Theres No Place Like Home

KWU Campus

Moving to a new college comes with more than just changing classrooms and wearing new colors. For the Kansas Wesleyan University baseball team it means adapting to a new city, meeting 105 new teammates. Most importantly figuring out how to make Salina feel like home.

For the dozen KWU baseball transfers arriving on campus this August meant they were previously at a different institution, many being a Junior College (juco). This can be a very different experience for the juco and 4 year transfers than freshman. They already have a taste of college. They know generally how things are run, the pace of life, and how to find where they fit in best.

However, despite having experienced in the college life, in many ways “it does feel like being a freshman again” said senior transfer John McDonald from Canada. 

Transitioning 

Baseball, especially with the number of players, gives these student athletes an immediate connection to start their journey of building relationships. With practices, workouts, and simply off the field bonding, meeting new teammates happens extremely quick.

While asking Junior transfer from New Mexico Aiden Sanchez about his immediate impression of KWU and his new teammates he said: “KW has been awesome so far. The people I’ve met around campus and through baseball have all been great. It’s been difficult remembering all the baseball guys names because we have so many, but everyone seems super chill and I’m excited to get to work with them.” 

“Transitioning to Salina hasn’t been too difficult at all. The school and baseball program provides us with everything I need, so for me it’s basically just been business as usual.” Aiden Sanchez

Small Town Living

However, adjustments are made far beyond the KWU campus and baseball field. Notably Salina isn’t some huge college town, however many students’ athletes have said it actually makes it easier to explore and become accustomed to this community.

  KWU Baseball Transfers

With Kansas Wesleyan because just a few minute drive from downtown, finding local restaurants, coffee shops, and activities to do is no problem at all. After speaking with the baseball transfers a vast majority noted that when they were moving in with their families, they enjoyed a meal at wither the popular Martinelli’s Italian Restaurant, or the Blue Skye Brewery.

What may be unknown by some, a good Chunk of Kansas Wesleyans baseball roster comes from states fairly far away. In particular, there is a big chunk of California players who came here as transfers. As you could imagine, Salina Kansas is vastly different than California, so that had me wondering, what has that transition been like for someone who is seemingly entering a whole different way of life?

Transfer redshirt junior from Ventura California, Matt Ramirez seemed like the perfect person to ask. He said “It’s genuinely surprised me how easy of a transition it’s been. I’ll be honest, Kansas is the last place that I thought I would end up, and I was a bit hesitant at first, just because it is so different from where I’m from, but it hasn’t felt hard at all.”

He also went on to say that With how nice the school is, and how small the town is, he’s very comfortable here already. “Salina has been surprisingly great, just the heat man, its been hot, I’m used to 75 and sunny with an ocean breeze. I also know its going to get real cold, and that will be an adjustment, but considering those are my only complaints, I’m very happy with where I’ve ended up.

Many baseball transfers have all said the same thing that John, Aiden, and Matt have said. While Salina Kansas is surely not where they thought they would end up, they have been pleasantly surprised with how much they enjoy it here already.