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William Penn Charter High School junior Kenny Koplove propels fastballs for a team whose nickname, the Quakers, bears serene symbolism. Two years from now, the 17-year-old right-handed pitcher will swap his current mascot’s piety for the debauchery of the Blue Devil, Duke University’s mischievous mascot. Accepting an athletic scholarship Nov. 16, Koplove committed to head to Durham, N.C., to enhance skills he hopes will extend his family’s diamond legacy.
The resident of the 1500 block of Hulseman Street chose Duke, a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, over more than a dozen other institutions. Also a shortstop, Koplove likely will have an immediate opportunity to join the school’s starting nine. His commitment caps a bustling two-year period that also involved leading his school to a championship and recovering from an injury to his throwing arm.
“It was a hard decision to make,” Koplove, who has attended Penn Charter in East Falls for his entire schooling, said of delighting Duke and disappointing others.
He had initially chosen East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C., but opted for a school that has sent 39 players to the major leagues.
“I woke up one morning and decided it had to be Duke,” he said.
Koplove has become highly familiar with the Tar Heel State, as it is among many to which tournament and showcase competitions have taken him. Other notable stops have included California and Florida.
“Ninety percent of the schools recruited Kenny to play shortstop and to be the closer,” father Steve Koplove said.
The e-mails from potential suitors began pouring in last September. The news did not strike the family as odd, as Kenny has garnered interest from schools since he was an eighth-grader. Rather than wait to see which others might court him, the younger Koplove ended all speculation shortly before the end of last month afforded him his first vacation in two years.
“We’re happy he has decided,” mother Joni Koplove said. “This way, he will not have to have as much pressure next year.”
Next year will continue to offer tests of her son’s surgically repaired missile-launching arm. In August 2009, Kenny broke his elbow in Toms River, N.J.
“It popped while I was throwing,” he said of the injury that cost him his sophomore season. “My first month away was tolerable, but, by the third month, I had to do something.”
“He began to have shoulder problems, so we tried left-handed drills to compensate,” Steve said, revealing that short hops to his son’s glove hand served a big part of sustaining some sharpness.
The 6-foot-1 athlete resumed play last June, and any trace of rust would have been difficult to observe. That month he played in the Perfect Game Junior National Showcase in St. Petersburg, Fla. and in August, he partook in the Junior National Games in San Diego. At the latter, scouts clocked his throws across the infield at 94 mph. During the summer, his fastball checked in at 91 mph.
“I’m able to lift now, so I am trying to condition my arm,” the 146-pounder said.
September brought a trip to Cary, N.C. for the 17-and-under Baseball National Team Identification Series. One of 18 to play for the USA Stars, Koplove holds the experience in high esteem.
“Playing in Cary has been the greatest thing ever,” he said.
Koplove is well-versed in greatness. At 8, he began playing for the Philadelphia Senators under his father.
“The goals of the Senators are to see that kids get into good high schools and colleges and to get drafted,” Steve said.
If the draft eventually plucks Koplove, his father will have sent a pair of sons to the professional ranks. Michael Koplove, who works out with Kenny, was a 1998 selection by the Arizona Diamondbacks. He last appeared in the major leagues in 2007 as a Cleveland Indian. The 34-year-old right-hander was also a member of the ’08 USA Baseball team that came home from Beijing, China with the bronze medal.
“We’re hoping for lightning to strike twice,” Steve said. “In fact, we stick Kenny outside whenever we have rain.”
His Senators’ tenure has exposed Koplove to quality opponents and has influenced his father’s belief that competing against greatness leads to greatness.
“If you have kids travel and compete against progressive resistance, they will grow,” Steve said.
Koplove readily admits that playing against older opponents has matured him. As a 12-year-old, he often had to bat against pitchers with as many as five years on him.
“I almost cried when I faced my first 90-mph pitch,” he recalled. “I’ve become better.”
In ’09, he threw his own share of furious fastballs, earning nine wins for the Quakers, who compete in the six-team Inter-Academic League. His performances helped his team to win the league championship, and he earned a First-Team All-Inter-Ac selection as a pitcher, as well as co-Most Valuable Player distinction. Minus his efforts this past season, the Quakers finished with only one league win.
“We should be pretty good this year,” Koplove said. “In my remaining years, I want to win at least one more championship.”
He also will compete for the Senators, whose Sunoco Field, 3501 Moore St., celebrated its seventh anniversary last April.
“I attribute my success to my dad,” Koplove said of his father’s 14-year guidance of his talents. “We’re always training and he’s constantly sharing insights.”
Duke’s coaches will find a willing recipient for their wisdom, as Koplove is eager to add to the three College World Series appearances the Blue Devils have made. As NCAA rules permit schools only 11.7 baseball scholarships, he and his family know the importance of his committing.
“It’s Duke,” he said of the school, whose basketball tradition is far greater than its baseball’s. “It’s exciting just to be there.”
Once there, he will pursue the education degree necessary for his future stint as a history teacher at Penn Charter. That vocation, the Koploves hope, will have to wait until he is middle-aged.
“It would be great to play in the majors. I would be happy to play for any team,” Koplove said. “I just want to be a contributor.”
Contact Staff Writer Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.
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