Central Michigan University Athletics
Josh Collmenter Profile
5/18/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 18, 2005
By Mike Boseak
Sports Information Assistant
Central Michigan University starting pitcher Josh Collmenter was told he wasn't good enough to pitch at the Division I level.
His success this season has told him otherwise.
The freshman from Homer, Mich. has a Central Michigan University baseball team-best 7-1 mark overall, including a 4-0 record in the Mid-American Conference. In MAC games, he has a miniscule 1.83 ERA with a 2.31 overall ERA, both are tops in the Chippewa rotation.
"I thought I could play at the Division I level, but no DI schools really recruited me after my junior year. My team made a big run at a state championship my senior year and I got some interest from a few schools," Collmenter said. Collmenter garnered attention from other MAC schools, including Eastern Michigan.
"CMU came on real strong and showed a lot more interest than most, and I really liked the campus and facilities. Plus, I liked the coaching staff a lot," he added. "They just seemed like the best fit, and they were the defending MAC champs."
Highly motivated, he came to CMU with the anticipation of working his way into the mix on the mound. Not only did he work his way in, he forced his way in.
In Collmenter's first start as a Chippewa, he dominated Western Kentucky to the tune of a complete-game four-hitter, fanning 13 and more impressively, walking none.
He hasn't looked back since, and says that it feels good to prove the doubters wrong.
The biggest positive that people talk about when Collmenter is mentioned is his poise. He said he's always been mature for his age.
"I grew up a lot in high school because of my stature. I've always been near the top of my class athletically and academically. I try not to let my emotions get to me in life, so in baseball it comes natural. On my high school team, if I stayed composed my teammates knew I was in control, and I think it helped them play more relaxed," Collmenter said.
Collmenter was the salutatorian in his graduating class, and while he hasn't signed a major yet, he plans on pursuing a degree in business administration. While college life can be a difficult transition for some, he feels he handled his freshman year pretty well.
"I heard that college would be really tough, but I came in and knew what I wanted to do so that made it a little easier," he said.
Collmenter wants to play baseball professionally, but if that doesn't work out, he would like to work in marketing for a sporting goods company.
"I've always dreamed of playing professional baseball, like every other kid does. My goal right now, though, is to not be satisfied with my abilities as a freshman, and try to learn from my teammates and coaches, putting myself in a position to get drafted. My other main goal is to graduate in four years, so I can go wherever my career takes me, regardless of how well my baseball career works out," the pitcher said.
The freshman pushes a lot of the credit for his success toward his parents whom he said have always been his biggest supporters.
"They've always supported me no matter what I've done. They've never pushed me into doing something I didn't want for myself. They just want me to look at all the angles, both baseball-wise and academically," he said.
A large swelling of support has also come from his hometown, which is a benefit of growing up in a small community according to the 6-4 right-hander.
"It's only about two hours away, and a lot of people will usually come up and watch me pitch, so it's great," he said.
With the recent roll the Chippewas have gone on, Collmenter should get to experience an even bigger stage... the MAC Tournament.
"It's a little added pressure, but it's more rewarding than anything because I like to pitch under pressure," Collmenter said.
