Senior pitcher and middle infielder Carson Kinney has grown up around Depew High School baseball, but he says the game still teaches him something new every season. Now a senior for the Hornets, he leans on family, faith in his teammates and a blue-collar mentality he picked up long before he ever took the varsity mound.
Kinney said the biggest influence on his career has always been his dad, who coached him in little league and still works drills with him. “He never quits on anything that is hard, he always finds a way no matter what,” Kinney said.
In the classroom, Kinney’s favorite subject is agricultural education and FFA, where he has learned welding and other hands-on skills he believes will help him long after high school. He points to teacher Mr. Campbell as a key mentor and still leans on a simple phrase he hears often in that classroom. “He is one of those teachers he tells you how it is and nothing else,” Kinney said. “You give him respect and he will give it back. My favorite quote from Mr. Campbell is, ‘It is what it is.’”
On the diamond, Kinney prides himself on the little details. His favorite unwritten rule is to never step on the foul line during warmups, and he loves the challenge of playing in the middle infield. He said the toughest part of that job is reading a bloop fly ball over his shoulder and making the right calls on defensive alignments for his teammates. At the plate, he hunts for a low-and-in fastball on the corner.
What makes Depew baseball special, Kinney said, is the family feel inside the dugout. He describes the Hornets as a tight group that knows how to compete and how to pick each other up when things go wrong. Catcher Kyler Fenton is “the most vocal” teammate, while Landry Nighswonger is the one who always knows how to make everyone laugh.
Kinney said athletics have taught him to never give up, no matter the score or how difficult the situation. He credits the Depew coaching staff for trusting him, pushing him and helping him become the player he is today. When he is not on the field, he can usually be found fishing or golfing, recharging before the next first pitch.
