Ben Keizer: A Michigan man through and through
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — After an astounding Wolverine victory on Saturday against bitter rival, Ohio State, it is only fitting that a Michigan alumnus should take the spotlight for this feature. Although the triumph on Saturday at the Big House has spurred fans to conjure playoff hopes, this is nothing new to the athletic culture in Ann Arbor. A handful of sports teams at the university consistently find themselves among the best in the nation, including the university鈥檚 oldest team on campus: Michigan鈥檚 baseball team.
In its 154-year history, 2019 proved to be one of the team鈥檚 best, as the Wolverines marched their way to the program鈥檚 eighth College World Series appearance, making it all the way to a deciding championship game in the final round against Vanderbilt.
This magical run could not have come to fruition without the leadership of left-handed pitcher, Ben Keizer. Performing as a student-athlete from the fall of 2015 through the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, Keizer displays every characteristic that makes up a person to be the elusive 鈥淢ichigan Man.鈥�
The term 鈥淢ichigan Man鈥� is used to define an individual who, in the legendary Fielding Yost鈥檚 words, has a 鈥渄eathless loyalty to Michigan and all her ways鈥nd a conviction that nowhere is there a better university, in any way, than this Michigan of ours.鈥�
Yost鈥檚 heartfelt speech came at a retirement banquet orchestrated to commemorate the legacy he built, but his proclamation was far more than a thank-you to the school he loved so dearly. Not only did it became a source of inspiration for future alumni of the university, but it was also a strikingly accurate description of the character of a ball player that would toe the rubber over 100 years later: the southpaw, Keizer.
Before beginning his legacy as a student-athlete in Ann Arbor, Keizer had Maize and Blue coursing through his veins.
鈥淢y earliest memories are from tailgating,鈥� Keizer said. 鈥淚 remember my dad would take us to games when I was in middle school and we would tailgate with friends from our neighborhood out on the golf course and the atmosphere was just so much fun.鈥�
The bond between the Keizer family and the University of Michigan would only strengthen when Ben鈥檚 brother, Jonathan, decided to walk on to Michigan鈥檚 football team.
Keizer鈥檚 memory of watching his brother in the winged helmet is as visceral today as it was in real time.
鈥淚 vividly remember the first night game against Notre Dame at the Big House and how electric it was,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 had goosebumps on my arms the whole game and we were on our feet the whole time. It was at that moment that I realized how special the university was and that I wanted every part of it.鈥�
The Portage, Michigan native had big shoes to fill, but Keizer did not disappoint. During his tenure as a Michigan baseball student-athlete, Keizer completed two degrees while competing with the team for five years, completing a bachelor鈥檚 degree in sport management and a Master of Management degree from the Ross School of Business.
His completion of these degrees was earned with flying colors, earning Distinguished Scholar awards for his scholastic excellence in his sophomore, junior and senior years as an undergraduate.
鈥淚f you think about it, [Michigan student-athletes] stood on the shoulders of so many amazing people that came before us,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 took so much pride in that and wanted to leave no stone unturned in pursuit of honoring that tradition and doing my part to continue the excellence.鈥�
In honor of his brother, and the many other Michigan greats that came before him, Keizer led the Wolverines鈥� run to Omaha, the hallowed grounds of the College World Series.
Fittingly, the final three outs of the deciding super regional game that brought the Wolverines to Omaha were delivered by Keizer. What followed those three outs was an incredible World Series run, along with gleaming pride not only for the University of Michigan, but for his teammates and for his hometown of Portage.
鈥淭o be a representative of Portage, and play alongside teammate Tommy Henry and Jeff Criswell, who are also from my hometown, is something I will cherish forever,鈥� he said.
Keizer鈥檚 efforts have earned spectators and teammates to regard him as the model 鈥淢ichigan Man.鈥� Those who know him consider the southpaw to be a 鈥渟ine qua non鈥� to the appellation, and he continues to add to his legacy today as a professional ballplayer for the New York Yankees.
The Portage community, and all those who hail to Michigan will forever consider Keizer an undisputed legend with, in Fielding Yost鈥檚 words, a 鈥渄eathless loyalty to Michigan in all her ways.鈥�
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