The Bethel College baseball program has enjoyed success over the years with 2 NCCAA National Championships, 5 NCCAA National Players of the Year, and 60 NCCAA All-Americans. Although Eric Stults and Justin Masterson never played on the same team at Bethel, they do have some similarities...

JUSTIN MASTERSON Two-year letter winner in baseball before transferring to San Diego State University NCCAA All-American (‘04, ‘05) NCCAA National All-Tournament Team (’05) Drafted by the Boston Red Sox (’06) Red Sox Minor League (’06 – ’08) Boston Red Sox (’08 – ’09) Cleveland Indians (’09 – Present) Led the American League in putouts by a pitcher (’10) On August 4, 2011, he struck out 4 batters in a single inning Named to the 2013 Major League Baseball All-Star Game

ERIC STULTS Four-year letter winner in baseball and a two-year letter winner in basketball at Bethel College. Named the 2002 NCCAA Player of the Year as he helped lead the Pilots to a National Championship Two-time NCCAA All-American (’01, ’02) Member of 2000 NCCAA National Championship basketball team Drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers (’02) Dodgers Minor League (’02 – ’05)?Los Angeles Dodgers (’06 –’09) Hiroshima Carp (’10) Colorado Rockies (’11)?Chicago White Sox (’12)?San Diego Padres (’12 – Present)

Baseball’s Mr. Clean: Justin Masterson

By Mark E. Darnall and Bruce A. Darnall in partnership with Athletes in Action Photo credit: Cleveland Indians

Justin Masterson, pitcher for the Cleveland Indians, is often called Mr. Clean, not because he is perfect nor is he a cleaning machine, but because of his shaved head. This 6’6” power pitcher with a bald head is actually a quiet, humble Christian who happens to be a professional baseball player.

“Justin is a quiet big guy who can always be counted on no matter what the circumstances might be,” says teammate Matt LaPorta. “He is as strong of a person for Jesus as you can get, a great guy who really cares for others. We often read Scripture or a book at our homes, and then we will come to the ball park and discuss it.” Masterson grew up as the son of a pastor, with his dad, mom, an older sister and younger brother. “Justin has always been active in church, including participating in the praise band either on drums or with his guitar,” says his father, Pastor Mark Masterson.

The young Masterson says: “I can remember going to the church camp at Ludlow Falls, Ohio, three years in a row around six years old. There was a lady there that talked about Jesus. I accepted Christ as my Savior [there] at a young age; and as I went along, I just tried to continue to grow in my faith. I had the desire to learn more about Jesus.”

Masterson made his high school baseball team as a catcher. By the time his junior year rolled around, he wanted to try pitching. He hooked up with pitching coach, Richie Moody, who worked with some of his mechanics of pitching. His ball speed jumped from 79 mph to 89. The colleges then started looking at him for his pitching.

Bethel College, an NCCAA member institution in Mishawaka, IN, — and where his sister attended—won out. Then during the summer of 2005, Masterson played in the Cape Cod summer baseball league. There he met Bruce Billings, a pitcher at San Diego State. Billings said they could use him there, and Masterson transferred to play under Hall of Famer, Tony Gwynn. “Tony Gwynn is a quality guy, and he is a great example of how to treat people,” Masterson says.

After his junior year (2006) at San Diego State, Masterson was drafted 71st overall by Boston. He made his big-league debut on

April 24, 2008; and in the middle of the 2009 season, he was traded to Cleveland.

While still at Bethel College, Masterson met Meryl Ham. “I first saw Justin in a classroom my freshman year, his sophomore year,” Meryl says. “I told my friend, even before I met him, ‘I am going to marry him.’ It was just the way he carried himself, always talking to people, giving people hugs, opening doors for people. I was impressed by his actions, so adorable. That was before I knew he played baseball or anything about his walk with the Lord.”

They were married in November 2007. Meryl, who has a cookie business called Homeplate Cookies, says, “Justin is very talented musically; and at our wedding, he surprised me when he wrote a song and sang it during the service. It meant a lot to me when Justin said his priorities are God, family, then baseball. Justin is my rock.” On January 25, 2011, the Masterson’s had a baby girl, Eden Joy.

“I am very thankful for every day I am given and for the life I have been blessed with,” Masterson says. “I know the reason I am on earth is to glorify God. The way I treat people is the way I think Christ would treat people.” His father comments: “I see Justin as a real, genuine, Christian person. He has a heart for reaching out to people and see them come to Christ. He is unashamed to talk with others about his faith.”

Padres Pitcher is Passionate About Faith, Family, and Baseball

Written by Mark E. Darnall and Bruce A. Darnall in partnership with Athletes in Action. Photo credit: San Diego Padres

Eric Stults, a left-handed pitcher for the San Diego Padres, has played baseball in some exciting places: Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Denver, Chicago, Hiroshima, and San Diego. But if you ask him where he really likes to be, he will say on a tractor near his hometown of 1,600 in Argos, IN. Stults’ dad and grandfathers were all farmers.

“Working on the farm was a passion for me,” Stults says, “and I still have that passion today. I still really enjoy it, and I continue to work on Dad’s farm every chance I get, sowing and harvesting seeds of grain.”

Sports became his second passion. Stults was active in high school, playing baseball, basketball, and soccer, and upon graduation, elected to play baseball at Bethel College in Mishawaka, IN, because of their excellent program. During his senior year, Stults went 10-1 and the Pilots won the 2002 NCCAA Division I National Championship. He graduated from Bethel with a busi- ness degree and was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was off to the minor leagues.

Stults entered the minor leagues with more than just his passion for sports and farming; he carried with him a solid Christian faith. He accepted Jesus as his Savior when he was six during a summer Vacation Bible School program at his church.

In Stults’ sophomore year at Bethel, he decided he wanted to go deeper in his Christian faith and dedicated his life to Christ.

“I can remember it was a time I was searching a little more,” Stults says. “I began to understand about having a relationship with Jesus, and it went to a deeper level. I rededicated my life to Christ and really understood that I was not doing this on my own. I realized Christ was in charge and I needed Him.”

Stults played with the Dodgers’ AAA team in Las Vegas for the better part of four seasons. “I felt I grew a lot during my stays in Las Vegas,” Stults says. “I had some of my toughest times in my career as far as a baseball player. I grew in my relationship with God when realizing the numbers were not as important as my relationship to Him. I felt God was using me through the tough times.”

Stults says he felt he had to be careful with his attitude and his actions there because teammates were always watching. Guys would notice and tell him there was something different about him.

“Vegas was the first time I had an opportunity to (talk about my faith) as I was struggling on the mound,” Stults says.

Another passion Stults carried with him into his pro baseball journey was his passion for family. While he was at Bethel, Stults went back to his high school to watch a tennis match. Stephanie Herdster was on the opposing team from Middlebury High School. He happened to be sitting next to Stephanie’s parents and visited with them during the match. Then, the following year, he ran into Stephanie again when she enrolled at Bethel College.

“I was a junior, and Stephanie was a freshman when we first started dating,” Stults says. “We dated a year and a half before we became engaged and then were married December 21, 2002.”

Stults’ love for his family first attracted Stephanie. “On our first date, Eric talked most of the time about his family,” she says. “He pulled out his wallet, and it was full of pictures of his nieces and nephews. He talked about both of his grandfathers and how important they were in the making of who Eric was. He had so much respect for his dad and grandfathers. I had never met anyone who felt family was such a big part of his life.”

Today the Stultses have three children: Madeline (7), Luke (5), and Hallie (2).

 

Story seen in the July 2014 Issue of The PURSUIT