Stepbrothers Working Together to Develop Area's Baseball Talent

Quince Orchard High School's baseball program has a sibling rivalry, of sorts, that actually benefits its players and other young players in the area.

Growing up, Jason Gasaway and Brian McKenna had the typical sibling relationship when it came to sports.

Whether it was baseball, basketball or even football, the stepbrothers competed in everything they did, always focused on out-performing the other.

Yet, as they got older, the competitive rivalry ensued, but the stepbrothers’ main focus shifted from doing anything in their power to defeat the other to doing anything they could to bring out the best in the others’ respective game, especially baseball.

Throughout high school and college, Gasaway and McKenna, who is three years younger than his stepbrother, would get out whenever they could to throw the baseball around as well as hit and field ground balls.

The work paid off. Gasaway, now 32, excelled as a shortstop at Gaithersburg High School from 1993-97 before playing collegiately at Montgomery College in Germantown and West Chester University in Pennsylvania.

McKenna, meanwhile, who turned 29 in March, was a first-team All-Met performer as a shortstop at Watkins Mill High School, then earned freshman-All American and first-team All-CAA accolades as a four-year starter at Towson University and eventually played three seasons of professional baseball for the Evansville Otters of the Frontier League.

“We both just love the game,” Gasaway said.

And now, the stepbrothers are using that love, as well as their experience, to help others.

Gasaway has been coaching at Quince Orchard High School since 2003, including as the head coach since 2005, and has helped guide the Cougars to seven regional championships, and one state championship, during that span. He was voted the Washington Post’s 2011 All Met Coach of the Year after leading Quince Orchard to an 18-6 record and the Class 3A regional title. He has a 121-31 record in his seven seasons as head coach.

McKenna, meanwhile, who has actually served as an assistant on Gasaway’s staff at Quince Orchard since 2006, co-founded Elite Baseball of Columbia in 2008, which provides instruction and advisement to baseball players of all ages, assisting with basic skills, such as pitching and hitting, physical conditioning, vision training and even providing college and professional advisement.

Elite Baseball also runs camps and clinics throughout the year, and even has teams participate in tournaments, in hopes of showcasing players to college coaches. One such camp, held last week at Quince Orchard, attracted, according to Gasaway, more than 40 college coaches.

Gasaway served as a coach at the camp, and helps out at Elite Baseball whenever his schedule permits.

“Both of us just share a goal of getting guys in front of colleges and, ultimately, getting them placed at a college where they can play,” Gasaway said.

And whether it’s at Quince Orchard or through Elite Baseball, Gasaway and McKenna not only enjoy being able to do that, but also being able to do it together.

“It works out well,” Gasaway said. “We complement each other very well, and having him around has been invaluable for me. But, for both of us, the best part of it all is just seeing these kids go on to college and be successful.”