The back of a bus, hotel rooms with spotty Wi-Fi and the bleachers of a baseball field are all places where Cole Benzmiller, senior international business and entrepreneurship major, has turned in his assignments.
In the scorching hot sun of Texas, Benzmiller’s love for baseball was born. Hailing from the Dallas-Fortworth area, his passion for the sport began as a child. He spent many years out on the diamond improving not only his game but also growing as an individual. Benzmiller believes that there is a direct correlation between the person he is today and the game he has played his whole life.
“Baseball is really a game of failure. It’s learning how to take what’s thrown at you and learn from it, move on and become a better person from that,” Benzmiller said.
Benzmiller had dreams of playing college-level baseball throughout his childhood, although it panned out differently than he originally expected. Wanting to get away from his hometown and experience living in a new state, he chose to attend Washburn University. He had heard about the School of Business and thought it would be a great fit. It is a decision that he has been very happy with.
During his sophomore year, he wasn’t playing any sports and had found a new home in the Washburn cheerleading department. He spent his entire sophomore year and part of his junior year as a co-ed base for the cheerleading team. One of his duties was to run with the Washburn flag after a touchdown.
“Cole was selfless. He was always kind. He was a hard worker and he was very dedicated to learning as much as he could. He was always willing to just help,” said Tia Benyshek, the campus spirit coordinator and head cheerleading coach. “He did a lot of our heavy lifting for us, literally and figuratively.”
During his sophomore year, he wound up receiving an offer to play as a bullpen catcher for the Ichabods, an opportunity he jumped at. Knowing the difficulty of balancing both activities on top of his school work, he made the decision to commit himself solely to baseball. He officially left the cheer team in October of 2023
“Mentally at the time, I don’t think I could have kept going on with it,” Benzmiller said.
Although watching Benzmiller walk away from the cheer team was difficult, it was still a positive for Benyshek.
“[We were] absolutely devastated. It was the hardest thing ever but we also understood that his passion was to work with baseball. It was devastating to see him go, but it was also encouraging to watch him be able to move forward and chase his dreams,” Benyshek said.
With his love for baseball reignited, Benzmiller’s passion for the Ichabods bleeds into his work.
“I love seeing this team do well. I love seeing all our hard work go in and be successful,” Benzmiller said.
Besides performing as a bullpen catcher for the team, he has also found ways to help off the field, in a self-described position of a “student assistant.” He helps with practices as well as keeping track of and charting statistics for different players.
Most students would wince at the mere thought of balancing a travel, work and school schedule all at once, but Benzmiller takes it in stride.
“It’s just trying to find time, whenever I have it. A lot of planning with professors ahead of time, if I need to make up a test or if I need to get an assignment done ahead of time or get extra time for it,” Benzmiller said.
Some of his favorite memories as a Washburn student have been made while traveling with the baseball team.
“I love just being on the road with the guys…getting to be around everybody and experience everything. It’s really fun,” Benzmiller said.
On the occasion that he has found his hectic schedule overwhelming, he has found a strong support system in his family back home, an aunt that lives nearby and his baseball teammates.
Payton McHarg, senior exercise and rehabilitation science major, described Benzmiller as a positive person.
“[He brings] a smile to the field and is always having a good time,” McHarg said. “He’s always pushing us to get better.”
Starting in October, the baseball team will begin practicing even more as they gear up for the spring season. The team has big plans and has hopes of earning a spot in a national championship game. Benzmiller, no stranger to time management, is looking forward to what lies ahead. He recently started a job at a local moving company. He starts his shift by 7 a.m. and then clocks out in the early afternoon just to rush to his classes. His late afternoons are occupied with baseball practice before he often heads to yet another class. He fills up his evenings with workouts, errands and lots of homework and studying.
Benzmiller is a prime example of someone who has taken their unexpected situation and found ways to explore and apply their natural talent and work ethic in unexpected ways.
Edited by Jeremy Ford and Morgan Albrecht