TOWAMENCIN – Finding your niche in life isn’t always easy. In a world full of limitless possibilities, tuning in to that one particular thing that lights your fire can be a difficult task. For Evin Sullivan, however, the answer was right in front of him all along: baseball.

“I started playing baseball when I was four years old. I saw my older brother play and I wanted to be better than him, so I started playing,” Sullivan remarked.

Although baseball quickly became a passion of his, it wasn’t the only sport occupying his mind. Sullivan was between both football and baseball for a portion of time before eventually having to go with the latter. After getting a concussion and breaking his arm from football, his mom put her foot down, making baseball his number one priority.

“I always loved baseball. Being in my position, which is a catcher, I can kind of control the game. I also enjoy being a captain figure on the field,” said Sullivan.

This intense desire to be on the diamond only grew with time, leading him to commit to Binghamton at the start of his junior year. After visiting the campus, Sullivan instantly fell in love with the atmosphere and the people there. 

“At first, I didn’t really know much about Binghamton. Throughout the summer, more teams were interested, but Binghamton kept staying in contact with me. It showed that they cared, and it really meant a lot to me for someone to care,” Sullivan expressed. 

Talent can come at a cost, though. When someone finds their direction in life, say, a passion that they make their main ambition, there’s always the danger of having it define them. Although there’s a lot more to an individual than their talents, society can be quick to label them as just that.

“If everyone were to look at me, they’d say ‘Oh, that’s Evin Sullivan, he plays baseball’, and I can understand that,” explained Sullivan. “That’s what I most show about myself. However, I feel like the people that really know me understand that I care a lot, that I’m an easy person to talk to. You can’t really control what people think about you, but the only thing I’d really want people to know is that I’m a good person. That’s really what I strive for in everything that I do.”

In the midst of working hard, Sullivan aims to remember his purpose at all times. Playing a sport is no easy feat, something that requires a large amount of work and effort.

“During early morning liftings, where we’re up at, say, 5:30 in the morning, I always try to remind myself how bad I want to succeed. That’s the question you should ask yourself – how bad do you want it? People will like playing a sport, but they don’t always want it. For me, I really just want to be the best I can be.”

When it comes to wise words, Sullivan keeps these two words in mind: be yourself. 

“Don’t try to be like anyone else. That could be related to sports, but also, anything in life. For me, sports-wise, if I just play the way I do, people like it, people want to see it. Being authentic to myself was how I got recruited. Non-sports wise, if you just be yourself, eventually, you’ll be surrounded by the right people. That’s all that truly matters.”