The Messiah College baseball team opens their season later this afternoon with a game on the road against Eastern Mennonite University at 2:30 p.m. The Falcons are looking to build off a strong finish last season, in which they won eight of their last ten 10 regular-season contests to finish 24-20, and 13-8 in conference play. Third baseman Colin Fry will be a part of the process after batting .276, hitting three home runs, batting in 19 RBI's, and finishing with a .490 slugging percentage last season. Defensively he had a .909 fielding percentage with 38 assists and 22 putouts.
 
We talked with Colin about his #WhyMessiah experience in this week's edition.
 
What are the names of the rest of your family and where do you fall among siblings?
My parents are Lowell & Daphne Fry and I have a younger sister Alyssa.
 
Is there anything unique about your family or members of your family that you want to share?
We live on a farm (90 acres with corn, soybeans, and 60,000 chickens).
 
Why did you come to Messiah and/or why do you love being at Messiah?
Like most college athletes, I came to college thinking I was coming just to play. Very quickly I realized that being here is a lot more about who you are as a person rather than what you are as an athlete. I love it because I'm growing in my faith, growing closer with the people around me, learning in the classroom, all while playing the game of baseball.
 
Why did you choose your specific major here at Messiah? Have you enjoyed your study in it? Why or why not?
I chose Business Administration and Finance because of the faculty within the department. They were all in the business world and bring that experience to the classroom. Because of that, I feel like I will be well prepared once I graduate. I really enjoy going to their classes, hearing what they have to say and interacting with them.
 
If you could have dinner with one person in history, who would it be and why?
Bo Jackson. He is my favorite athlete and I would love to pick his brain about his experiences in baseball and football, both college and professionally, all while being a follower of Christ
 
How do you balance your academic work and your commitment to your sport?
I try to get ahead when I can and communicate with the coaches and professors about what is going on.
 
Who has most influenced your life and why?
Josh Good. I've known him since I was 9 and he's always been like an older brother to me throughout high school and our time at Messiah together on and off the field.
 
What is one thing about Coach Lightle that those outside your team may not know?
Coach Lightle writes his notes on Chipotle napkins and brings them to practice/meetings and reads right off of them.
 
What is special about your coaching staff and teammates, and how would you explain that to a recruit or someone outside of the program?
There are 40 of us, meaning 40 different personalities, so it's hard to be super close with everyone. But we're 40 different stories that are trying to figure this whole life thing  and we're doing it together.
 
What is one of your favorite team traditions and why?
Praying around the mound after each game. For me, it's a reminder that we're playing to bring glory to God. Also reaching out to the opposing team to pray with us; you never know who you are going to impact, so reaching out to other teams is definitely one of my favorite things we do.
 
If you didn't play your current sport, would you play any other sport? If so, which one and why?
Golf or ice hockey. I love golfing as it is and definitely would want to spend more time playing it. For hockey, I just love watching hockey and never had the chance to play when I was younger.
 
What is the toughest part of being a collegiate student-athlete? How do you live or grow through this at Messiah?
Finding the balance between school, baseball and a social life. Managing time is everything.
 
What advice would you give to younger student-athletes looking to play a sport in college?
Choose a school that you would go to if you weren't playing a sport. Go where you have a good relationship with the coach and players there already. Things get crazy as a student- athlete but learn how to manage that craziness and use that later in your college career and in life.
 
If you had to answer the question #WhyMessiah what would you say?
The people you meet will challenge you, encourage you, support you, love you and help you grow beyond what was thought to be possible, which results in friendships and relationships that cannot be replaced.
 

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