As senior Ben Salama headed out to Cartan Field for a seemingly normal day of football practice, only one thing was on his mind: Brandeis University. Salama was expecting to hear from the Judges’ baseball coach around the time his practice started. “I don’t recommend this to current players, but I was checking my phone during practice,” Salama said.
Soon, after spending the whole practice acting as if nothing was happening, Salama received a message from the Brandeis coach letting him know that the spot on the Division III baseball team was his if he wanted it. “It was just so much joy,” Salama said.
“It’s a stepping stone in my journey,” Salama said, referring to his commitment to Brandeis. He believes that his biggest challenge has yet to begin. “I was like, okay, now the work really starts. Let me work so I can make an impact on the team [from] day one,” Salama said.
His coaches and teammates both attest to the same thing: Salama is the ultimate competitor. “I think what makes Ben very good is that he’s very competitive, no matter what,” junior Jack Freehill, Salama’s teammate in football and baseball, said.
Menlo baseball head coach David Trujillo had a similar opinion. When asked what makes Salama stand out, Trujillo said, “He’s a leader, competitor, hard worker [and] he loves pitching.”
As a pitcher on the baseball diamond or quarterback on the football field, Salama will do anything to help the team win. “One of the things I’ve learned from [Salama] is putting the team before yourself,” Freehill said. “We all want our stats to be the best […] but at the end of the day, the most important thing is just doing what’s best for the team.”
During Salama’s junior season, he began to realize he could have a future in baseball at the next level. “I always had a passion for baseball, [but junior year was] when I started pressing the gas and seeing how I can get recruited,” Salama said.
Although he struggled his sophomore year with the intense competition on the varsity baseball team, Salama’s recruiting process went smoothly. “He’s a tall right-hander, throws hard, [and has] really good command,” Trujillo said, describing Salama as a player. “[He has] control of his off-speed and fastball, which is unique.”
This mold drew attention from colleges. “I picked up a handful of offers this past summer,” Salama said. He received offers to play DIII baseball at Bates College, Franklin & Marshall College, Kenyon College, Macalester College, Case Western Reserve University and Skidmore College. With Brandeis, Salama was drawn to the city of Boston, its academic focus and its strong competition in the University Athletic Association.
Salama is also excited about the work and competition at the next level. “Let me push myself; let’s see how good a baseball player I can be. So I’m not going to try to put a cap on what I can become. That’s what I’m really excited about [with Brandeis],” he said.
