Ball State University Athletics
Baseball Cap One Of Many Hats Worn By BSU's Stoeklen
April 19, 2007 | Baseball
By Mike Laninga
ballstatesports.com
It is safe to say that Ball State junior Matt Stoeklen is not living the life of a normal college student.
Stoeklen's situation can be best understood by coursing through his typical day.
Stoeklen's day starts off by waking up at 7 a.m. to his eight-month old son Brady. After changing and feeding his son, Matt is off to his morning classes.
At about noon, he will return home to his family. His wife Brooke usually has lunch waiting for him on the table when he returns. During lunch, Stoeklen spends time with his family until practice at Ball Diamond begins at 1 p.m.
When practice ends late in the day, Stoeklen is sometimes required to attend weight training sessions, otherwise he heads home. Just about the time Stoeklen arrives home, Brooke leaves for work. This provides time for some father and son bonding.
"Being a father is an awesome feeling," Stoeklen says, admitting the duo loves attending Ball State sporting events, especially women's basketball games. "Brady is probably the biggest Ball State women's basketball fan there is."
Around 7 p.m., the two will eat dinner. Soon after, Stoeklen will put Brady down for the night. Usually dad will follow and hit the sack around 9 p.m. unless he has homework - then he's up until midnight.
Lastly, when some students are just going to bed, Matt is up at 7 a.m. to do it all over again.
"The hardest part is balancing everything," the Cardinals' first baseman says, "especially being on the road without my family."
Stoeklen obviously knows what it takes to juggle all the aspects of his life.
Heading into this weekend's Mid-American Conference series with Eastern Michigan, he is leading all Ball State starters in batting average (.319), hits (39) and runs batted in (23).
"Matt is a great middle of the lineup hitter," says BSU head coach Greg Beals. "He brings calmness and maturity to the team."
Stoeklen describes his relationship with his teammates as the "old guy" and "the dad of the team." However, with all jokes aside, he affirms that his teammates are very supportive of him and his family.
"They are a great bunch of guys," Stoeklen says. "They have accepted me and my family and have treated me as any other player. It's been a fun year getting to know them."
In the classroom, Stoeklen is pursuing a degree in sport administration with aspirations of one day becoming a high school athletic director. His uncle Bruce, who played college football at Colorado State, is a high school AD and proves to be a beneficial resource for the junior slugger.
With everything going on in his life, Stoeklen never forgets what matters most.
"I have the woman of my dreams and a ?mini me' at home," Stoeklen says. "There have been days when I have struck out three times in a game and have underperformed on an exam, but all of this immediately turns trivial when I see my family."
Stoeklen and his wife met each other at Fort Scott Community College, a junior college in Fort Scott, Kansas.
Stoeklen played baseball at Fort Scott and ranks third all-time at the school in career home runs with 28, while Brooke was a two-sport athlete, competing in volleyball and basketball.
After receiving an offer to become part of the Ball State baseball family, the couple decided to relocate their own family to Muncie.
The Stoeklens love spending time together. Atop their list of favorite activities is watching movies and attending sporting events. It's not unusual to see the trio at any variety of BSU events.
On Sundays during the football season, one will most likely find father and son at Buffalo Wild Wings. The tandem will sport Minnesota gear and cheer for the Vikings.
With the conference baseball season nearly half over, the Cardinals are looking to position themselves for another run in the MAC Tournament. Stoeklen appears to be a major factor should the Cardinals have an opportunity to repeat.
However, as much as Stoeklen loves putting on his baseball cap everyday, it is noticeably clear his favorite hats to wear are those of husband and father.
And to Stoeklen, that's the normal life.
