Keagan Alejo is no stranger to adversity.
The Friends University Baseball student-athlete has battled through illness and injury and overcome all odds to return to the field.
One of the major factors in Alejo's return to the diamond has been the support he's received from his teammates, coaches, and the entire Friends University community.
"The support I received, I came to realize how loved I am through family and even this program, with my friends, teammates, and coaches," Alejo said. "It was difficult not being able to play, but the support I got from everyone at Friends was a huge factor in my return."
Alejo was determined to get back on the field and worked hard to overcome the obstacles in front of him.
"Coming back from Tommy John surgery and trying to throw a baseball again took a huge toll on me," Alejo said. "You'd think it'd be easy, but after the second time, it kind of wears on you. I was actually rehabbing from my first Tommy John surgery when I arrived at Friends. Having my family there to push me let me know that, man, there's still some left in the tank."
The athletic department at Friends also assisted in Alejo's recovery process.
"I'll probably say the weight room played a huge role," Alejo said. Getting back in the weight room after my injuries, them being there by my side, helping me with what to do and what we need to work on was important. The training room as well, getting the treatment I needed with no questions asked was much appreciated. Whether it was scraping or cupping, their input on what I needed to do with the throwing program was pretty amazing."
Ready for Senior Day
Not only did Alejo have to work on his physical health, but he also had to balance his academic studies as well.
The professors at Friends University were instrumental in helping Alejo stay on top of his schoolwork while recovering from his health issues.
"They were FaceTiming me, helping me through problems, getting on Zoom calls," Alejo said. "The support to this day as well, whenever I have to go back home for checkups, they continue to work with me to make sure I get my stuff done and I understand the material."
Despite all the challenges Alejo faced over the past two years, he was able to return to the mound this season, which marked one of the most special moments in his life.
"This coming Senior Day means the world to me having my parents and other family there," Alejo said "Just getting to this point, I really didn't think I was honestly gonna make it with the way things were going with my body and throwing and all that, but here I am. Being able to play, let alone on a senior day, is a big moment for me. It's definitely an emotional one, if you've been along my journey. Being able to walk and feel the love and support of everybody that's kind of been along this ride with me is pretty special.
For Alejo, the family-like atmosphere on campus was one of the deciding factors in joining the Falcons.
"I'd probably have to say, day one, whenever I came on my visit, the atmosphere was intense and the practice was nice," Alejo said. "The team was amazing to me. and the coaches as well. The fact that they wanted me to come here and wasn't like, oh, here's an offer, decide whenever you want. It was more of a, hey, we want you here, and they cared about it. They checked up on me and they asked me where my head was at. Just the feeling of being wanted at a college program was probably my deciding factor."
Through all the trials and tribulations, that family-like atmosphere has remained the same, which has helped Alejo get through the darkest days of his life.
"No matter where you're at or where you're going on this campus, they're probably gonna know who you are," Alejo said. "But even if they don't, even if it's a complete stranger, they're gonna put some positive words out there. Whether it's just saying hi, asking how your day was, or how's the family. That's probably my biggest takeaway is just the love and support from everybody on this campus.
