Frankie Melendez balances Division One baseball and ROTC

By Kate Marino

Over the course of his two years at Stonehill College, Frankie Melendez jostled baseball and his commitment to the military.

Before Stonehill, Melendez committed to Army West Point with the goal of becoming a Black Ops pilot like his grandfather.

“I’ve always looked forward to being one,” he said.

Although his plan for West Point fell through because of a coaching staff change, he was then recruited by Stonehill and signed up for ROTC.

“They recruited me to play here, and the coaches allowed me to do both. It was a grind my first year, but once you get used to it, you get through it with time management,” he said.

A typical day for him is non-stop between baseball and ROTC.

“Tuesday through Thursday is called PT, and you do group runs or lifting. Then I have ROTC class from 12:45 to 2:15, and every other week we have leadership lab.

With baseball added into the mix, time is tight, but he credits his coaches for their trust.

“They trust that I’m going to get my work in, and it’s all about communication,” he said.

He also credits both baseball and ROTC for helping him grow as a leader.

“I’ve learned a bunch of leadership roles and how to be different in them, I can carry that over to baseball, and the guys can depend on me,” he said.

“Honestly, both ROTC and baseball have shown me family attributes. Some of them are really good friends—I’m with these guys every day.”

Melendez also ran the Boston Marathon on April 21, where he was “Tough Rucking” for the Gold Star families and fallen military personnel.

Tough Rucking is a term for when military groups carry weighted backpacks while running and walking the 26.2-mile marathon.

“It’s about giving back. I really wanted to be a part of it. I’m excited to do it with my friends,” he said.