WPIAL Alum Q&A – Brendan McKay

By: HSSN Staff
Monday, May 30, 2016 | 11:30 PM

During the 2014 WPIAL baseball season, watching Brendan McKay was a must-see event. McKay, of Blackhawk High School, produced one of the best pitching streaks in high-school baseball history for the Cougars. Now at Louisville, the lefty hurler has continued his excellence on the mound, as well as at the plate, for the Cardinals. McKay is the focus of the final WPIAL Alum Q&A of the 2015-16 sports season.

While McKay’s senior campaign was historic, he made key contributions much earlier for the Cougars. McKay was a four-year letterwinner at Blackhawk, and he rose to prominence as a sophomore, when he compiled a sterling record of 9-1 with a microscopic ERA of .69, while also batting .400. In the process, he compiled a scoreless innings streak of 35, and struck out 98 batters. His success was instrumental in Blackhawk capturing the 2012 WPIAL Class AAA Championship, a 1-0 victory against Belle Vernon. The Cougars also advanced to the PIAA Semifinals, as they went 22-3 on the campaign.

As a junior, he was even better, as he went 7-0 with an unbelievable ERA of .13. McKay yielded just one earned run all season, striking out 101 batters. He again showed his prowess with the bat, as he hit .440. The Cougars also won a first-round playoff game that season, before falling in the quarterfinals.

His senior year in 2014 garnered national headlines, as he compiled a scoreless innings streak of 72.1 innings (dating back to his junior year), tying the second-longest mark in high-school history. He was 8-1 with a .56 ERA, with his only runs allowed and sole loss coming in the WPIAL Class AAA Championship against West Allegheny. For the fourth-straight season, McKay batted better than .400, as he clubbed .429, and the Cougars finished 15-4.

For his outstanding high-school career, McKay was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in Pennsylvania in both his junior and senior campaigns, and compiled a career pitching mark of 30-2.

McKay made his intentions to play college baseball known, and thus, he was only selected in the 34th round of the MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres. As a result, he opted to play at the University of Louisville, both as a pitcher and a position player.

As a freshman, McKay immediately emerged as one of the top players in the nation, boasting a 9-3 pitching record with a 1.77 ERA and 117 strikeouts in just less than 100 innings. As a first baseman, the 6-foot-2 McKay posted a .308 batting average, with four home runs and 34 runs batted in. For his accomplishments, he earned more than a dozen awards, including the 2015 Collegiate Freshman of the Year, multiple First-Team All-American honors, and the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year.

In addition to his individual accolades, McKay helped the Cardinals go 47-18, ultimately falling to Cal State Fullerton in the NCAA Super Regional.

McKay’s sophomore season has been just as impressive to date, as he’s compiled a mark of 11-3 with a 2.25 ERA in 15 starts. At the plate, he’s hitting .330 with 37 RBIs in 59 games, playing primarily as the Cardinals’ designated hitter.

Louisville again has been spectacular this season, as the Cardinals have gone 47-12 and on Monday were awarded the No. 2 seed in the 2016 NCAA Championship. They will host Western Michigan on Friday, June 3.

Despite his hectic schedule, Brendan made time to address a number of questions, including his future position in the professional ranks, why he choose to attend Louisville after being drafted, and his eye-opening hidden talent.

Q: You have been incredibly successful on the mound thus far at Louisville. What pitches do you feature, and do you have an “out pitch”?

A: I feature a fastball, curveball and a change-up. I like to mix it up on what my out pitches are.

Q: How were you able to adjust so quickly to facing college hitters, especially with several loaded lineups in the ACC?

A: I was able to adjust to the lineups in the ACC from my travel ball experience, playing against top competitions and prospects over the years.

Q: Last season, you pitched as both a starter and reliever, and also played in the field a lot. How did you manage to keep your arm and body fresh with that rigorous schedule?

A: I give a lot of credit to the coaches, who help me with knowing my limits and also guiding me in how to take care of my body and arm. I also made sure that I did a lot of treatment with our athletic trainer and was careful that I didn’t do too much to wear myself out.

Q: Was the plan to play both ways when you first signed with Louisville? Which position do you believe will be your future at the professional level?

A: Yes, Coach Mac (head coach Dan McDonnell) gave me the opportunity to do both when I signed with Louisville, but I didn’t know to what extent that would be. At the professional level, I see myself being a pitcher.

Q: You were a very good hitter as a freshman, but your numbers are even better this year. How have you made strides at the plate?

A: I just made small adjustments and knew that this year, teams would have a scouting report on me. I knew that I would need to be more locked in and disciplined at the plate this year.

Q: What led to you choosing Louisville, and what factored into the decision to attend college as opposed to going straight to the pros when you were drafted?

A: Honestly, it was my best option from a school and baseball situation. They had a great track record and have a great coaching staff, so I chose to attend Louisville to better my abilities.

Q: In high school, you had an incredible scoreless innings streak. How much pressure did that add to your mind every time you were on the mound? 

A: I didn’t put too much pressure on it because you can’t be worried about giving up a run. Instead, you should just be worried about helping your team in any way possible.

Q: What was your fondest memory at Blackhawk?

A: My fondest memories at Blackhawk were winning a district championship, making a run at a state championship and making memories with all of my teammates.

Q: Who was the toughest opponent, either pitcher or hitter, that you faced in the WPIAL?

A: The toughest opponent I faced in the WPIAL was Matt Rubino of Hopewell.

Q: What is your major and ideal future profession, aside from playing baseball?

A: My major in school is sports administration, and my ideal future profession would be being a coach for a baseball team in the NCAA.

Q: What is your favorite part of the culture in Louisville that is different from Western Pennsylvania?

A: I love the culture of the Cardinals fans here. They support all of the athletic programs very well and you are treated like stars here.

Q: Who is your favorite pro athlete?

A: My favorite pro athlete is Clayton Kershaw.

Q: Do you have any music that pumps you up or gets you ready to play?

A: My favorite type of music is hip hop or rap.

Q: What is your favorite food?

A: My favorite food is steak and seafood.

Q: What is a hidden talent that you possess or a little-known hobby you enjoy?

A: A hidden talent I possess is that I can turn my eyelids inside out.

Tags: Blackhawk