From ‘holding his own’ to top-ranked player in Indiana: Rob Czarniecki’s baseball rise

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — We often hear stories about young athletes who were “born to play the game,” but what if I told you that the No. 1-ranked baseball player in the state for the class of 2026 wasn’t always the best player on the field?

Meet Chesterton’s Rob Czarniecki.

“I could hold my own, but I wasn’t anything crazy,” Czarniecki said

Czarniecki, a University of Kentucky commit, added that the kids he played with growing up would’ve never guessed that he would turn into the player he is today.

“Definitely not,” Czarniecki said. “They definitely would not have expected this to happen.”

“Everything changed when in middle school, he became more athletic, and went from playing catcher to the outfield, a position that he’s made for,” said Shooter Hunt, vice president of scouting at Prep Baseball Report.

“A true center fielder can really track it down,” Hunt wrote.” “This is a small window. You have four days to perform. The results may not show in that game play in this small window, which is why when kids come and have a workout day, it’s a chance to shine there and really get on people’s radar. Czarniecki did it all. Whether it was the workout, the ability to run, he’s athletic, he’s physical in the bat, and then he gets up there and performs in the game. He’s a guy that the more you watch him, the more you like.”

Czarniecki chose Kentucky over a number of other schools, including Notre Dame, but in the end, Lexington was where he wanted to be.

“Once I went down there, the impression they made on me was everything,” Czarniecki said. “I loved it there. The coaches are great.”

Czarniecki is one of several Indiana players in the 2026 to commit to Kentucky.

“You can’t go wrong with us,” Czarniecki said.