At the time of his selection, the 6-foot-2, 175-pound junior left-handed pitcher and outfielder had led the Cardinals (24-6) to a berth in the regional postseason tournament. McLean compiled a record of 9-0 on the mound with a 0.12 ERA and 119 strikeouts in 57 innings pitched, holding opposing hitters to a .082 batting average through 30 games. The state’s No. 3 ranked player in the Class of 2026 by Perfect Game, he also batted .354 with six home runs, 30 runs scored, 22 RBI and a 1.044 OPS.
McLean has maintained a 3.52 GPA in the classroom. He has verbally committed to play baseball on scholarship at the University of Tennessee beginning in the fall of 2026.
An active member of the Future Farmers of America, McLean has raised two acres of sweet corn in the summer as part of his Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE) project. He has also volunteered locally on behalf of Hometown Connect, delivering meals to those in need, and as a youth baseball coach.