Columbus East graduate Alec Burnett heads to the dugout after completing an inning for University of Indianapolis. Burnett will finish his career at Wagner College in Staten Island, New York.
Photo courtesy of Jordan Menard/UIndy Athletics
Alec Burnett graduated from University of Indianapolis in May, but he wasn’t done playing baseball.
So while looking at colleges to obtain his MBA, the 2018 Columbus East graduate also considered where would be a good fit to continue his baseball career. Last month, he settled on Wagner College, a Division I program in Staten Island, New York, and began classes there last week.
“Wagner was a good fit just for athletic reasons,” Burnett said. “It gave me the opportunity to face the competition that I want to face. Our out-of-conference schedule is unmatched unless I went to the SEC. It’s my opportunity to play against the highest level of competition that I can, which is what I want.”
Burnett’s four seasons at UIndy were somewhat plagued by arm trouble. He was born with an extra tricep in his right arm, and that eventually led to severe nerve pain.
On Sept. 21, Burnett underwent unlar nerve transposition surgery in Cincinnati. He made it back for the beginning of his senior season with the Greyhounds in February.
“It was tough, just because freshman year, I redshirted because I had an injury,” Burnett said. “Then my sophomore year got shortened because of COVID. My junior year, I was pitching with a lot of pain, then my senior year, we found out that pain I was experiencing required surgery. I came back too soon, which in hindsight, was a bad decision, and my senior year, my second year of eligibility, was pretty poor. So to come back this summer and do as well as I did just really overshadows the struggles I had this spring.”
Alec Burnett
This summer, Burnett played with the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters in the Northwoods League. He went 2-0 with three saves, and a 1.38 ERA with 40 strikeouts and 14 walks in 26 innings pitched. His opponents had only a .181 batting averaged against him.
“I pitched the best season of my life,” Burnett said. “The Northwoods League is loaded with Power 5 guys. To go out to the Northwoods League and do what I did just solidifies what my future coaching staff believes, that I belong there.”
Burnett earned a degree from UIndy in exercise science with a minor in marketing. He was a four-time Academic All-Great Lakes Valley Conference selection, a two-time GLVC Brother James Gaffney FSC Distinguished Scholar and earned the GLVC Council of Presidents Academic Excellence Award.
Because of the redshirt year and the COVID year, Burnett has two years of college eligibility remaining.
“I decided to hit the transfer portal and see what options were out there, basically betting on myself to have a good summer season. I pitched really well and got several offers from several programs.”
Burnett hasn’t ruled out the idea of playing professional baseball.
“It’s definitely a possibility,” Burnett said. “Before surgery, it was in my head that it’s definitely what I wanted. I spent so much time focusing on that that I wasn’t enjoying the moment. So I just changed my mindset, and I’m cool if it happens and cool if it doesn’t. I definitely have a lot more going for me than just baseball. I really think that helped with my performance, once I stopped stressing about having a chance to play at the next level. And once I got over the physical aspect of surgery, the performance shot up, too.”
