DAMIAN MORRIS multimedia editor

Alum Jake Bockenstedt is seeking a professional baseball career following a highly successful final college season, earning both Ohio Valley Conference and national honors.

Bockenstedt, a pitcher from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, said that since graduating he has been preparing for the Major League Baseball drafts that will take place July 9-11.

“For me, it’s [about] being regimented,” Bockenstedt said. “Just because we don’t have a season right now doesn’t mean we necessarily take off. I’m still working out five or six times a week and making sure I’m doing everything I can to have myself ready by the time the draft comes around.”

He said as part of this regimen, he’s also been having workout sessions with major league teams, where he showcases his abilities in front of national cross checkers and other scouts.

“It can be a little nerve-wracking … so you’re obviously wanting your best performance, but at the same time, you got to realize it’s still the same game that you’ve been playing since you were a kid,” Bockenstedt said. “That’s been my approach to it — just go out, have fun with it, don’t get your nerves too worked up.”

He said if he doesn’t make the drafts this year, his backup plan is to play in the second half of the draft league — an independent league in the northeast.

During his final season playing at SIUE, Bockenstedt earned Ohio Valley Conference Baseball Pitcher of the Week four times. This award is selected by the sports information directors in the league, who determine the most outstanding performance of the week. Three of these were awarded back-toback in the early season and the fourth at the end, which Bockenstedt said was an awesome way to finish out his college baseball career.

“I’ve grown so much as a player in the last three years,” Bockenstedt said. “I’m glad not only my coaches see it, but people around the OVC see it.”

Bockenstedt was also the second ever SIUE player to earn a spot as one of the Collegiate Baseball’s National Players of the Week.

However, he said while he’s happy to be recognized, he attributes these awards as much to his team as himself.

“It shows the hard work that I’ve put in and how it’s paying out, and it’s also a tribute to the teammates around me and how it’s not just a one man thing,” Bockenstedt said. “It truly takes a village. We’re all working together every day for everybody to get that much better, and that doesn’t happen without a defense.”

According to Head Coach Sean Lyons, said the team attributed just as much of their success to him as well.

“Jake was our workhorse,” Lyons said. “He was the guy that we knew every week was going to take the baseball one time a weekend. The guys had a ton of confidence playing behind him and had a belief he was going to have a strong start every time he went out.”

Lyons said Bockenstedt was a leader by example during practices as well.

“He was a leader amongst the pitching staff,” Lyons said. “Jake’s a very internal type of guy, but he showed up early and was very diligent in the work and process to making sure that he left no stone unturned to help himself get the max out of what he was able to do.”

Bockenstedt said the productiveness of their practices came from having specific goals set for each individual at every practice.

“There’s a goal every day in which we want to get better at some sort of aspect of the game,” Bockenstedt said. “Everybody on the team had to hone in and really focus on getting better at one thing every single day. It’s not just showing up to the park and going through the motions. Everybody has a motive for the day, and everybody’s trying to get better to achieve a goal at the end of the year.”

Lyons said he was glad to see Bockenstedt have such an ac- complished college career and is looking forward to seeing more come from him in his future career as well.

“It was a great way to have a senior year, winning that award four times, and he’s definitely going to be missed,” Lyons said. “We wish him the best of luck in his pursuit of playing beyond college.”