On October 29th, Hudson High School senior Chase Dennison announced his official commitment to playing Division 1 baseball at Kent State University. Since he can remember, baseball has been an important part of Dennison’s life. After years of late nights in the batting cages and hours upon hours spent on the field, Dennison’s hard work has finally paid off. Although his road to success wasn’t always easy, Dennison’s positive mindset and work ethic ensures that his athletic career holds a promising future at KSU. The obstacles, along with other various components, are what have shaped Dennison into the athlete he is today. 

Dennison’s ambition is a crucial aspect to overcoming various challenges and becoming a better player overall. Dennison explains that one of the biggest challenges he has had to face is “dealing with failure and adversity and learning to bounce back stronger each time.” Overcoming these obstacles with a positive mindset is something that has made him the athlete that he is today. Dennison also explains that “Hard work, dedication and support from family, coaches and teammates” are aspects of his life that have truly gotten him where he is as an athlete.

Dennison’s future with Kent State Baseball is a way for him to gain new experience and grow as both a player and a teammate. According to Dennison, he chose to further his athletic and academic career at KSU because “it felt like home, the baseball program, coaches and culture are first class.” Overall, there are so many exciting opportunities waiting for Dennison at KSU but what he is most excited for is, “Competing at a high level and growing under great coaches like Coach Birkbeck.”

Moreover, being a high school student in general comes with many challenges, being a student athlete with a Division 1 future elevates that pressure tremendously. On top of that, Dennison is also a varsity wrestler for HHS, meaning he is a two sport athlete who has to work tirelessly to manage his time effectively between both school and athletics. Dennison explains, “I stick to a schedule, I make time for school and time for baseball.’ 

Although Dennison is eager to begin the next chapter of his life, the memories he has growing up playing Hudson Baseball and on various travel teams are memories he will never forget. According to Dennison, “My best memory in baseball was when I was pitching against the Cincinnati River Bats and I struck out the last batter to win the game.” 

Kent State’s baseball program is known for its strong performance in the Mid-American Conference (MAC). In 2012, the team made its historic appearance at the college world season and holds a record number of regular season titles. Along with that, the team is also recognized for its high academic performance; having won multiple NCAA public recognition awards for high academic progress rate. As a future student athlete at KSU, Dennison is surely going to be held to high standards.

KSU baseball is an organization that has a prestigious history in developing professional athletes. On July 15th of this year, Kent State Baseball announced that their third baseman, Hayden Jactzak, signed with the San Francisco Giants to continue playing baseball at the professional level. It is without a doubt that KSU strives to promote successful athletes both academically and athletically, ensuring that Dennison holds a promising future, full of opportunity, at Kent State University. 

The most important thing that has gotten Dennison to where he is today is his true love and admiration for the game. Dennison states that, “baseball is my passion, it teaches me discipline and teamwork. I love pushing myself to get better.” As for the next generation of athletes who are eager to follow in Dennison’s footsteps, his best piece of advice is to “Never stop working and believe in yourself even when things get tough.” 

All in all, the next chapter of Dennison’s life holds so much possibility and HHS can’t wait to see what his future holds!