Burlington, Iowa on Friday.  The two-time Titans MVP will compete in the D1/D2 Iowa Community College Athletic Conference in the Fall.  Titans Director of Baseball Operations Lawrence Vera was Keating’s Head Coach in 2022 and appraised his 17U MVP’s stellar play over the last two seasons with the organization:  “One of our best leaders in our entire Titans Baseball program has graduated. Nolan joined us in our inaugural CPBL season and rated with some of the top catchers in the country. While sometimes overlooked by the League, he never failed when the light was on. I have no doubt that Nolan is going to have great success at the next level and we are excited to follow him at Southeastern CC. We’ll miss him around the diamond in 2023.” 

Keating becomes the twelfth Titan from the Class of 2023 to commit to a US College.  The resident of Peterborough offered four compelling reasons to sign his letter of intent with the SCC Blackhawks in the American Midwest:  “I committed to Southeastern Community College because of Coach Schulte’s history of winning and sending players to four-year schools. The Blackhawks have an old school style of play and have a winning mentality that I believe I can contribute to right away.”  

Additionally, Keating sees Southeastern as a significant destination in his journey to a four-year school and is looking forward to “living in West Burlington, Iowa because it’s a safe small town with a population of just over 3,000 people. I am also looking forward to being able to live in a residence with the rest of my team which will allow me to make a bunch of friendships and connections that could last a lifetime.” An Honor Roll graduate of Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School in Peterborough, Keating will be enrolled in “the Exercise Science and Kinesiology Transfer Major program” during his two years at SCC.

The 18U Titans catcher elaborated on his academic and athletic goals with the Southeastern CC Blackhawks:  “My goals for the next two years at Southeastern are to be able to contribute to the Blackhawks’ winning success and be a key part in the lineup. I am also going to continue to get stronger and build myself as the best possible player I can be.  I want to give myself the best opportunity to move on to a top 4-year program. On the Academic side, I plan to learn as much as possible because Kinesiology is something I have a serious interest in. I also intend to stay on top of my classes and maintain an appropriate GPA so when it’s time to transfer to a 4-year school, my grades won’t be an issue.” 

Keating’s dedication to his studies and catching craft, respectively, has made him a model student-athlete for the Titans Baseball Club.  He expressed his gratitude to the organization for helping him sift through the nine US College offers he had on the table in December:  “The Titans assisted me in a huge way in my decision-making and college placement. I want to give a thank you to Coach Barker, Coach Vera, and Coach Bailey as well as everyone else in the Titans organization for giving me the opportunity to play and prove myself. I want to give a huge thank you to Coach Bailey as he spent countless hours on the phone with me almost daily for the past 3 months making sure he was up to date with what was happening, as well as giving me reassurance and helping me make the process go as smooth as possible.” 

In an even more personal moment, Nolan moved from the Titans family to the Keating family as he thanked his mom and dad-- Jenn and Chris Keating-- for all their help with his baseball goals:  “I would also like to give a huge thank you to my mom and dad who have been by my side and supporting me throughout my life but especially during my journey of playing baseball; I would not be the man I am today without them.” The veteran catcher reflected on his own journey with the Titans and acknowledged that “the highlights of my Titans career so far include going down to Florida on March Break and being able to have the experience of playing baseball in Florida. Another personal highlight of my Titans career is being presented with the MVP award for the past two seasons with the 16U and 17U teams.”

After taking stock of his best Titans memories, Keating offered these timely and technological tips to the younger players in our program:  “A big piece of advice that I have for younger Titans would be to start posting videos and direct messaging coaches on Twitter as early as possible. Twitter is a hidden weapon and has taken over on college recruiting and it is where the majority of college coaches find recruits, and the earlier you start getting noticed by coaches, the more time you have to make a final decision.”

The Titans Baseball Club extends its congratulations to Nolan Keating on his commitment to the Southeastern CC Blackhawks.  As a double MVP Award winner in 2021 with the 16U’s and in 2022 with the 17U’s, we look forward to your leadership behind the dish and at the plate for the 18U Titans in the 2023 CPBL season.  We know you will be an asset on and off the field at your chosen destination in West Burlington, Iowa, on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River. All the best at SCC!