September 30 - Playing a Division I sport at one of the country’s top academic colleges was not enough for John Yoest.
The College of William and Mary pitcher and Yorktown graduate is fulfilling his childhood dream of enlisting in the military after becoming the first player in program history to commision in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC).
For most students it would be difficult to balance both commitments, but for Yoest, a senior right-hander, participating in one extra-curricular has helped prepare him for the other.
“Being a Division I athlete has made me a more focused future officer and taught me so much about the importance of teamwork and unit cohesion, and similarly, the military has also shaped me to be a more disciplined varsity athlete,” Yoest said.
He feels the parallels of competing in collegiate baseball and the rigors of military training have allowed him to succeed in both. Specifically for Yoest, it has been the lessons learned in baseball that have made him a more competent cadet.
“You can’t put in words to how formidable it is to lose a baseball game or, as a pitcher, to have the game sitting in your hands, to handle that amount of pressure,” Yoest said. “Working to learn the composure to pitch in front of a stadium full of people, I think will help me with the composure you need to face the stress and pressure in the high-stakes military situations."
William & Mary coach Brian Murphy agrees.
“Some of the discipline and leadership qualities are certainly transferable,” Murphy said. “Obviously, you have a ton of respect for someone who is going to go in the military to defend all of us and it definitely takes a special person to do that.”
Yoest’s inspiration in joining the military started at a young age and stems from his family. His grandfather spent over 20 years in the Navy, and his father, Jack, was a Captain in the Army. Yoest recalls the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the emotions he felt that morning, which helped lead to his decision to one day serve.
“I’ve had this dream to serve since I was a little kid,” he said. “‘How in the world am I going to make it happen?’. It seemed impossible to to do both ROTC and baseball.”
While at Yorktown, Yoest applied to every service academy in the country. In the end, wanting to continue his athletic career, he accepted a preferred walk-on offer with the Tribe, knowing he could also join the school’s ROTC program.
“It was God’s will that I ended up at William and Mary,” he said.
After getting acclimated to the academic and athletic rigors of a Division I athlete his freshman year, he added ROTC to his schedule as a sophomore. The following year, Yoest was contracted by the Army.
“It was not a smooth route and it wasn’t easy,” Yoest said. “One of the most challenging things I have ever done was to balance both, but it has come together and it’s been a real blessing.”
As an incoming freshman, Yoest’s fastball topped out at just 84 mph. He attributes his hard work as a preferred walk-on and discipline gained as a cadet in ROTC to his success on the field. Yoest now boasts a fastball topping at 93 MPH, and Murphy considers him one of his best weapons out of the bullpen.
“His stuff is tough to hit and he’s pitched some pretty big innings for us,” Murphy said. “He’ll have a chance to be apart of another pretty good bullpen this spring.
“I think he was apprehensive on how he was going to be able to do both, but it’s a credit to him. John is driven guy and he has done a really good job with balancing all that he has had on his plate.”
Yoest appeared in 20 games for the Tribe in 2016, no appearance more important than his outing against UNC-Wilmington in the Colonial Athletic Association championship game. He pitched three scoreless innings and earned the win to send William & Mary to the NCAA Tournament. He would then appear in regional games against East Carolina and Virginia.
After the season, Yoest had the opportunity to rest before he reported to Fort Knox in Kentucky for summer military training. At the camp, the cadets are ranked from 1-40 within their platoon. Both summers Yoest has gone to the training, he was ranked No. 1. Those honors help him build a military resume as he eyes a potential career as an officer.
“People always ask me about doing both ROTC and baseball because it is unusual,” he said. “What it is is being able to operate well within a team. I think I learned the Army’s definition of leadership through baseball and being on a team of athletes.”
Photos courtesy of Yoest Family and William & Mary Athletics
