Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Carey Reeder | Managing Editor

Kepler Lively became the first baseball player in 2024 from Chilton County High School to sign his letter of intent to play college baseball, choosing Millsaps College on March 13. Lively, a senior pitcher for the Tigers, signed his letter at Jack Hayes Field with teammates, family and friends in attendance.

Lively is a two-pitch mix pitcher with a rapid fastball and a breaking ball that falls 12 to six on a good day, and he mixes in a slider as well to his arsenal. His tall, wiry frame gives him an advantage on the mound having a pitcher’s type of body standing close to 6 feet 4 inches tall, which made him attractive to the Majors program in Jackson, Mississippi.

“It is actually crazy (I am signing),” Lively said. “I really did not have a good year last year, but I stepped it up this year and it has been a lot better. We are all family (at Chilton County), and it has been so much fun.”

Lively struggled in certain spots during his first three years with the program, but has turned the corner this season, according to first-year Chilton County head baseball coach Justin Veazey. That improvement has helped the senior mature, and his teammates belief in him to grow.

“It is big being my first player to sign somewhere, and I am very excited for him,” Veazey said. “He is a pivotal piece this year to what we are doing … Not just on the mound, but he is helping in the field, defensively, hitting .280 and picking the bat up now. He is one of these seniors that is setting the example for these 12 freshmen we have. His best baseball is in front of him.”

Moving on to Millsaps, Lively said he wants to work on his off-speed pitches, which are solid now, but wants to perfect his craft with them to be even more effective. He also said he plans to keep his school-first mindset at Millsaps and graduate while continuing to improve within the baseball program.