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Milo Kelley has been a catcher since he was a little kid. His mom wasn’t a big fan of that, but his insistence on staying behind the plate paid off. “My mom was worried about me getting hurt,” Kelley said.
“She didn’t want me to catch. I was just like, ‘no, you gotta let me do this.’ I went back there and have been there ever since.
” After committing to Iowa in September of 2023, Kelley sealed the deal with the Hawkeyes last week by signing his national letter of intent. Going anywhere else was never under consideration. “I wanted to be close to home, close to my family, but also representing Iowa, representing my state was the biggest part,” Kelley said.
“Wearing Iowa across my chest was really important to me.” It was important to Iowa head coach and recruiting coordinator Marty Sutherland, who see the 6-1, 190-pounder as a key piece to the future. “In our opinion, Milo is the best defensive catcher in the Midwest,” Sunderland said.
“He has shown great ability to command the pitching staff and control the running game.” Kelley featured those skills the past three years at Davenport Central, where he earned All-State honors last season as a junior. Kelley posted a .
418 batting average, clubbed four home runs and drove in 45 runs. As a sophomore, he connected for three homers, hit .316 and had 13 RBIs for the Blue Devils.
Kelley’s final season, however, will be with Pleasant Valley. Choosing to leave Central was difficult, he said, but was made with the future in mind. “Central, hats off to the staff and my teammates.
I loved it there. My years there were amazing,” Kelley said. “It really came down to a business decision.
I had to do what’s best for me, but it definitely was not an easy thing to do.” Sliding into PV’s program has been seamless. Growing up, he played with several of the players that make up the Spartans’ squad.
“I played with a lot of the guys at PV my whole life, so it’s been a pretty easy transition,” he said. Derek Stecklein, Pleasant Valley baseball coach, said everyone was well aware of Kelley’s ability on the diamond. He was more curious about the person behind the catcher’s mask.
“I think what’s been more impressive to me is the kind of person Milo is,” Stecklein said. “He’s a quiet, nice young man that is only going to make us better as a team.” Kelley was drawn to catching as a youngster, never scared off by the taxing toll the position can take.
“I just remember watching baseball as a kid and being captivated by (the catcher,” he said. “I tried to mimic what I saw those guys do on TV and just fell in love with it. “I really like working with the pitcher and doing everything I can to help them be successful.
That leadership part of it, is something I really enjoy.” Iowa saw the same things, while also believing he can eventually provide some pop in the lineup. “Milo has a physical presence offensively where we can see the potential to hit in the middle of the lineup down the road,” Sunderland said.
“He is an extremely hard worker and will bring incredible toughness to our program.” Kelley is looking forward to his career in Iowa City, but first is excited about his senior season with the Spartans. Beyond that, he hopes to wear the catching gear as long as possible.
” “My goal is to get as far as I can and follow God’s plan,” Kelley said. “Keep going until the light turns red. That’s my goal.
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