Thanks to his achievements as a former Mustang baseball star, alum Casey Bloomquist (Agricultural Business, ‘20) was recently inducted into the Cal Poly Athletics Hall of Fame. When he found out, he was taken aback by the recognition.

"I was speechless," Bloomquist recalled. "There's just no better feeling. Cal Poly has given me so much and there's no way I can ever repay it, but I try to help as much as I can through volunteering and giving back."

Bloomquist gives back by volunteering to lead the Cal Poly Alumni Association’s (CPAA) Bakersfield, Calif. community. For the past year, he has worked with his fellow CPAA leaders in the Central Valley to help revamp and reinvigorate the CPAA’s presence in the region by planning events, mixers and other engagement opportunities to get more Cal Poly alumni involved.

Bloomquist always knew that he wanted to go to Cal Poly. The baseball standout was raised in Bakersfield and had his sights set on being a Mustang early on, especially if it would allow him to pursue his two interests: baseball and agriculture.

"Growing up, a lot of people went to Cal Poly, and they ended up offering me a scholarship to play baseball," he said. "I immediately jumped at the opportunity to play at a great institution with a respectable and reputable baseball program and also a school that has such a strong background in agriculture."

Bloomquist made his mark on campus as a star pitcher for the Cal Poly baseball team. A 2014 NCAA first-team All-American, he posted a 26-6 career win-loss record, currently holds the school record for lowest ERA in a season at 1.56 over 98 innings and is tied for second for most wins in a season (12). 

His performance on the mound didn’t go unnoticed, and in 2015 he was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 17th round where he played for five teams in four minor league seasons, reaching as high as Double-A. He won 16 games and finished with a 3.93 ERA in his professional career, pitching in 98 games before an elbow injury sidelined his career in 2018. After transitioning to coaching for a year, Bloomquist realized he wanted to pursue a career more in line with his major and the agricultural work he grew up around in the Central Valley. 

Today, Bloomquist moved back to his hometown and is working in agricultural sales. He credits the hands-on work and Learn by Doing training that he received in his classes with preparing him well for his career.

"A lot of the Ag classes made you really get down to the nitty-gritty and see what it's like for boots on the ground, and not just for getting a classroom perspective," he said. "It's one thing to read something, but to actually get out in the field and do it and make it come to life, it really puts a perspective of the functionality of things and how the real world works."

In addition to volunteering, Bloomquist still tries to stay connected to campus in other ways, such as returning for events during the baseball season or attending an occasional football game. He is also still remarkably close with his former teammates, some of whom he considers his best friends, and is grateful for all the relationships and opportunities that have come about thanks to his alma mater.

"Cal Poly truly is a special place," he reflected. "Whether it's students, faculty, staff, or anyone who is affiliated with the school, it's a connection that is really special. Anytime you meet an alum, you immediately have that bond, which I think is wonderful."

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