The first time I was introduced to Millikin Junior Mason Bruce, he wasn’t wearing his recognizable Big Blue Baseball jersey and cap; instead, he sported a pair of shoulder pads and a helmet with our school’s iconic “M” stickered on each side. I was side-winded by his athleticism as a bouncy-yet-relaxed wide receiver, and I wasn’t even introduced to his insane gameplay on the baseball diamond yet.

From our first meeting, Bruce’s ambitions were apparent: he wanted to be a star athlete. And not just at the base level, but a star athlete on every single level, which is part of the reason why he originally came to Millikin as a dual-sport athlete.

After his decision to stick with just one athletic team after only his first year, nobody could blame the suave, sporty center-fielder for deciding to keep his talents on the baseball diamond.

“The football thing was kinda just spur of the moment, and Millikin gave me the opportunity so I went ahead and took the plunge,” Bruce said.

Now, as he enters his Junior season on the baseball team, his ambitions and desires are beginning to unfold into a pleasant opportunity for the outfielder. This summer, Bruce will be headed to Windsor, Canada to play in the Great Lakes Collegiate Summer Baseball League for the Saint Clair Green Giants as a center-fielder.

“The problem with joining a new team is you never know the competition level,” Bruce said. “Pitching is going to be top tier: you gotta go in there with strong bats and show what we’ve got.”

While this opportunity might seem intimidating to some, Bruce understands its importance for his own future, and is excited for the chance to venture on a new endeavor to show a grander audience what he can do.

“Just going up to Canada is the exciting thing for me,” he said. “I get to meet a whole lot of new guys—it’s all different types of people coming together and we make one unit come together collectively.”

Along with this ambitious enterprise, Bruce is also looking forward to the upcoming baseball season for the Big Blue, where he said, “the goal is 30 and 10.”

With his excellent gameplay, and the majority of starters returning, this goal is absolutely within the team’s reach. With this being his third year as a starter, Bruce acknowledges its importance for himself.

“Junior year is when the most scouts will be looking at you for the Major Leagues, or other teams after college.” Bruce said, before discussing his excitement as well. “I’m excited for the people on the field. I’ve got a lot of friends—seniors that played when they were sophomores and I was a freshman—so I’ve built a lot of relationships with them, as well as the sophomores currently. I’ve got a lot of friends [on the team] between those two age groups.”

After being a Third-Team All-American last season, Bruce’s main goal is to up that ante, as well as to become a first team All-Conference player in the Collegiate Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin.

With his exhilarating fielding and batting, and now the recognition from a greater audience than just the Division III scouts, Bruce is coming closer than ever to achieving these goals, and is as humble as ever.

“Millikin gave me the opportunity to play both sports that I loved and gave me the opportunity to continue in baseball and to thrive.”

Mason Bruce brings excitement to the Millikin Baseball Team with his refined gameplay and determined heart. While I don’t get to see him at football practices on the gridiron anymore, I am granted the chance to see him swing for the fences, protect the outfield, and entertain every stretch of the baseball diamond with an effort as rare as they come.