West Orange Times & Observer: Sports Spotlight — Keenan Milroy

As a four-year member of the Central Florida Christian Academy varsity baseball team, Keenan Milroy has played a number of roles since he joined the team in eighth grade. Now, in his junior year, Milroy is one of head coach Larry Oldham’s vital leaders. 

When did you first get into baseball?

I first started probably in eighth grade, and my brothers had been playing at the school for quite some time, and I just got into the age where I could kind of play. I had been playing football, and I hadn’t really played baseball because they didn’t have a JV team. The team was really good, so I couldn’t really just hop on the team. 

What was that like for you being on the varsity team as an eighth-grader?

It was a very big learning experience because I’ve been the youngest, so I have been kind of watching everybody else for everything. I’ve been learning from other people doing it before me. It wasn’t like a big surprise that I wasn’t going to be doing a whole lot.

What would you say is the hardest part about playing baseball?

Obviously, the hardest thing is hand-eye coordination, because if you don’t have hand-eye coordination, you can’t hit the ball or catch the ball, and that’s the biggest parts of baseball. And then throwing accuracy — you have to be very accurate when you’re throwing. If you can get that stuff down, you’ll be a pretty good athlete.

What’s your favorite part about the sport?

My favorite part about baseball is either hitting or pitching — I really enjoy both things. Pitching is a lot fun because you get to throw the ball as hard as you can into a small area, and then with hitting, if you get a hold of it, it’ll fly out there and you get to just watch it sail through the air.

What’s your favorite thing about playing at CFCA?

I’ve just always loved the environment. It’s awesome being surrounded by a whole bunch of Christian coaches and Christian athletes. It’s nice to be around other people who are likeminded. The coaches have always been so kind and helpful, and they are always there for you. They are there for more than just making you a good athlete; they’re there to make you a better man.

Is there a highlight moment for you during your playing time at CFCA?

Most of the kids (who) came out when I started — and since then — haven’t played much, and it’s always just been an awesome experience to go from a team that struggled in practice and was mercy-ruled early in the season by one team, and later on in the season we beat that team. It’s just a cool experience going through a season where we have improved so much and grown as a team. 

What is your ideal meal after a game?

I would probably go to Chipotle — it’s a meal that’s very nutritional, healthy, and it’s all cooked there. It’s all stuff that is going to be helpful for building back my body from a long game. I generally get a bowl — half chicken, half steak.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I do a little bit of photography — in my free time I’ll edit some pictures and things like that.