From Gymnastics to Team Israel: Chase Engelhard’s Journey to the U23 European Championship
A 23-year-old athlete from Sandy Springs, Georgia, is forging a unique path to international baseball glory. Chase Engelhard landed in Prague, Czech Republic, on August 1st, representing Israel in the U23 European Baseball Championship – a culmination of years of athletic dedication and a recent embrace of his Jewish heritage.
Engelhard’s participation marks several firsts: his inaugural visit to the Czech Republic, his first Shabbat experience with the Israeli national team, and his stay in a historic Jewish hotel complete with a mikvah (ritual bath). All of this comes as a newly minted citizen of Israel, a status he achieved in February.
The road to Prague has been anything but conventional. From childhood gymnastics to varsity football at Riverwood High School, Engelhard demonstrated the drive, patience, and adaptability inherent in a professional athlete. “I played every sport growing up,” Engelhard recalled. “I was even put in gymnastics as a kid, which is obviously not common for a lot of boys, but my dad saw an athletic future in me.”
That father, Hadley Engelhard, is a sports agent for the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), and recognized his son’s natural talent early on. At age 12, Engelhard reached the final trials for the 12U USA Baseball team, a pivotal moment that ignited his passion for the sport. “That’s when the spark really hit,” he said. “I always loved baseball, but that’s when I really realized how much potential I had.”
Engelhard quickly distinguished himself among his peers. “I was probably beating them up on every sport by the time I was about seven years old,” he laughed, recalling his competitive spirit. At Riverwood High School, he started on both the varsity football and baseball teams as a freshman, but ultimately chose to focus solely on baseball the following year. He even had early conversations with college baseball coaches during his freshman year, considering programs like Georgia Tech – the alma mater of baseball stars Mark Teixeira, Nomar Garciaparra, and Jason Veritek.
His collegiate career began at Tulane University in New Orleans in the fall of 2020. After a strong fall practice, Engelhard secured a starting position as second baseman in just the second game of the spring season and quickly became an All-American. “I got an opportunity to start, and I made the most of it. I had two doubles and a homer, and they never took me out of the lineup for the rest of the season,” he recalled. In the fall of 2023, Engelhard transferred to Florida International University to be closer to his grandfather, Jerry Engelhard, a prominent figure in South Florida youth sports who was unable to travel to watch him play.
Engelhard’s 23rd birthday in February was marked by a significant milestone: a flight to Israel, where he joined three other Jewish American professional baseball players and officially became a dual citizen. This was his third trip to the country, but the first as an Israeli national. The process of obtaining citizenship was extensive, requiring “months and months and months” of documentation – including grandparents’ birth certificates, a detailed family tree, and proof of Jewish heritage through bar mitzvahs. However, Engelhard felt compelled to pursue the opportunity. “Considering the circumstances of Israel and the Jewish community and what’s going on today, it was a no brainer to make Aliyah and take the opportunity to represent Israel,” he said. “I couldn’t be more proud to be Jewish.”
He described an immediate sense of belonging upon arriving in Israel. “When I was in Israel, I felt at home immediately when I got there. There’s a sense of pride and togetherness and camaraderie that the Israeli and Jewish community has going on,” he said.
Currently under contract with the Boise Hawks, an independent baseball team in the Pioneer League, Engelhard plans to return to the US to finish the season after the European championship. “I’m trying to make it all the way to the top,” he stated, with aspirations of joining the senior national team and ultimately qualifying for the Olympics. The U23 tournament features eight teams: Israel, Great Britain, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Austria, Germany, Italy, and France.
Engelhard’s journey echoes that of Joc Pederson, the 2021 World Series champion and All-Star known for his pearl necklaces, who also represented the Israel national baseball team in 2013 and 2023. Known as “Fiver” since childhood, Engelhard is eager to build camaraderie with his new teammates on the field. “I love baseball and I love Israel,” he said, encapsulating his dedication to both his sport and his newfound national identity.
