Choosing Challenge: Alex Henderson '27 Finds His Place at CMC and CMS
When Alex Henderson '27 decided to transfer after his freshman year at Occidental College, the choice came down to two priorities: competition and academics.

"I'm competitive and I wanted to be in a program that was committed to winning, and I felt that CMS was trending in that direction," Henderson said. "I also realized I wanted to fully focus on a top-tier economics education, which allowed me to pursue both my degree and baseball at a high level."

Encouraged by his parents, who he calls his biggest influence, Henderson made the move to Claremont McKenna College and joined the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Stags. The transition meant leaving behind familiarity for a new challenge. It is exactly what he was looking for.

Finding His Fit at Claremont McKenna College
In the classroom, Henderson has embraced the rigor that drew him to CMC in the first place. His favorite professor so far has been Professor Garin.

"He always made class enjoyable and I see him around campus pretty often," Henderson said. "He always has a smile on his face and takes the time to check in about both school and baseball, which means a lot."

The coursework has pushed him. Financial Derivatives stands out as the most challenging class he has taken so far, and he is currently enrolled in it. At the same time, some classes have surprised him.

"Psychology definitely surprised me," he said. "I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did, but I found it interesting because it overlaps so much with economics, especially when it comes to understanding behavior and decision-making."

When it is time to study, Henderson heads to the new Science Center. If he needs to work through problems, he will often find an empty classroom and use a whiteboard to map things out step by step.

Balancing academics and athletics requires structure. During the season, his days revolve around classes first, with baseball scheduled around them. Most nights are spent lifting and finishing homework before doing it all again the next day.

Looking ahead, Henderson sees his economics degree playing a major role in his future. He is especially interested in firms that invest in professional sports teams, a growing space that would allow him to apply his academic background in an industry he knows well.

Raising the Standard at CMS
On the field, Henderson has already made his presence felt. Last season, he delivered multiple multi-home-run games during the NCAA Regionals, including two three-home-run performances that helped propel CMS to a regional title. It remains his favorite baseball memory at CMS.

"Winning the regional last year, without a doubt," he said. "I don't think anything will come close to that memory for a long time."

What did a three-home-run day feel like?

"It's honestly hard to put into words, but in the batter's box everything felt incredibly calm and simple. The game slowed down and the ball looked bigger than normal."

Even in the middle of that performance, he was not thinking about records. "You don't really think about those things in the moment," he said. "You sort of just focus on each game one by one."

That steady approach continues to define his mindset. After a historic season, the team's expectations have changed. "It raised the standard for what we should accomplish and it's definitely something to be proud of, but there is always room for improvement."

As a team, the goal this year is consistency. They want to play their brand of baseball and enjoy it while doing so. Personally, Henderson keeps it simple.

"I want to be the best player and teammate that I can," he said. "I take a lot of pride in my preparation. No one really sees it, but I follow a very specific routine leading up to games to make sure I'm mentally ready."

Much of what he values about his game happens before the first pitch. His walk-up song, "Summer Love" by Justin Timberlake, sets the tone. His foundation in the game, however, goes back much further.

"My dad got me into baseball at a really young age," Henderson said. One of his earliest memories is at his grandparents' house, using a small plastic Wiffle ball bat while his dad flipped him the ball. That is where he first learned to hit left-handed.

Off the field, he enjoys spending time with teammates on Green Beach or grabbing a postgame meal at Chipotle or WaBa Grill. If baseball were not in the picture, he says he would have wanted to play basketball, a sport he grew up playing and still enjoys.
 
For Henderson, transferring to CMC and CMS was about finding a place that matched his ambition. What he found was more than that - he found a team, a campus, and a challenge that pushed him every day.

He came to Claremont looking for something harder, something that would demand more from him in the classroom and on the field. Now, whether he is standing at a whiteboard in the Science Center or settling into the batter's box with the game on the line, he is exactly where he chose to be.