My time at CPC: A first-year student-athlete’s retrospective

By Dalton Koller

Knightly News Reporter

dalton.koller@mymail.centralpenn.edu

When I committed to Central Penn College on Oct. 14, 2021, during my senior year of high school, I was extremely excited to advance my academic and athletic career, and take those skills to the next level (shout-out to Ryan Stevens).

Now if you were to tell that past version of me about all the amazing things I witnessed, all the wonderful people I met and all the incredible things I accomplished this year, I would have called you wildly optimistic.

But as it turns out, all those things did happen, and I could not be more grateful that they did. This year has easily been one of the best in my life, and I have everyone at this school to thank for that.

Now, in terms of how my first year of classes went, I would say it went well. I made the dean’s list my first term on campus, which I am extremely proud of, and I’m looking to repeat that feat again this term.

Some of the professors I had were the best I ever had as well: Susan Black, Paul Miller and Amanda Stuckey, just to name a few.

And then there’s baseball

When it comes to how my first season of baseball went, I’d be willing to say that it went even better than my classes did.

I got to play the sport I love and I had an amazing season from an individual aspect, all while getting to play it with people I’m proud to call my brothers and my family (especially my roommates Adam Hoover, Bryan Rodriguez and Ryan Stevens).

The Knights, ready for action. Photo by Dylan Bowman

Now, even though the season didn’t end the way I, the rest of the team, the coaching staff (shout-out to Coach Robert Stern and to Coach Shawn Grady) and all the people who root for the Central Penn Knights would’ve wanted, we as a team still did amazing things.

We won the most games in a single season in school history, we had the highest winning percentage in a complete single season in school history and we finished second in the Eastern States Athletic Conference, which in my opinion is nothing to bat an eye at.

And on top of that, we had two All-American honorable mentions for the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) — Shais Roman and I, and we had three academic All-Americans — Ryan Stevens, Zach Boyer and Nick Fulton.

So, with all that said, I had an amazing first year and first baseball season at Central Penn, and I can’t wait for the experiences and memories that will come next year, and what my future at Central Penn holds.


Koller is a pitcher (righty) and outfielder for The Knights.

Comment or story idea? Contact KnightlyEditors@CentralPenn.Edu.

Edited by media-club co-adviser and blog editor Professor Michael Lear-Olimpi.