Nick Roney ‘26 has worked for this moment for years. After long practices, schoolwork, and countless tournaments, he has reached the point where he can officially say he’s committed to play college baseball at Case Western.

“It felt pretty good to be committed to play baseball in college,” Roney said. “I was just really grateful for everybody that helped me, all my coaches and my parents.”

Behind that moment, however, his parents, Matt and Staci Roney, have seen the effort it took to reach that goal. They remember the grind of recruiting, the long hours, and the daily dedication he put in.

“I’m really happy about it,” Matt Roney said. “He set this goal a couple of years ago that he wanted to play college baseball, and he put in a lot of work. The process was pretty grueling to get recruited, and to have it come to an end, we were just really happy to see it come to fruition for him.”

That work ethic started early. Roney’s love for baseball began when he was young. He tried other sports, but baseball was the one he always returned to.

“T-ball was when his passion for baseball started, and I was the T-ball coach,” Matt Roney said. “I remember the night after the very first practice, he told me he loved it. We exposed him to a lot of different sports, but baseball was always the one he gravitated toward.”

That early passion has carried over into his high school career. Roney’s dedication shows every time he steps on the field. His coach, Jon Evans, noticed early on how seriously Roney approaches the game and how consistent he is with his effort.

“He has a very high standard for how he plays and how he goes about his work, and he’s very consistent with that,” Evans said. “He works his tail off, but he also likes to have a reason for everything he does.”

Off the field, those same qualities stand out. Staci Roney talks about the kind of person he is, too. He handles life and baseball with focus and commitment.

“As a person, I’m most proud that he’s loving, kind, understanding, open-minded, hardworking, and fun-loving,” Staci Roney said. “And as a player, I mean his dedication and his commitment to it. He was the one who said ‘This is what I want to do,’ and I want to go after and play college ball. He put the work in, and the dedication and the commitment to that is a lot, on top of grades and school and life in general.”

That mindset has also translated into success on the field. Even now, Roney is setting an example for other players and making an impact on his team.

“Nick’s had a huge impact. As a junior last year, he was all-conference for us in the Catholic League. This year, he earned preseason all-state honors with PBR.” Evans said. “But again, day to day practice, he’s always working with us, with his teammates, and he’s a good role model for our younger players to look up to.”

As he looks ahead to the next level, his parents remain focused on his continued growth. His parents hope he keeps focusing on his personal growth while also enjoying the game.

“His personal best is always something we have talked to him about, always do your personal best. Always be better than you were last week,” Staci Roney said. “So, I hope that he continues to love baseball and thrive and be the best he can.”

For Roney, that growth comes from trusting the process. Roney has learned to trust the process and keep going even when it feels slow.

“Progress isn’t linear, so sometimes you’ll spend a lot of time feeling like you make no progress. But failure is valuable progress.” Roney said. “And if you’re able to stay consistent for a long period of time, it’s going to be fine, regardless.”