In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s the Oakland Athletics featured a feared power hitting duo Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco. This duo struck fear in American League pitchers, hitting back to back in the lineup. The two helped Oakland to a 1989 World Series title. They used to celebrate round trippers by bashing each other’s forearms, and an iconic baseball nickname was born.
Meet the Flash Brothers. Kent State’s powerful duo of Senior Hayden Jatczak and Senior Jake Casey. As Kent State prepares to open the 2025 MAC Tournament Friday vs. Ball State, they will no doubt be looking to these two being a major presence in the lineup.
Jatczak, in his first and only year with the Flashes transferring from Division two Saginaw Valley State, will go down as one the top transfers in program history. Playing third base, Jatczak is hitting .384 with 14 home runs, 78 RBI, a nation leading 28 doubles and numerous other offensive accolades. Hitting in the number two spot, Jatczak hits right in front of his Flash brother. Senior right fielder Jake Casey.
Casey, back from Tommy John surgery last season, gained some perspective, got healthy and is also producing at a prolific clip in 2025. Casey’s batting .355 with 17 home runs and 55 RBI. Casey along with Jatczak was named First Team All-MAC.
Kent State Head Coach Jeff Duncan talked to Dane Richardson this week about his dynamic duo.
“It’s the best combo I’ve seen in this league since I’ve been here honestly,” Duncan said. “They protect each other. Hayden obviously was the Player of the Year. It’s really cool to see Jake Casey kind of reemerge after a tough year last year with surgery and everything he went through, but I think that may have been the best thing that ever happened to him too. Super mature, he always had a big swing and he swings and misses a lot less now. He’s super dangerous, he’s super confident. He makes adjustments very quick. I think his numbers with runners in scoring position are almost as equal to Hayden. Hayden’s are ridiculous, .555 with runners in scoring position and a 1.600 OPS and Casey is right behind him. Chase (Cotner) and I looked it up earlier this week because we were going over MAC Player of the Year, and you could flip a coin in some regards, if Hayden doesn’t win it, Casey probably does win it.”
“It’s the first year that I’ve ever seen where two players from the same team were nominated…like we nominated literally both of them we didn’t know which one…it was tough to figure out who was going to win it.”
Far from a two man show that the KSU lineup features , Duncan remembers calling Casey this off-season to tell him he would be well protected in the lineup.
“I remember calling Jake in the summer like ‘hey we’re gonna have people around you’ , get your mind right, you had a tough year with the injury, the whole deal, but be ready to go next year because we are going to have a lineup of guys around you that are going to protect you and that’s exactly what happened,” Duncan said.
Jatczak, who was Saginaw Valley State’s top pitcher as well a year ago, knows how important it is to be protected in the lineup, and knows someone will get it done.
“It’s definitely nice,” Jatczak told Dane Richardson of the Kent State Radio Network. “If I don’t get it done, it feels like anybody else in our lineup will get it done. I know there was a couple times this season where I was pretty mad at myself that I didn’t come through and our assistant coach Zeke Pinkham just reminded me ‘it’s a good thing your brother’s got your back’ because every time I seemed like I didn’t get it done Jake would it done, or Brody, or Sawyer, or somebody else was coming through.”
“Yeah it is nice having Casey behind me because they got to throw to me and I know if they don’t throw to me then he can hit one out of the park.”
Casey loves watching Hayden hit, and knows he’s got people protecting him too.
“It’s pretty fun watching him hit from the on deck circle and its even more fun when hes on base knowing these guys gotta pitch to me too,” Casey said.
The Flash Brothers. Hoping to bring Kent State back to an NCAA Regional for the first time since 2018 this week in Avon.
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