This summer, he is trying to make sure he is ready when the wait ends.
When Kilgus stepped onto the field Tuesday night at Delaware Valley University, it was not just another summer league game. Every at-bat, every inning at first base and every opportunity in the Philly Select Collegiate Baseball League is part of something larger for the rising college sophomore.
Kilgus, a left-handed-hitting first baseman from Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, is working to earn a larger role at West Chester University next spring after spending his freshman season watching and learning inside one of the nation’s best Division II programs.
The Golden Rams went 48-12 overall, finished 21-7 in conference play, captured the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference tournament title and advanced all the way to the NCAA Division II National Championship before falling to perennial powerhouse Tampa. That West Chester roster featured eight All-PSAC selections, including six position players, making it difficult for even talented young players like Kilgus to crack the lineup.
Kilgus did not appear in a game in 2026. But rather than view the year as a setback, he treated it as an education.
He watched one of the best seasons in program history unfold from inside the dugout. He studied older players. He learned how a championship-caliber college program operates. And he paid especially close attention to two veteran first basemen who were ahead of him on the depth chart.
West Chester’s roster included senior first basemen Austin Stalker, a first-team All-PSAC selection, and Sean Slowinski. Kilgus credits both with helping shape his approach to the game.
“They were great role models,” Kilgus said. “They taught me well.”
More than anything physical, Kilgus said, they helped reinforce the mindset needed to survive in a competitive college program.
“Nothing is guaranteed,” Kilgus said. “You just gotta prove that you belong there, try to get on the field and run with the opportunity if I get it.”
Now, that is exactly what he is trying to do.
Playing for Rake Baseball Collegiate in the PSCBL this summer has given Kilgus the game reps he did not receive during the spring at West Chester. It has also given him the chance to take what he learned from watching and apply it in real time.
Batting third and playing first base Tuesday night against the Philly Mummers, Kilgus delivered an RBI single in a five-run inning as Rake battled back from an early deficit to earn a 9-9 tie.
But while he is pleased with his production on the field, Kilgus believes the biggest improvements this summer have been mental, not physical.
“I’m maturing as a player right now,” he said. “Understanding the game a lot better, understanding how to play the game properly, not worrying about too much. If I strike out or hit a ground ball and roll into a double play, I’m focused on my next at-bat instead of focusing on that at-bat and carrying that into the next one. Just kind of clearing my mind and focusing on the mental stage of the game more.”
That mental growth has been matched by a commitment to improving his body.
“I’m trying to get in better shape right now,” Kilgus said. “Especially as a first baseman, having that lateral movement, being able to be a better baserunner, being able to stay in the game longer.
“I changed my diet in a big way. I’m cutting right now, trying to lose a little bit of weight. I’m focused more on my protein intake with lesser calories.”
For Kilgus, the work is not about reinventing himself. It is about becoming a more complete version of the player he already believes he can be.
He knows his bat is a major part of his value. He knows the swing that helped get him to West Chester still matters. And he has no interest in overhauling it just because the competition has gotten better.
“My swing is my swing,” he said.
Instead of trying to copy another hitter’s mechanics, Kilgus studies players whose approach matches the one he wants to develop. Phillies sluggers Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber stand out to him not because he wants to imitate their swings, but because of the way they handle big situations.
“They’re big hitters who, in big situations, do their job,” Kilgus said.
That is the kind of player Kilgus wants to become.
Not someone who changes who he is. Not someone who presses to prove everything in one swing. But someone his team can trust when the opportunity finally arrives.
The veterans who helped carry West Chester to within one win of a national championship also helped prepare the next group of players waiting behind them. Now, with many of those experienced pieces gone, Kilgus is trying to position himself for a larger role.
Every summer at-bat matters. Every ground ball at first base matters. Every inning is another chance to sharpen the parts of his game that did not get tested during the spring.
Kilgus spent his freshman year learning that opportunity at the college level is earned, not promised.
Now, with more experience, a stronger body and a more mature approach, he is using the summer to prove he will be ready when his number is called.
Because if his first year at West Chester taught him anything, it is the lesson he will carry into his sophomore season.
Nothing is guaranteed.
Every game this summer is another chance to prove he belongs in purple and gold.
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