Baseball was always the focus for Sean Knorr, a recent graduate of Pioneer High School (PHS). A pitcher with the ability to throw 90 mph off the mound coming out of high school, Knorr was offered the opportunity to play college baseball at the highest level.
Even better, he says, would be to get drafted in the MLB.
But how did someone with NCAA Division I offers end up at a community college? Knorr says he eventually wants to play Division I baseball but after high school, he wanted more developmental opportunities. At Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek (KCC), Knorr found what he was looking for.
“I asked myself ‘[Do I really want] to play and get better or do I want to go somewhere and possibly ride the bench?’” Knorr said.
KCC turned out to be the perfect fit for Knorr. Alongside fellow PHS graduates, Donnie Thompson and Sam Bassett-Kennedy, Knorr has thrived in the new environment at Kellogg. It has allowed him to focus on getting stronger so that when he hopefully arrives on the NCAA Division I scene next year, he is better prepared.
Everyone has something that stands out in Division I baseball, but there was something he lacked. His physique. One reason he came to Kellogg was to work on getting stronger, so he is better prepared for NCAA Division I competition.
Knorr’s 2021 season was superb. He was awarded 1st Team All-MCCAA Conference honors, Conference All-Freshman Team and NJCAA Region XII All-Tournament Team. In addition to his accolades, Knorr finished the season boasting a top 20 ERA in the country for NJCAA Division II.
On Oct. 7, 2022, Knorr and his team came to Ypsilanti to play Eastern Michigan in a fall exhibition game. Knorr’s fellow PHS alumni Thompson and Bassett-Kennedy both played well, with Thompson starting in the game at first base and Bassett-Kennedy pitching a scoreless 4th inning. Knorr was inactive in the pitching lineup that day.
Throughout his time at Kellogg, he hasn’t lost focus on his goal of developing his game.
“I knew JUCO (Junior College) was really big on development,” Knorr said. “And I knew Kellogg was a [JUCO] World Series contender the year before I came, so I really wanted to play for a good team and develop myself [as a player.]”
Ranked fifth nationally in NJCAA D2 at the end of the season, Kellogg was one game away from making it to the NJCAA World Series.
Knorr currently holds a few Division I offers, but he is waiting for an offer from the right one before deciding what he wants to do next year. He also isn’t ruling out getting drafted into the MLB, which is his ultimate goal in baseball.
Knorr has since committed to play Division I baseball at Central Michigan University.
Credits:
Griffin Siersma