This month we will focus on two athletes who recently committed to play sports in college: Dan Keenan and Reese Corbett.

Haddonfield Baseball and Football player Dan Keenan committed to University of Pennsylvania.  Let’s hear what the Division I Athlete has to say about his decision and career.

MB: Tell us when you first started playing baseball and when you knew you this was your passion.

DK: I first started playing baseball when I was around five years old. I knew pretty much instantly that baseball was my passion because I always had so much fun playing. Ever since I started playing, I have always wanted more and kept looking forward to my next practice or game.

MB: How often do you practice and how do you stay active?

DK: In the off-season, I try to do some sort of practice or workout five days a week. I go to the gym at a place called AR Escape with a bunch of great trainers and my teammates, who form a great atmosphere for people looking to get better. A couple of days a week, I go to my hitting coach, or I will hit with a couple of my teammates. When I can, my dad and I will get outside, and he’ll hit me ground balls.

MB: How did you decide on UPENN, and when did you realize it was the team for you?

DK: I started talking to the coaches at Penn during the first week of the recruiting period. We had stayed in touch pretty regularly, and then I took my visit to campus in October. The team was scrimmaging on the day I came for my visit, and a lot of the commits for the 2026 class were there for it. When I got there, the coaches greeted me as if I were one of their players, and the rest of the guys had such a great vibe the entire time. They were having a ton of fun in the dugouts while still competing hard against each other. That was the first sign to me that Penn was a great place to play. A couple of weeks later, while I was talking with my family, we started talking about it, and it became pretty obvious that Penn checked all of my boxes: being a great program, high academics, and making the game fun.

MB: What did you take into consideration when looking at D1 programs?

DK: When looking at D1 programs, I had a couple of things that I wanted. First, I wanted programs that competed for a chance to play postseason baseball, consistently making their conference tournament and winning games. I also wanted to be somewhere with high academics because my goal was always to go to a school that I may not be able to without baseball. Lastly, I wanted to be somewhere that I could be closer to home and have my parents be able to come to my games.

MB: What were your highlights this past football season, especially after you had already  committed to baseball?

DK: I would say that my main highlight was winning South Jersey Group 2. As a team, we had an awesome vibe all year, both on and off the field. We would spend so much time together going to get food during the week and breakfast on the weekends. On the field, while we competed at practice and pushed each other, we also had so much fun in doing that. We kept winning games and proved ourselves right with each game. It was super great to be able to win the sectional final as a team that was having a ton of fun and making awesome memories.

MB: What are you looking forward to in the upcoming baseball season?

DK: I’m looking forward to having a chance to play with such a high-level group of players. We return a lot of guys from the team last year who know what it takes to be a successful baseball program. Similar to the football team, we all have such a great time pushing each other to be the best we can while also having fun with each other. I am super excited to get back on the field and have an awesome time with the team.

MB: What is your favorite college baseball team?

DK: My favorite college baseball team is Penn because I am becoming a part of their program and have formed a good relationship with both the coaches and players.

MB: What do you do in your free time?

DK: In my free time, I enjoy watching sports, spending time with friends and family, and staying active. I am a fan of the Phillies, Eagles, and Sixers, so I will watch almost every game, and then I love to watch college football too. My siblings are all very close in age, so we really like to hang out, spend time at the beach, and go on skiing trips together. I really enjoy having dinner and just relaxing on the couch with my parents while we watch whatever sports game is on. My friends are all super fun and funny, so I enjoy spending time with them and going to get food or just chilling and watching shows. 

MB: What advice do you have for young baseball players just starting out?

DK: I suggest that kids playing baseball always make sure that they are having fun and they enjoy playing the game. Whenever things start to seem too serious or like a job, I like to remind myself that it is a game that I play because I love it. The game doesn’t always have to be super intense, and it is important to just play!

Haddonfield Field Hockey defender Reese Corbett, a member of the Colonial Conference First Team who recently committed to Division I Wagner College in Staten Island, answers some pressing questions about her season and her success.

MB: Tell us when you first started playing field hockey and when you knew you this was your passion.

RC: I first started playing in first grade. My aunt played growing up, so she taught me and my sister how to play. I knew I loved playing since the beginning because it was always very fun to me. 

MB: How often do you practice and how do you stay active?

RC: I try to play every day. I think it is important to always be playing, especially in the off-season. If I can’t play every day, I try to go to the gym and do strength training. 

MB: How did you decide on Wagner and when did you  realize it was the team for you?

RC: I knew I wanted to go there when I first visited the campus in the spring. I loved the small-town feel and being close to New York City.  After meeting the coach and some players on the team, I knew it would be a great fit!

MB: What did you  take into consideration when looking at D1 programs?

RC: Playing division one field hockey has always been a goal for me. Some things I took into consideration were the year-round training and the high level of competition, both of which are things I knew I wanted in a team. 

MB: What were your highlights this season?

RC: As a team, some highlights were improving every game and beating the #2 seed in the second round of the playoffs. 

MB:What are you looking forward to in the next season?

RC: I am looking forward to playing field hockey with my best friends!

MB: What is your favorite college field hockey team?

RC: Wagner Seahawks, obviously!

MB: What do you  do in your free time?

RC: I enjoy hanging out with my friends and baking with my grandma. 

MB: What advice do you have for young field hockey players just starting out?

RC: Keep practicing and try to learn new skills, don’t be afraid to mess up!