Who We Are: Quinn Flanagan
Quinn Flanagan has progressively found more and more success on the field throughout his five-year career with Arizona Baseball. Shifting roles eventually led to his current status quo, no defined role but a career-low ERA.
However, from the moment he stepped on campus in Tucson the right-hander from Chandler immediately found triumph in the classroom.
Flanagan, who has already graduated from the Eller College of Management with an undergraduate degree in Finance, is currently pursuing his Master's Degree in Entrepreneurship while helping the Wildcats make another run at a conference championship and more.
The son of a teacher and an accountant, his academic prowess stemmed from his upbringing and carried through into his time at Corona del Sol High School, where he carried an impressive 4.0 GPA.
"I think academic success is something that my parents really instilled in me early on," Flanagan said.
Three times he has earned academic recognition from the Pac-12 Conference, a testament to his hard work and ability to thrive under the intense time demands placed on a student-athlete.
"That's definitely an accomplishment that I'm really proud of," he said. "I think it really shows how much time and effort I put into time management to balance baseball and my academic life."
Flanagan again boasts a 4.0 GPA, this time through his post-graduate studies in Entrepreneurship. The strong programs offered by Eller and the University of Arizona were an important part of his decision to become a Wildcat.
"Academics definitely played a large role in my decision process. My grandparents and great grandparents all went to Arizona, and through that I already knew that Eller was a big deal," he said. "That was something that caught my eye during the recruitment process – once I started looking at all my options, Eller really stood out."
As a freshman in 2018 Flanagan was limited on the field due to an injury sustained late in his high school career. Instead of focusing on the unfortunate situation, he viewed that extended downtime as the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the resources offered by C.A.T.S. Academics and begin his journey in the classroom on a strong foot.
"That year was huge for me. I think a lot of people when they hear that they're going to be redshirting it takes on a negative connotation for them, but I don't think that is true at all," Flanagan said. "Not only did it give me a lot of time to train myself with baseball, but I also had a lot of time dedicated just to academics and it allowed me to discover what a college workload really was like."
His commitment to athletics has paid off in the classroom, and vice versa. Strong communication and a dedication to excellence has led to a career-best year on the diamond for Flanagan in 2022. Through a team-leading 23 appearances, he has logged a 3-1 record with a sparkling 1.72 ERA
"I think whatever you do on the field or in training definitely transfers over to the classroom," he said. "Baseball is all about overcoming adversity and flushing bad performances, since you play 56 games in a season. It's the same way in the classroom – you might have a rough week or a rough test but you have to keep a level head and understand there's always going to be an opportunity coming to bounce back."