Varsity baseball pitcher David Case ’21 will head to Corvallis to play for Oregon State University after graduation. Though Case acknowledges it will be tough leaving his friends and family and moving to another state, he looks forward to competing for a National Championship with a Division I baseball program. 

The road to success was not an easy ride. During his freshman season, Case fractured his back, preventing him from throwing a baseball for six months; despite the setback, he made the most of his time off the field.

Case recalls, “Instead of playing, I trained and developed into a much better player through the weight room.”

His development earned him a role on the varsity team his sophomore year, making him the youngest player to make the team. Case is adamant about what he loves most about Loyola baseball: the community of brothers. 

He said, “My teammates have been my favorite part of Loyola baseball. I’ve played alongside forty or so great guys during my time at Loyola. I think it’s super special to build a bond with your teammates, and it’s a gift that keeps giving.”  

Case still throws with an old Loyola teammate who graduated two years ago because he believes that making lifelong friendships is the most rewarding part of Loyola baseball. Furthermore, he believes that looking out for younger players is an important part of the game and wants to be the same kind of mentor to the younger players that the older ones were for him. 

Case reflected, “I had older teammates that mentored me and helped me through my time at Loyola. As an upperclassmen in the program these past two years, I’ve felt the responsibility to look out for all of my teammates, especially the younger ones.” 

Riley Russell, a junior on varsity, has looked up to Case throughout his time at Loyola. Russell and the rest of the varsity team remain dependent upon Case’s leadership throughout these uncertain times. 

Russell commented, “Even before COVID, David has always been a good friend of mine, and I have always looked up to him since my freshman year; but definitely throughout COVID David has taken on the role as the leader of our team and he has shown and expressed that hard work pays off. I think that with his leadership we can have a successful season.”

Playing during the pandemic has been challenging, but David is appreciative of his situation. Having a gym has enabled David to continue his training, and he has been able to play baseball throughout the summer and the fall. 

  David said, “I feel that I’ve been able to do everything I’ve needed to do as an athlete during the pandemic, and that’s a blessing because I know there have been a ton of athletes and people in general struggling during these times.”

The entire Loyola community is rooting for David Case’s success at the collegiate level with the Beavers and beyond. 

Case concluded, “The two most important things I’ve learned are to embrace the hard times and take people under your wing. I’ve had my ups and downs while at Loyola, but as long as you put in the work and keep your head on straight through the hard times, you’ll come out better than ever.”