Spotlight On Holy Family Pitcher Kasey Ralston

VICTORIA, Minn. (WCCO) - Kasey Ralston is named after former Twin Casey Blake. His father grew up near the Blake family.

Suitably, he has taken to the game of baseball in a big way, and is now an all-stater. And just when the prospect of heading to Indiana on a scholarship isn't sweet enough, Casey has had quite an incredible week.

Ralston is playing in the high school all-star baseball series over the weekend, but the real highlight came earlier this week. He threw a two hit shut-out to win the state championship game for Holy Family at Target Field.

"It's indescribable to go through a whole career at Holy Family, from freshman all the way to senior year…and being able to end it with a state tournament is probably the most, ah, obviously the biggest thing you can do," said Kasey.

His biggest fans were there for the day, just like they had been his entire life. They're his parents.

His father, Mike, says that since he was a little boy, he was destined to be a player.

"He always loved the game. In fourth grade, he wrote this poem about playing pro baseball, that we still have. So he always loved the game, he always loved his teammates. He didn't care where he played," said Mike.

On the day of the shut-out, a lifetime of work seemed to have paid off. His mother, Chris, was delighted.

"It was exciting for me. It felt like he finally had gotten to the place where he knew he wanted to go," she said.

But there was another sense of satisfaction for his mom. A few years back, she was diagnosed with
breast cancer.

"He is such a wonderful son. He has just been just amazing. And it's not that he's just gifted when it comes to baseball. He's got a huge heart," said Chris.

As he processed the news, he kept playing baseball. This is the way mom would want it.

"It's pretty tough to deal with. But we talked, and she wanted me to keep playing over the winter season with the Minnesota Baseball Academy. And I wanted to keep her happy, so I keep playing," said Kasey.

He did take time to walk a three-day, 60 mile journey for breast cancer for mom.

"It's hard to describe, you know. You think about your kids, and you know they appreciate you. They don't always say it, because they're kids. But to actually give up going to get my driver's license to be with my mom, and to walk 60 miles in three days, it was like incredible," she said.

"It was actually probably the toughest physical thing I've ever done, you know; cramping up after the second day, having to still walk another 20 miles the next day. But it felt really good for me to actually be able to do something for her that meant something to her," said Kasey.

Kasey and his family have learned much these past few years about baseball, and about life.

And this week he was able to give his mom a gift for encouraging him to keep playing. This one was, to an extent, was for mom.

"I probably couldn't have given her something better than that joy that came with the victory there," said Kasey.