Being a student-athlete at Millikin University is a hard life. However, sometimes the biggest shocks happen off of the field.

That is something Hunter Wenstrom knows all too well.

As a catcher for the Millikin baseball team, Wenstrom is used to loud cracks as the ball meets the bat. He is closer to the sound than anyone else on the field. But a recent storm brought with it a loud crack of thunder and lightning that hit a little too close to home.

So, how close is too close?

How about the place you sleep. That’s right, a bolt of lighting inadvertently hit Wenstrom’s bed on August 29.

“God smited it with the power of one million lightning bolts,” Wenstrom said.

While it was only the power of one lightning bolt, it still did a decent amount of damage. The actual path of how Wenstrom’s bed got torched makes it even more bizarre. A tree planted outside of the window is what actually was struck. But, that tree was in contact with a gutter. A metal nail acted as a conductor for the electricity and let it into the house where it did its damage.

Fortune favored Wenstrom on that day. He had just left the room when it happened. Had he been in there, there could have been a more tragic tale to tell. Instead, he responded to the incident upon smelling smoke. Fortunately, a new mattress costs less than an electrifying hospital visit.

As the smoke clears from the lightning strike, Wenstrom can focus on his senior season of baseball. But as is the case with so many other athletes, it is not that simple.

As a junior, he started a majority of the team’s games as the catcher. During the season he was dealing with a lot of shoulder pain. The issue started back in January, but he played through it. Over the summer, Wenstrom went to a doctor to see what was wrong. It turned out to be a torn labrum.

For any athlete, finding out about a serious injury is a scary moment to go through. Especially entering senior year. With all the hours accumulated to get to that point, it all seemed to be slipping out of his grasp. Luckily, with some physical therapy, he will have one more season in the sun.

Things are going well for Wenstrom as far as physical therapy goes. It can become very tedious work, as well is being physically demanding. But with the right goal in mind, it is worth it in the end. And a year after the pain started, it could go away.

“As of now I should be cleared by January,” Wenstrom said.

In addition to being an asset on the field for the Big Blue, after his sophomore season, Wenstrom played for the Springfield Sliders. That is a team that plays in the United State Prospect League, which is designed to give professional experience without hindering the NCAA eligibility of its players.

Beyond the field, Wenstrom takes the learning aspect of being a student-athlete very seriously. Majoring in graphic design, he is known to help out his friends when they need to fashion something artistic. The kind of final touch on a project can really help it pop.

Hailing from Durand, Illinois, Wenstrom is used to a smaller community than Millikin. But, since deciding to be a Big Blue athlete, he has gained valuable experience and great honors. He gets to make designs on computers, he gets to hit the cover off of baseballs for fun, and he gets to sleep on the couch because the fire department threw his mattress out.

All in all, he is an example of what can happen with hard work. It is not easy being a student-athlete. Life throws curveballs all the time. In baseball and in life, Wenstrom has been able to take it in stride with a sense of humor.