Sean Keating leading Bingham baseball with consistent play

South Jordan – Being consistent isn't always the easiest thing to do in baseball. It is a sport defined by highs and lows and a game of streaks and slumps. Sean Keating has found a way to avoid getting stuck on that roller coaster ride.

It doesn't matter if Keating steps to the mound or takes the plate, he makes a habit of delivering solid results for Bingham (South Jordan) every time.

The junior has carved out a niche as both a reliable hitter and a reliable pitcher for the Miners. It all goes back to last season when Keating made a splash as a sophomore.

Batting in the middle of the order, he tallied 19 hits, 14 RBIs, four doubles and a pair of home runs in 42 at-bats. He finished with the season with a .452 batting average, a .521 on-base percentage and a .738 slugging percentage.

This spring, Keating boasts a .561 batting average, .578 on-base percentage and a .731 slugging percentage. In 41 at-bats through his first 13 games, he has 23 hits, 11 runs, 12 RBIs and seven doubles.

"I just go up and try to hit the ball hard," Keating said. "I don't try to hit a home run. I just try to square up the ball and have a quality at-bat for my team, because I know that will help us out."

His work ethic has helped him make a consistent impact for the Miners on offense. Keating fits the mold of a player who refuses to skip any steps while trying to reach his goals.

It is the attribute that helps set him apart among his baseball peers.

"He puts in extra time," Bingham coach Joey Sato said. "He's worked really hard to keep improving his skills. He's not content to sit and live off of last year. He wants to continue to try to get to better, and he has."

For a short time, Keating appeared poised to make his mark as a wrestler instead of becoming a baseball player.

He didn't really get going in baseball until he was almost out of elementary school. In the beginning, Keating focused his attention on the mat. That all changed once he got a taste for being out on the diamond.

Keating realized his true passion lay in pitching and hitting — not grappling. Still, participating in wrestling did offer a few lingering benefits for him.

"It was a weird transition, but I feel like it helped me out because wrestling got me a lot stronger for baseball and it's just carried on," Keating said.

It isn't physical strength alone he's referencing. Keating also possesses the right level of mental strength to flourish as a pitcher.

He went 5-1 on the mound a year ago and is 3-1 so far as a junior. Keating finished his sophomore season with a 2.31 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 36 innings pitched. So far, this season, he has 27 strikeouts and a 2.74 ERA in 15 innings on the mound.
 
His determination to improve has helped him continue to also make an impact as a pitcher.

"When we were in the off-season, I just tried to work hard and do what little things I could do so it would lead up to a season of me performing well," Keating said.

Keating, a left-handed pitcher, has already drawn interest from several colleges including BYU, Utah, UNLV, Nevada, Stanford, Oregon, Kansas and Vanderbilt. Several schools have projected him as a potential two-way player at the next level.

He is quickly emerging as one of the most sought-after prospects from Utah in the 2016 class. If Bingham mounts another successful run through the Class 5A tournament this spring, and claims a third state title in five seasons, it will only serve to further boost Keating's prospects for reaching the next level.

John Coon covers Utah high school sports for MaxPreps. You can contact him at john_coon@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter at @johncoonsports.