Mike Alvarez is a 20-year-old transfer junior, with Quincy University being his third stop in college.

Alvarez’s first stop was also in Illinois. Out of high school, Alvarez went to Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, Illinois. This junior college propelled him to play a year of Division I baseball. He then decided to transfer to Quincy after his previous school, the University of Hartford, chose to drop from Division I to Division III National Collegiate Athletic Association competition.

Alvarez studies business at Quincy, and when he’s not studying for class, you’re likely to find him at the baseball field.

Alvarez, being a late-summer transfer to Quincy University, had the option to live on or off campus, he chose the latter, opting to live in the dorms. Alvarez lives with all QU baseball players, which helped make his transition easier.

“Who is this big guy? He is new to campus, but he is a really nice, fun-loving guy, super energetic, though he kind of bounces off the walls,” Alex Hagan said.

This is a common impression of Alvarez, that he brings positive energy to any place he walks into. However, like everyone else, Alvarez is not perfect.

“He is always keeping it interesting and making me laugh, but he is not the cleanest guy,” Logan Mueller said.

Despite some mess, Alvarez’s energy is still a positive contribution, according to his dorm mates.

Alvarez originally comes from metropolitan Atlanta, leading him to be a Braves fan, however, for football, he is a loyal Dallas Cowboys fan despite the fact that the closest NFL team to him is less than a half hour from his home.

Alvarez also cuts teammates’ hair for them to keep them looking good on and off the field.

“Since there were not many barbers in the area I decided to start cutting my guys’ hair to keep them looking fresh,” Mike Alvarez said.

His Instagram where he posts all of the haircuts he does is “bigmikecutzzz“.

“My two different schools were both different city types than Quincy being a small rural city that has fewer people than the other two,” Alvarez said. “I think that Quincy is very enjoyable because it’s very close-knit and I feel like the city supports our baseball program a lot, and I take that to heart.”

Alvarez is currently in his off-season for baseball, where he looks to make the same positive impact he has made on students at Quincy on the field in the spring for the Quincy University Hawks baseball team.