As a junior in the inaugural IUPUC baseball program, Ben Fricke is one of the oldest and most experienced players on the team. As a Dean’s List honoree each semester and the 2023 Overall Distinguished Student in Business, he’s also a top performer academically.

“Ben’s a leader on and off the field,” said Assistant Coach Mac Kido. “As a catcher, you have to be a leader, and he’s stepped up. He has a great reputation among the team and the players.”

Fricke says it’s been a smooth transition to IUPUC after playing at Quincy University (2019-2020) and Spoon River College (2020-2022).

He liked the idea of coming to IUPUC to earn his business management degree from IU. He also enjoys being part of a brand-new baseball program.

In fact, Fricke made history, getting the team’s first hit in their first game.

“Being part of a new organization means you get to start fresh, you don’t know anybody and nobody knows you, so you get to make your own culture,” he said.

His advice to his teammates—which goes for sports or academics—is to just buckle down and do what you have to do. “It gets harder the longer you wait!”

He embodied this advice by hitting the books when the weather postponed a game earlier this season and the moment was captured on social media.

Even when school’s out for the summer, Fricke will be making the most of his time. He plans to return to his hometown of Mount Pulaski, Ill., for a possible internship at the Bank of Springfield, while also coaching his younger brother’s baseball team.

It seems Fricke has found the perfect balance of his two main passions: business and baseball.