By: Shannon Bickert

Entering college, Casey Wensley didn’t play baseball. In his senior year of high school, his stepfather passed away, the person who grew his love for the game.

“He taught me how to play, so when he passed away it was kinda my call to keep playing, and I just play to honor him every day,” Wensley said.

The love for the game started when Wensley was four, when he started playing. Growing up, Wensley was the youngest of four brothers who played baseball. He attended their games and would serve as the bat boy.

“Seeing them grow and become who they are today sort of allowed me to become who I am today,” Wensley said. “They paved the path for me.”

Wensley spent his first semester of college at the University of Mississippi, not playing baseball, before coming back to his home state, Massachusetts to Wheaton College. At Wheaton, Wensley picked baseball back up.

Wensley spent two seasons playing Division III ball at Wheaton, going on to earn American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings All-Region 1 Second Team. His success at Wheaton allowed him to transfer to the Division I level, playing ball at Bryant University.

Despite the jump in level of play, Wensley found success as a Bulldog, starting all 52 contests for Bryant this spring. He hit .319 on the season and tallied 30 stolen bases.

After his first season with Bryant, Wensley landed in Mystic, Connecticut for the summer, playing for the Schooners. Last summer, Wensley spent time in both the Perfect Game League and the Futures League, but was drawn to playing with the Schooners due to the level of competition and the room to grow as a player.

“My goals are to just become a better player,” Wensley said. “I’m trying not to worry about the outcome and things like my average. I’m just trying to mentally be happy with putting a big swing on something and mentally figure out how I’m gonna be the best player I can be without worrying about the outcome and stats.”

This mentality has allowed Wensley to enjoy playing baseball, soaking up every opportunity in summer ball.

“The biggest thing for me is being content with who you are,” Wensley said. “Just taking in every moment that you can with the people. I want to remember the people here, not just the baseball.”