Up next to the plate for Utica is Mike Rockwell, who has a calm demeanor and a clear mind. As the pitch comes, his swing of the bat makes hard contact, and the ball is gone for yet another home run.

The senior outfielder and hitter always had special ability in him, as he has played baseball since 4 years old and put in several years of hard work and dedication to get to where he is today.

“My family played a big role in introducing me to the sport as my father, grandfather, and brother all played baseball,” Rockwell said.

Beyond being influenced by his family, Rockwell was always motivated when it came to competition and being able to play baseball at the collegiate level, which is difficult to do coming out of high school.

“I chose Utica because of their strong Construction Management program, and it also gave me the opportunity to play competitive baseball,” he said. 

Rockwell transferred to Utica as a junior and spent his freshman and sophomore years at Le Moyne College. During his time at Le Moyne, he was under the wing of some great leaders who were role models for what a college baseball athlete should look like and how they should do things. 

“I’ve been able to see many different leadership styles, which has helped me to create my own approaches to leadership,” he said. “I constantly try to communicate to the team in a way that is effective to ensure the team stays aligned and motivated.”

Rockwell is grateful to have several people in his life that made a meaningful impact on him, whether it was his father, grandfather, brother, friends or teammates throughout the years.

As a senior, he is having a breakout year for the Pioneers, recording 21 RBI’s, a .443 batting average and five home runs through the first 18 games of the season. Another part of his success has come through his mindset and the approach he takes towards his training.

“I have put a heavy emphasis on trusting my preparation and practice, which makes it easier to focus on my mindset and mental approach when going up to the plate,” Rockwell said. “[I’ve taken] more of a ‘less is more’ approach for me this season. I’m not trying to do too much in the box, just staying simple, seeing the ball, and trusting my swing. That’s really helped everything come together, and the power has kind of just followed naturally as a result.”

Rockwell’s high level of play has led Utica to an impressive 13-7 thus far, and has them in prime position to be contenders in the Empire 8 this season. The talent on this Pioneer team is not the sole reason for the team’s success, as it is the mindset and brotherhood ingrained in the players.

“I’d say one of the biggest reasons is how consistent we’ve been,” he said. “We show up every game with the same mindset and approach, regardless of the outcome the day before. That’s helped us stay levelheaded and keep competing at a high level.”

Rockwell doesn’t have many personal goals in terms of statistics to finish out his collegiate career, as he is more invested in team success and achieving great things together as a unit.

“I just want to keep getting better as a team and build off what we’ve been working on all season,” he said. “If we keep doing that, everything else will take care of itself and we’ll put ourselves in a good spot to win games.”

Now, Rockwell hopes to continue to approach his final stretch of college baseball with the same mentality and motivation that has carried him to this point: Hard work, dedication, leadership and family. Whether it’s a home run, RBI, or sacrifice play, Rockwell is willing to do whatever it takes to take Utica over the top this season and finish his career out with a bang.