Caleb Allen with his parents Michael and Jenny Allen signs his letter of intent on Thursday. 

By BRIAN SMITH

Sports Editor 

NEW KNOXVILLE — Caleb Allen remembers what it was like to play on a team that went 1-18 his first season with the Ranger baseball team. So days like Thursday are validation for him and his teammates who have helped turn around the program.

Now Allen will look to add a left-handed arm to a program already on the right track.
The New Knoxville senior pitcher signed his letter of intent to play baseball at Northern Kentucky, a Division II school located in Highland Heights, a handful of miles southeast of Cincinnati.

Northern Kentucky competes in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, a league that the Norse have won four out of the last seven seasons. And Northern Kentucky is in line to win the GLVC again this spring.

Allen got a look from the Norse after sending in a tape of him pitching to the NKU coaching staff. He was invited to then throw for the coaches.

The lefthanded pitcher said he will redshirt his first season at Northern Kentucky. “I need to get my velocity up,” Allen said. “That’s what I’ll be working on, along with being able to locate and use my curveball more. I just need to work hard and learn how to approach hitters and make adjustments against college hitters.”

Allen has been part of a resurgence by the New Knoxville’s baseball program, going from one win three years ago to one of the more competitive teams in the Midwest Athletic Conference with a 5-6 record.

“It’s been pretty fun because I started out in the program and we went 1-18 my freshman year,” Allen said. “The program didn’t have any senior leadership. Now we have five guys who are leaders on the field and while we’ve let some games get away from us this year, we’ve felt good about this season.”

Allen said the Rangers’ goal this season is to get out of the sectional. “We feel like we can do some damage
in the sectional,” Allen said.

While at New Knoxville, Allen has been one of the more decorated athlets in the Midwest Athetic Conference.
A member of both the golf and basketball teams in addition to the baseball team, Allen earned first-team All-MAC honors in both sports during his senior year.

Allen is the son of Michael and Jenny Allen. He plans on majoring in a communications-related field.
Allen said the proximity to home was a big key to the choice. “Being close to home and sticking close to the state of Ohio was big in my decision,” Allen said.