Working out in the weight room, going over scouting reports and preparing relentlessly are just some of the things that 21-year-old, Cal State East Bay pitcher Sean Becker does to get ready for his next start.

Born in San Fernando, the youngest of five, Becker at a very young age found what would become a major part of his life.

“I started playing baseball when I was four and a half, so I started pretty young,” said Becker. “My dad kind of molded me from the very beginning, it was baseball or nothing.”

Becker played travel and club baseball along with high school, and very quickly the game became a continuous activity for him.

“It was always year round, it was never ending,” said Becker. “That’s the way it always was and that’s they way I’m happy it was, playing a lot just makes you better.”

Coming out of high school, Becker attended Los Angeles Mission College, which is a two-year community college where he pitched for their baseball team.

After attending L.A. Mission College, Cal State San Marcos offered Becker a scholarship to play, but was one math class away from being able to transfer and was forced to take a year off; his first away from baseball since he began at the age of four and a half.

While this was a difficult problem for Becker, he says, he used it as motivation to continue working hard so he could continue playing baseball.

“The biggest deal for me was working through that year off. So I had to get over that hump and say … not over for me,” said Becker. “Working hard every day in the weight room so I did have the opportunity to be able to go and play somewhere after that was really the biggest hurdle I’ve had to face as far as baseball is concerned.”

Despite facing injuries, being away from the game was the hardest thing Becker has gone through.

“In high school I broke my clavicle and my wrist both during baseball season, that was pretty tough, but it still doesn’t compare to the year I had to take off though.”

The hard work paid off when Becker found himself looking for colleges to continue his baseball and student career.

When it came to choosing a university to attend, Becker very serendipitously found CSUEB.

“I knew the CCAA was the best conference and had the best competition for Division II,” said Becker. “Especially being in California it was a no brainer to try and get into that conference and then I heard about East Bay.”

“It has turned out to be a very good decision because the team has come together and we are doing so well and so that’s pretty special.”

When it comes to his love of the game, Becker sees baseball as an outlet as well as a way for an education.

“The reason I still love it is that I’m a very competitive person, I’m a very competitive person no matter what it is,” explained Becker. “I always want to win but I think baseball has kept me in school too.”

Becker does not take being a student-athlete lightly and works hard to set a good example and finds solace in the game he loves.

“There’s kind of a code if you carry yourself a certain way when you are on campus. It’s kind of like being in a fraternity or a sorority,” said Becker. “There is certain days that practice is the only thing you look forward to or being on field is all you look forward to.”

More than finding solace in baseball, Becker sees his team as a family and a huge support system for him.

“Being a part of a team is probably my favorite part because if I was up here not playing baseball and I wasn’t part of the team and I didn’t have those 25-30 guys to call my brothers then it would suck for me,” said Becker. “Just going to school living away from my family that wouldn’t seem fun. Having those guys behind me and having that team, going through it together is a big deal for any student-athlete”

There are also many difficulties that come with being a student-athlete, which Becker is more than familiar with.

“The grind is the worst thing about it,” said Becker. “I had a 10 page and an eight page paper due in the same week and still had to worry about Chico State and if you don’t take care of the student side, you can’t be the athlete.

Becker finds support from his friends, family and girlfriend but credits his father and high school baseball coach for shaping him into the man and baseball player he is today.

When it comes to being prepared for his starts, Becker takes it all very seriously and has everything well planned out.

“I am probably one of the most routine orientated guys on the team. I take my time to get ready for a game, I don’t like to be rushed,” said Becker. “On a Monday I am usually still sore, my back is still completely tight so that’s when I just loosen up and by Tuesday or Thursday I’ll play some long toss … trying to build up the strength in my arm to get it going for the weekend. I’ll probably throw a short bullpen and then I probably won’t even throw a ball a day before my start.”

Being professional and playing baseball the right way is something Becker takes very seriously. He believes it has to do with being inundated by baseball his whole life.

“Ever since I was a little kid and having baseball surround me every day, I always wanted to act like a professional,” said Becker. “I’ve always wanted to act like a big leaguer, act professional especially when I got older because you see some guys that just don’t respect the game and that was one thing that my dad instilled in me was that you are going to act the right way on the field.”

Becker is not without his stereotypical baseball superstitions and quirks.

“The Mohawk, I’ve had the Mohawk since junior college,” said Becker. “I always have to have clean cleats, always clean my cleats before every game.”

In his first year at CSUEB, Becker is off to a stellar start. He has a 6-1 win/loss record and a 1.27 earned run average. He has won CCAA Pitcher of the Week twice along with West Region Pitcher of the Week.

Despite all the accolades, Becker seems to brush them aside and focus on the team.

“As far as those things go, its good. Its cool to be able to look back and say that I did that but to be completely honest with you, it really doesn’t mean anything,” said Becker. “It’s not going to get our team another win, its not going to put the team in the playoffs and that’s really the only thing that matters.”

Becker, who majors in kinesiology, already has a good idea of what he wants to do after he leaves East Bay.

“I think I will probably get into law enforcement,” said Becker. “It has kind of intrigued me as far as the every day challenge of it so I think that is the way that I’m heading right now, that or coaching.”

Being competitive and always striving for the  better are two things that seem to envelop Becker’s life and despite his accolades and successes, he lives his life by a simple phrase.

“Stay humble and hungry,” said Becker. “Humble and hungry no matter what happens, no matter what awards you get.”