BEREA, Ohio – Baldwin Wallace University baseball junior third baseman Spencer Badia  (Bellaire) is the epitome of a student-athlete as he is one of the best hitters in the Ohio Athletic Conference while still maintaining a perfect 4.0 grade point average in the classroom in pre-physical therapy and exercise science.

When at the plate, Badia eyes the pitcher with the look of a world-class research scientist looking for the cure to a disease or a problem. He scans the pitcher for any clue or evidence of tendency with the thought of taking him "downtown" with a long home run.

In the classroom, Badia is the consummate student who seeks perfection every day through supreme preparation. He carries a perfect 4.0 grade point average and majors in pre-physical therapy and exercise science. The 2015-2016 Academic All-OAC standout is currently a candidate for both Academic All-OAC and CoSIDA Academic All-District 7 honors.

"Spencer is one of the best leaders we have on our team," said seventh-year Head Coach Brian Harrison. "He embodies all of the core values, character and make up that you want your players to live by and that includes the way the game of baseball is meant to be played."

"Baseball-wise, Spencer is one of our best hitters and one of the best hitters I have had a chance to coach at BW," said Harrison. He hits for power and average, and he tremendous bat speed and plate discipline:"

Badia credits his parents for leading him toward success.

"I'm proud of my accomplishments both on and off the field, but I am still far from satisfied," said Badia, who intends to pursue a master's and then a doctoral degree in physical therapy with the hopes of one day begin his own PT practice. "From a young age, my parents emphasized the importance of a quality education. As a result, I have placed a great deal of importance on my academic career."

"Time management is a skill that I deeply value," said Badia. "I'm far from perfect, but I think I do a good job of making the most of my time each and every day. I try hard to stick to my daily plan. Without a schedule, it becomes easy to get distracted."

"In addition, my parents taught me the value of playing competitive sports," continued Badia, who has a .310 career batting average with 19 doubles, 10 homers and 59 RBI in 100 career games. "Baseball has taught me resiliency and persistence which are characteristics that I'm confident will serve me well in the future."

Badia is having his best season at the plate at BW (16-12, 5-7 OAC) in 2017 with a .324 batting average (35 for 108). He also has scored a team-high 25 runs and has six doubles, one triple, 23 runs batted-in (RBI), eight stolen bases in eight attempts and is tied with a team-leading five home runs.

"I try to bring what I have to offer every game I play," said Badia, who has played second, third base and designated hitter during his first three seasons in the Brown & Gold.  "Hits come and go, but effort never fluctuates. If I can bring my skill set to the table every day and relentlessly compete in all facets of the game, then the chips will fall where they're meant to fall. I've always found this to be more motivating than trying to hit 20 doubles or bat .350."

In addition to being perfect in the classroom and being a starter and one of the OAC's best baseball student-athletes, Badia is a member of the "Intercollegiate Sporting Club" (an outdoors club) and spends time during the summer volunteering at a variety of youth sport camps.

"Our goal of the Outdoors Club is to expose students to the outdoors while also emphasizing responsible/ethical environmental practices," said Badia. "I serve as the club treasurer which has given me the chance to develop new skills and gain real-world financial experience." 

"The most rewarding volunteer work I've done has been tutoring," said Badia. "I love helping others, especially children, and it's extremely satisfying when you are able to do something as meaningful as helping a child better themselves."

The Yellow Jackets are back in action on Wednesday, April 20 when they host OAC rival Ohio Northern University in an OAC doubleheader on Fisher Field at 1 p.m.

"At this point in the season, our goal is to keep getting better every day and win the final six OAC regular season games," said Badia.  "We really can't afford to lose another OAC loss. I'm excited to see how our young team will respond with our season on the line. We want to send the seniors off the right way, so we are more motivated than ever to put all of the pieces together."

Badia also is very complimentary toward all who have made his BW experience so positive.

"My time at BW has been all I expected and more," said Badia. "I've made some lifelong friends and met some amazing people all while receiving a top-notch education, competing and becoming a better human being." 

"Some members of our faculty, such as Dr. Alan Kolp, Dr. Tony DiBiasio, Dr. Andrew Dahanos, Assistant Professor Nicholas Trubee, Dr. Amy Jo Sutterluety and Dr. Jaimy Dyer, have been shoulders that I've leaned on throughout my college career. I'm grateful for their influence on me and for their friendship."

"In baseball, Coach Harrison and DeAngelis have taught me more about baseball than I thought possible," said Badia. "But more than that, they've taught me about life and how to be a great human being/teammate"