Brandon Beachy is doing things no one else who hails from Indiana Wesleyan University has ever done before.

The former Wildcat infielder turned professional pitcher said it has been a whirlwind ride to MLB fame since his playing days at IWU in 2005-08.

“It’s something I never expected to happen, up until midway through 2010,” Beachy said. “I didn’t think it was all that realistic. When I think about where I am today and where i was just two years ago, three years ago, it’s pretty remarkable.”

That humble attitude is just one of Beachy’s attributes that former coach and current IWU Athletic Director Mark DeMichael said has helped him get to this point.

“He’s not going to allow himself to be comfortable, and that’s what will make Brandon continue to be successful,” DeMichael said. “He’s going to continue to demand more of himself to be even better. I know he’s not hit his ceiling yet, I know he’s got a lot of room to get better.”

But Beachy isn’t all about what goes on in between the foul poles. He’s still the same private person from Kokomo, Ind.; he just happens to play for the Atlanta Braves.

“Being in the public now, I do get recognized every now and then and it’s just something you have to deal with,” Beachy said. “I don’t necessarily like the attention or want people to look at me differently because of what I do. That’s not who I am. When it comes down to it, what I believe hasn’t changed, and who I am hasn’t really changed.”

While baseball may be what pays the bills, Beachy has hopes of making an impact even when he steps off the mound.

“I hope to play this game for as long as I can, and I hope to do a lot of good outside of the game of baseball through the abilities that I have been blessed with,” Beachy said. “I’d like to use that platform for a much greater good.”

Some of that good has already been accomplished for his old stomping grounds. DeMichael said having a former player have the success Beachy has had helps the university gain positive recognition.

“Think about what that does for a school like ours to have Indiana Wesleyan University mentioned on “Sports Center,” ” DeMichael said. “Articles all over the country when they talk about his experience at Indiana Wesleyan University, that’s just something I think is something really cool for the school to be proud of.”

Even current IWU baseball players gain from having a player who came before them being in the pros. Wildcat pitcher Tim Zeigler (sr) said even from afar, Beachy has contributed to his old team.

“Our pitching coach has been telling us, whenever he talks to Brandon, the stuff that he’s learning in the Braves organization is the stuff that we’re learning here,” Zeigler said. “It gives you a confidence boost knowing that you’re doing the right things.”

Zeigler also said it gives players something to shoot for.

“When you’re a kid growing up, if you play a sport you always want to play professionally,” Zeigler said. “As you get older, yeah, that dream kind of dies down, but when you get here and you see [Beachy] make it into the pros it kind of gives you that little extra feeling of, ‘if he can do it maybe I can too.’ ”

Brandon Beachy is already making a name for himself on the baseball diamond, but the coming years could prove that his impact outside of the field could be as great as his fastball.