Taran Rose left a snow-covered Melbourne, Australia, in July 2024 to play college baseball thousands of miles from home. Now, as a junior catcher at Quincy University, Rose balances the demands of college baseball with a biology and pre-med course load as he works toward becoming a pediatrician. 

Rose began playing baseball at age six after his father introduced him to the sport. What started as a childhood activity eventually turned into a goal that would take him halfway around the world.

“I instantly fell in love with baseball,” Rose said. 

By age 14, Rose knew he wanted to play college baseball in the United States. He began the recruiting process at the start of his senior year of high school. After a friend recommended the recruiting service Study and Play USA, Rose had five opportunities to continue his academic and athletic aspirations, with three emerging as serious options. 

“I chose Quincy because I really liked the campus. It’s small. It was just a small community, which I feel like I thrive better in. I also liked class size and the ability to work closely with professors and opportunity to build connections,” Rose said. 

The move to the United States exposed Rose to a more competitive level of baseball. He described himself as “undersized” when he arrived and quickly realized he needed to become stronger and more athletic to compete. Adjusting to a new country also proved difficult, but despite the challenges, Rose believes his decision to come to the United States was worth it.

“If I didn’t chase my dream of playing college baseball, I would have regretted it for the rest of my life,” Rose said.

Baseball is only one part of Rose’s schedule. Since ninth grade, he has wanted to become a pediatrician due to his interest in science and the human body. He later learned that his grandfather had worked as a pediatrician, adding an extra element of interest to the profession in the form of family connection.

Balancing college baseball with a demanding pre-med course load requires careful time management and a ton of brain power. Rose’s roommate, teammate and classmate, Garrin Stone, understands those demands firsthand as he studies biology on the pre-med track, with his eyes set on medical school upon graduation. 

“Taran handles the workload better than anybody I’ve seen,” Stone said.

Rose’s ability to handle the intense schedule can be seen in his two Brother James Gaffney Distinguished Scholar Awards, an annual Great Lakes Valley Conference honor given to student‑athletes who earn a 4.0 GPA.

For Rose, distance from home remains one of the hardest parts of living in the United States. He misses birthdays and other milestones with family and friends in Australia, along with parts of daily life, especially the country’s coffee that he claims is the “best in the world.”

Quincy University catching coach Etienne Thomas understands the challenges Rose faces because Thomas also came to the United States from overseas to attend college. His own experience gives him a personal connection to Rose’s adjustment to a new country and culture.

Thomas has watched Rose develop as a catcher. He identifies receiving and blocking as two of Rose’s strengths, skills that he said Rose has worked incredibly hard on to improve, especially his techniques from different catching stances. Thomas also praised Rose’s communication with the pitching staff and his willingness to help them improve.

“He is a very coachable athlete,” Thomas said.

Moving from Melbourne to Quincy has required Rose to adjust to a new country, a more competitive baseball environment and the demands of college academics. Through those challenges, he has gained confidence and has altered how he views his own abilities. 

“The whole journey of coming to Quincy has made me realize that I’m a lot more capable than I think I am. I’ve also definitely found a new sense of work ethic and honestly, the best thing that I’ve done in my life was coming to America,” Rose said.