Peoria, Ill. -- When Dan Puente looks back on his Bradley Baseball career, the word that comes to mind is transformational. Today, Puente is a coach with the Cleveland Guardians, working at the highest level of the sport, but his path to the big leagues was anything but easy.

Learning Toughness at Bradley

Puente arrived on the Hilltop with big dreams but was quickly humbled. As a freshman catcher, he hit just .190 with little offensive impact, relying on his above-average defense to stay in the lineup.

More than statistics, though, his first year tested his resilience in unimaginable ways. "I lost my mother my freshman year, and it was my coaches and teammates who became family to me," Puente recalled. "They supported me in the classroom and on the field. I don't think I would have finished school or had the opportunity to play pro ball without that support."

Puente leaned on that Bradley brotherhood while pushing himself physically. Incremental strength gains between seasons didn't translate into immediate success, but his perseverance paid off by junior year. With the help of innovative training routines—like having student managers throw challenging "short box" batting practice—Puente broke through offensively, posting an OPS near .780 with strong plate discipline. That confidence carried into his senior season, where he solidified himself as a complete player and earned a 12th-round selection by the Baltimore Orioles.

Lessons for the Next Generation

Now a Major League coach, Puente shares a perspective shaped by both his own struggles and the elite players he works with daily.

"For players who want to play pro ball, you have to understand you're competing against players from all over the world," he said. "It's highly competitive, and the level of athlete is only getting better."

Puente emphasizes that even the game's brightest stars rely on strict daily routines—covering everything from skill development to nutrition to mental training. "If the best in the world have these routines, then the expectation is college players and minor leaguers need to do the same," he explained. "This isn't to discourage—it's to motivate. You have to be willing to make sacrifices daily if you want to reach that level."

Above all, he stresses the importance of grit, self-evaluation, and being a good teammate. "The game will beat you up," Puente said. "The ones who make it zoom out, bounce back, and keep going. And if you're a good teammate, people want you around. That matters more than players realize."

Life in the Big Leagues

Coaching in the Majors has brought Puente close to some of the game's biggest names. Asked who's the funniest player he's worked with, he didn't hesitate: Jose Ramirez. "Hands down, Jose," Puente laughed. "He chirps in both Spanish and English, no one is off-limits, and he keeps it fun every day. Then he goes out and plays with so much energy over 162 games. He's incredible."

Favorite Bradley Memory

Despite a career that's taken him to the highest level of baseball, Puente still cherishes his days in Peoria—on the field and off. Tuesdays meant all-you-can-eat spaghetti at Avanti's, Fridays brought cheap pizza and wings at Gorman's, and when he wanted to "class it up," he'd head to One World.

But his favorite baseball memory came in 2003, catching Colin Walker in a Friday night duel against future big leaguer Mike Pelfrey and Wichita State. Walker tossed a complete-game shutout in a 1-0 win, a performance Puente described as "like playing a video game." He still remembers the decisive RBI single like it was yesterday.

Paying It Forward

Two decades later, Puente carries Bradley's lessons of toughness, perseverance, and family into his coaching career. Whether it's guiding Guardians hitters or speaking to the next wave of Braves, he remains committed to paying forward the belief and support that shaped his own journey.