15th and final installment in a series of stories highlighting the academic and community achievements of Rocket student-athletes

By Chris Cullum, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications
 

Darryn Davis knew early on in his college search that the University of Toledo was the place for him.

The Ann Arbor, Mich. native was a two-sport athlete at Skyline High School, serving as the starting quarterback for three years while lettering four years on the baseball team.

"Baseball has always been my sport," Davis said. "I've always liked football; I can talk about football for days. But baseball has always been my passion."

Not only is he passionate about the game, he's also pretty darn good at it too. Upon graduation, Davis owned the career games played, hits, doubles, triples, runs, and RBI records at Skyline.

But it wasn't just athletics that brought Davis to Toledo. A three-time academic excellence award winner in high school for both football and baseball, Davis was drawn to its academic opportunities as well.

"Toledo had the best mix of everything I was looking for," he said. "Whether it was academically, athletically, or socially, I thought that Toledo would offer me the best opportunity for everything I wanted to do."

Davis specifically mentioned the College of Business and Innovation as a big draw when he came on his campus visit. Not only was the building itself impressive, he also left his visit believing that no matter what path he chose, he would be putting himself in the best position academically.

"When I visited, they made it clear that every major in the College of Business and Innovation had a lot of opportunities," Davis said. "I hadn't really decided yet what I wanted to major in, but I knew that I could choose any major in the College of Business and be happy."

A junior this year, Davis in majoring in information systems. He had taken an interest in that subject after taking a class as a sophomore, sparking his decision. Davis' father works in IT, a related field, so he's been able to use him as a resource as he progresses in his studies.

"It is cool to talk to someone who works in that field every single day about how he interacts with people and how he gets things done," Davis said. "Information like that will really help me when I get my career started."

Athletically, things really came together for Davis this past season on the diamond. He was excellent as a sophomore in the Rockets' abbreviated 2020 season, hitting.400 (24-for-60) in 16 games and leading the team with 17 RBIs. Davis ranked second in the MAC in batting average, hits, and on-base percentage (.532). He carried a 20-game hitting streak into the 2020 season, the longest by a Rocket since 2010.

"Darryn Davis is the epitome of a student-athlete," Toledo baseball head coach Rob Reinstetle said. "In his two years at Toledo he has excelled on the field and in the classroom. Darryn is an all-around great young man and we're so fortunate to have him in the program. He has shown the focus and drive to be excellent in all areas of his life and is a fantastic teammate."

Davis has been stellar in the classroom, carrying a 3.96 cumulative grade point average entering this semester. For his efforts athletically and academically, Davis earned CoSIDA Academic All-District honors this past summer, the eighth player in program history to earn that recognition. The College Sports Information Directors of America annually select Academic All-District and Academic All-America teams based off combined performances on the field and in the classroom.

In addition to being an exemplary student and exceptional athlete, Davis serves as one of the baseball team's two representatives on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). With so much going on, his schedule fills up pretty quickly, so it's important to him to manage his time properly.

"I can sometimes be a little bit of a procrastinator," Davis said. "I like to schedule things out for all my activities a little bit in advance. If I don't do that then I start cramming and I'm not doing the best that I can."

His planning seems to be paying off, as Davis is on track to graduate in the spring of 2022. He is open to anything when it comes to finding a job after college, though he does have one item at the top of his checklist.

"I don't like the winters up here," he said. "So I'm going to try to look at some opportunities down south or out west where it's warmer."

Before he started his collegiate career, Davis filled out a recruiting questionnaire and had this to say about his decision to come to Toledo: "I was drawn to the school for both my academic and athletic interests. I feel like at Toledo I can achieve anything with the resources provided to me."

Two years into his career as a Rocket, it looks like he could not have been more right.

Previous Stories About Academic and Community Achievements of Rocket Student-Athletes
Oct. 9 - Shoults Relates Tennis and Taekwondo to Shape Toledo Experience
Oct. 5 - Yana Khabina Looks to End Her Career as a Champion
Sept. 30 - Golf Brings a World of Experience to David Amm
Sept. 24 - Erin Hunt Expanding Her Future Options in Medical Field
Sept. 22 - Emma Sampson Making the Most of Her Time at Toledo
Sept. 17 - Alex Kelker Follows Fast Track to Graduate School
Sept. 15 - Spencer Littleson Using Business Classes to Prepare for Coaching Career
Sept. 10 - Ashton Cassel and Betsy Lueck Perfecting Nursing Craft with Rockets            
Sept. 4 - Chloee Kleespies is Driven to Help Other Diabetic Athletes
Sept. 1 - Stephanie Sherman Follows New Course to Surprising Career Path
Aug. 27 - Amelia Lee Programming Herself for Future Success
Aug. 25 - Competition Breeds Success for Mariah Copeland
Aug. 21 - Eileen Carney Gets Her Teeth into Student-Athlete Experience
Aug. 18 - Bryce Harris Followed His Heart to Find a Career Path