Donovan Clark, a junior business major, transferred from IPFW last fall. While there, Clark was a part of the Mastodon baseball team. His collegiate athletic experience didn’t start there, however.

Coming out of South Side High School in Fort Wayne, he was signed to play football at Indiana University.

“It was relatively close to home, so my family could come see some games,” Clark says. “They also offered me a full-ride.”

He got significant minutes as a freshman down in Bloomington and helped the Hoosiers beat number 18 ranked Missouri that fall. He looked to be an influential player until a lower back injury sidelined him for the rest of the season. With his football career on hold, Donovan felt that IU wasn’t the place for him.

“It was a great school, but I didn’t feel I was ready to hang my cleats up yet,” Clark says.

A multi-sport athlete in high school, Clark felt that he would be able to continue his athletic career if he chose a different sport — baseball. Due to IPFW’s affiliation with Indiana University, the credits Donovan acquired during his freshman year would all transfer over. The campus is even closer to his home, and he was able to be a part of a team again, but it still didn’t feel right for Clark.

“While at IPFW, I realized that I had the potential to be really good at baseball,” he says. “The school and the team there were great, but I wanted to find a place that would really develop me as a player.”

While looking for a school that would help take his baseball talents to the next level, Clark communicated with former high school teammate and Indiana University transfer, Will Coursen-Carr (class of 2017).

Carr’s influence and the home-like atmosphere of Huntington University made Clark feel that this is the place he is supposed to be.

“The first few months were a little rough,” Clark says. “Huntington is a different place than [IU] and IPFW, so it took a moment to adjust.”

Clark says he’s found “some great friends” at HU and thinks he’s adapted well.

One of the biggest differences from his previous schools to now is the size of the student body.

IU, IPFW, and even South Side High School have more students than Huntington, but for Clark, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

“I feel like I am known by more people here,” he says. “With the smaller community, I am able to know more of my classmates while more of them know me. I enjoy that.”

Due to the sudden end of his football career, Clark is happy just to be playing another day.

“I am able to look forward to everything that happens during baseball because I know that I’m not guaranteed another practice or game,” he mentions.

He and the rest of the Forester baseball team look to avenge their Crossroads League title from last year.