Luke Keaschall was a lightly-recruited high school shortstop, with the University of San Francisco giving him his only Division I offer. As he prepares for his junior season of college baseball, most wouldn’t have guessed Keaschall received just one offer.
Keaschall transferred to Arizona State in the offseason after two extremely productive seasons at USF. He hit .312 with 29 doubles, 12 home runs and 64 RBIs in 508 plate appearances in two seasons at USF.
Keaschall hopes to have similar success at Arizona State this season. He is one of the top players in the country and a likely early-round pick in July’s MLB draft.
“It’s awesome,” Keaschall said. “My parents, grandparents and the people close to me have always believed in me, just like I have. It’s not a big surprise to me because it’s always been the goal. I have always wanted to play pro baseball. I never lost faith. It’s awesome to see it pan out.”
Scouts rave about Keaschall’s offensive skill set. Keaschall has an advanced feel for hitting, displaying a professional approach from the right side of the plate. He makes consistent and hard contact to drive the ball into the gaps.
The 6-foot-1, 195-pound hitter has added about 30 pounds to his frame in college, allowing him to tap into more power. Scouts believe he can hit for average in-game power in the professional ranks.
Keaschall has respectable speed and athleticism, which allows him to make an impact on the bases.
“My biggest strength is my bat-to-ball skills and ability to do damage at the plate,” Keaschall said. “I really value my offensive abilities and putting the ball in play every at-bat. I just hate striking out. The biggest thing I bring offensively is putting pressure on the defense and being a tough out.”
Defensively, Keaschall has experience all over the diamond. He mainly started at second and third base his freshman year before moving to shortstop last year at USF.
In the Cape Cod League the previous two summers, Keaschall bounced around, seeing time at first base, second base, shortstop, third base, left field and center field.
His versatility is valuable and will help him in the future. He boasts quality arm strength and athleticism, allowing him to excel at numerous positions. Keaschall will begin the season as Arizona State’s starting second baseman, he said.
“I’m very versatile, and I can play wherever I’m needed,” Keaschall said. “The coaching staff has options with me.”
Keaschall was a huge addition for Arizona State head coach Willie Bloomquist in the offseason. The third-year player will play a vital role in the Sun Devils’ success this season.
The Sun Devils posted a 26-32 record in Bloomquist’s first season in 2022. It marked just the fourth losing season in program history. They are one of the most successful programs in college baseball, but they have qualified for the NCAA Tournament just twice in the last five tournaments.
The Sun Devils believe they have the pieces to qualify for the NCAA Tournament and make a deep postseason run this season.
“I want to win,” Keaschall said. “I came to ASU to win. This program has a really good chance to do some great things this year.”
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Dan Zielinski III has covered the MLB draft for eight years. He has interviewed 433 of the top draft prospects in that period, including four No. 1 overall picks. Multiple publications, including Baseball America, USA Today, MLB.com, The Arizona Republic and The Dallas Morning News, have quoted his work, while he has appeared on radio stations as a “MLB draft expert.” Follow him on Twitter @DanZielinski3.
