From the Warning Track to the Hall of Fame

What’s one of Erik Munzer ’13’s favorite moments from his Sagehens baseball career?

Easy.

During a home game against Chapman University, a batter sent a long fly ball deep into the left-center gap—a near-certain base hit. But Munzer, playing centerfield, tracked it down and made a diving catch on the warning track.

Plays like that helped earn him a 2013 Rawlings Gold Glove.

A two-sport standout with Pomona-Pitzer Athletics, Munzer is one of ten former athletes being inducted this month into the Sagehens Hall of Fame, joining more than 300 honorees since its founding in 1958. The only two-sport athlete in this year’s class, Munzer divided his energies between baseball and soccer. He said the two sports complemented each other; in many ways, he added, his time on the soccer team probably contributed to his gold glove award in baseball.

“I’m really proud of that award,” he said. “I think playing soccer for the Sagehens helped me with my speed and my defensive side in baseball.”

At Pitzer, Munzer balanced a philosophy major with year-round athletics. It was demanding, but it fueled the competitive drive he now brings to his role as an area sales manager at Worldwide Express.

“The competitive nature of sports translates directly to sales,” he said. “It was a perfect transition for me.”
Before launching his career, though, Munzer spent a brief stint (about four months) playing and coaching baseball in Belgium—an opportunity made possible by Sagehens Head Coach Frank Pericolosi, who connected players with European clubs.

“It was a really great opportunity because I didn’t get a chance to study abroad,” he said. “When you’re playing team sports both semesters of the year, studying abroad’s not an option. I had a great time spending four months in Belgium coaching as well as doing some traveling. It was an amazing experience, and I knew about it because of classmates who graduated before me who did that.”

His Pitzer Plans

Munzer’s path to Pitzer began at Beverly Hills High School, where Beverly Hills High School alum and former Sagehen Steve Fenton ’92 encouraged him to consider the college’s balance of academics and Division III athletics.

“He was the one who suggested Pitzer to me,” Munzer recalled. “If it wasn’t for him, I’m not sure my undergraduate career would have taken me there. Steve was a real booster of the school and a real booster for me, too. He gave me this excitement about going there; he introduced me to the Sagehens coaches and sports programs to make that relationship happen. I give him full credit.”

What often attracts student-athletes to the Pomona-Pitzer program is, in addition to its D3 domination, the fact that the program is about more than just the performance on the field. It’s also about creating camaraderie, building a network and learning from teammates about the kind of leadership that can be used in any profession. Munzer agreed.

“When you’re playing sports, you’re building a community within a community,” he said. “My experience was super diverse. I met people who had their various interests and clubs they were(?) interested in and had passion. That’s what made the experience on the whole a positive one. You have all these really bright individuals working together and learning to help each other.”

Munzer and his fellow hall of famers will be inducted at a ceremony on April 30 in the Edmunds Ballroom at Pomona College.

More information on the induction ceremony