Warrior Wire: Aiden Alspauch

A senior management major, Aiden Alspaugh competes for RCU men’s baseball. Here is his story in his own words.

I am originally from Lansing, Michigan, but chose to play baseball and study business administration at Trine University. After one year there, I realized it wasn’t a good fit for me. I entered the transfer portal and was recruited to RCU, and I fell in love with the place on my first visit.

RCU’s baseball program is the best thing that has ever happened to me. My first year here, almost four years ago, we boasted the worst record in school history. That was very difficult for me, coming from winning programs, but it was also a blessing to be a main part in the rebuilding process of what is now a successful program with so much upside.

Watching a program be built from the ground up right in front of me, and being a main pillar in the foundation of the growth, is important and almost sacred to me. The satisfaction that I get from watching hard work finally pay off is one of the best gifts I could ask for.

My mentors have been Head Baseball Coach Scott Kunert and the rest of the coaching staff. Since I am not near my home, Kunert serves not only as a coach but as a father figure for me and so many others on the team.

This community has changed my life, and I have actively watched it change the lives of many people around me. I watched my roommate get baptized at this school. I have made connections with people in the community that will last a lifetime, and I have found so much pleasure in engaging with the community. I have volunteered in Pontiac with Warriors Serve, volunteered with Blake’s Cider Mill, and experienced so many more opportunities, I never would have had at another university.

I have learned so much about myself here. I learned how to be humble and kind, but also how to truly be a man. My whole life has evolved around this school and the program. I came here as a somewhat lost teenager with a 2.6 GPA and will be leaving this spring as an engaged man, with a 3.9 GPA and a three-year team captain.

If I was to give advice to any other student athlete at RCU, I would say to cherish what you have, because these are the best years of your life. I was told these same words at my high school graduation party, but I brushed them off.

I did not think these years could truly go by in the blink of an eye; however, I was wrong. I have made memories here that will stay with me forever. One of my favorite stories from this school was my coach telling our team that he was having a baby. At that point, it didn’t feel like a random team, it felt more like a brotherhood that I was blessed enough to be a part of. My future plans are to continue my baseball aspirations to the next level and follow my dreams.