Despite an unorthodox journey as a collegiate athlete, graduate student Damon Frazier brings a high level of leadership and expertise to the EMU baseball team.

Damon spurred EMU to a pair of ODAC wins last week, batting .583 with six runs and six RBIs in just three games. He hit a pair of homeruns in an 8-3 win at Washington and Lee and finished the week 7-for-12 with four extra base hits, for a slash line of .583/.643/1.250.

After graduating early from D-II Concord University where he played two seasons of baseball, Damon was still eligible to play for the Royals as a graduate student. He states that the transition from Concord to Eastern Mennonite has been very smooth due to EMU’s welcoming community.

“The coaching staff and players have been very welcoming and allowed me to come in and helped me to understand the culture of EMU baseball,” he explained.

A versatile player, Frazier also steadies EMU’s defense, recently filling in at shortstop when he isn’t pitching.

“I do not find defense challenging because you have eight other guys on the field with you,” said Frazier. “I believe that all of our skill sets combined makes each of us versatile in our own ways. When I am at short I try to communicate with everyone on the field as much as possible, telling them tendencies I’ve seen from hitters or shifting position based on pitch location.”

Coach Ben Spotts noted Frazier’s versatility as an important quality he brings to the team.

“What Damon has done on the field certainly speaks for itself,” said Coach Spotts. “How he has produced for us on the mound, at the plate, and his versatility to play anywhere in the infield has been very important for our team this year and is a constant you can always count on.”

However, playing post-graduate has not been without its challenges, and Frazier’s found that the team dynamics have changed drastically within the past two years he has been playing for EMU.

“Last year the team was chocked full of older guys who laid the stepping stones for the program and this year all around we are a very young team who is trying to learn those stepping stones and run with them,” Frazier said. “I believe part of the challenge is trying to bring the energy and motivation for everyone on the team to keep pushing themselves to get better.”

As one of the older players on the team, Coach Spotts states that Frazier’s prior experience playing college baseball has helped him to become a strong leader on the team.

“Damon, as a leader, does two things very well for a very young roster that we have,” said Coach Spotts. “First, he remains very calm during parts of the game that are stressful. Whether he is pitching, playing the field, or hitting, he is very calm in his approach, which allows for the moment to never be too big for him. This is a calming influence that he helps provide for our team. He also does a great job talking to his teammates about situations and how to approach them during a game or explaining to them what things to consider next time they are in the situation. He has a lot of experience in college baseball and wants to help his teammates learn from what he has experienced.”

Frazier stated that while he might not always be the most vocal leader on the team, he tries to make a difference by leading by example. He hopes that his young team members appreciate the time they have playing for EMU.

“Cherish every moment of your athletic career and always put the extra work in. I know it is cliche and everyone says it, but four years at college goes by in the blink of an eye,” Frazier said.

During the offseason, Frazier says that he put in extra effort in strength training, throwing, and hitting. He hopes that his last season playing college baseball is his best one yet.

When he leaves EMU at the end of this semester, Frazier hopes that he and the seniors can leave the program with fond memories and a stronger work ethic.

“I want these guys to remember the work we put in and the values that we instilled and hopefully they keep building on that work ethic and those values,” he said. “The program has a bright future and I would love nothing more than to be part of the next stepping stone in that future.”

Studying interdisciplinary studies with an emphasis on organizational leadership, Frazier hopes to start a career in marketing after graduating with his masters.