Kane Kepley: The Lion King
The roar of the crowd at Pelicans Ballpark greets Kane Kepley as he steps to the plate, the familiar strains of The Lion King’s “Circle of Life” blaring through the speakers as fans begin to raise various objects above their head in a reenactment of the famous movie scene. The 21-year-old outfielder, a 2025 second-round pick by the Chicago Cubs, is a sparkplug for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, a team surging toward the 2025 Carolina League playoffs with a tight grip on the first place spot in the Carolina League South Division.
Hailing from Salisbury, North Carolina, Kepley’s journey from a walk-on at Liberty University to a Tar Heel star at UNC is a testament to his grit and speed. His walk-up song, a nod to family tradition and fan fervor, has followed him from college to the pros, where his knack for getting on base—often by getting hit by a pitch—sets the tone for a team chasing history. “I love getting on base and trying to steal second,” Kepley said. “I’ve kept that in my skill set ever since I was little.”
Kepley’s baseball roots trace back to Salisbury’s backyards, where he swung a wiffle ball bat against his dad’s pitches. “All I can remember is playing wiffle ball with my dad… I’d hit it, and I’d run as fast as I could around,” he recalled. That joy fueled a multi-sport childhood, with basketball through junior year and track as a senior at South Rowan High School, where he stole 33 bases in 2022, 11th-most in North Carolina prep history.
A standout on the 2022 NCHSA 3A state championship team, Kepley earned All-State honors, per the Salisbury Post, but wasn’t heavily recruited. “I didn’t really get that feeling [of being able to play at the next level] until… my sophomore year of college,” he admitted, crediting Liberty’s coach Scott Jackson for giving him a shot as a walk-on.
At Liberty, Kepley bet on himself, taking out student loans his freshman year. “I needed it… my family really helped me out,” he said, noting the scholarship he earned after a strong 2023 season eased the burden. The lefty hit .310 with 17 stolen bases as a freshman and .332 with 23 steals as a sophomore and led Conference USA in walks (47) in 2024. His 2023 cycle at Eastern Kentucky, tying a program record with six hits, showcased his potential.
The Circle of Life became his walk-up song at Liberty, chosen for its Disney appeal at the Christian university. “My brother loved Lion King… my whole family did,” he said. “I figured that’d be a pretty cool thing to walk up to”
When Jackson left Liberty for UNC in 2024, Kepley followed, fulfilling a lifelong dream as a Tar Heel fan. “I grew up a Tar Heel fan my whole life… I remember going to games at the Bosh,” he said. At UNC, he started all 61 games in 2025, hitting .291 with a team-high .451 OBP, 45 stolen bases (second in the ACC), and seven triples. His 27 hit-by-pitches, second-most by a Tar Heel this century, became a hallmark, with fans raising beers and plush toys to “Circle of Life” in a nod to Simba’s iconic reveal.
“Everyone started holding up beer cans and children… I’m really glad I kept it,” Kepley said, noting its growing popularity in Myrtle Beach.
Drafted 56th overall by the Cubs with a $1.4 million signing bonus, Kepley’s pro debut on August 6, 2025, was quintessential: hit by a pitch in his first plate appearance, followed by his first hit, a single.
Assigned to the Pelicans after workouts in the Arizona Complex League, Kepley joined a team on a second-half tear, leading the Carolina League South Division. “It’s really cool… I’ve come here to Myrtle Beach for a good bit of time for vacation,” he said, thrilled to play close to home.
The Pelicans’ 2025 success hinges on chemistry, as teammate Matt Halbach noted on Road Trip Ramblings: “As the season goes on, we’ve gotten a lot closer…that chemistry creates a sense that together we can always come back.” Kepley’s speed (45 steals at UNC) and defense (zero errors in 2025) make him a perfect leadoff fit.
Ranked as the No. 12 Cubs prospect by MLB Pipeline, Kepley’s “old-school” style, as UNC coach Scott Forbes called it, shines through (tarheeltimes.com). From Salisbury’s wiffle ball games to the Bosh’s roaring crowds, where beating NC State in regionals remains a highlight, Kepley’s journey embodies the Circle of Life—a cycle of struggle, growth, and triumph. As Pelicans fans raise their drinks to his walk-up song, Kepley, the on-base machine, is just beginning his trek towards Wrigley Field.
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