When the Toronto Blue Jays called his name in the first round of the 2005 draft, Titans Baseball player Ricky Romero traded in his college jersey for a major league uniform and made a promise to his mom.
He vowed that he would return to school to finish his degree.
Twenty years later, following a successful pitching career in Major League Baseball, the former All-Star fulfilled that promise at Cal State Fullerton, crossing the commencement stage with the Class of 2025 and earning his bachelor’s degree in sociology.
“When I think about how far I’ve come and what I’ve accomplished, earning a degree is one of the coolest things that I’ve achieved in my life,” says Romero.
Going to Cal State Fullerton was always in the cards for Romero, whose dad recognized his Titan potential at a young age. After the pair visited Goodwin Field for the first time, Romero’s dad told him, “You’ll be pitching on that mound one day.”
“My dad’s intuition was right,” says Romero. “Going to Cal State Fullerton was one of the greatest decisions I ever made because it helped me grow as a person and a player.”
From Goodwin Field to a Major League Diamond
Growing up in East Los Angeles, Romero dreamed of playing baseball on a big-league diamond. In high school, his talent and love for the game landed him on scouts’ radars, and he was drafted in the 37th round by the Boston Red Sox.
Although excited about the prospect of living his dream, Romero decided to prioritize his education. He accepted a scholarship to CSUF and joined the Titans Baseball team.
At CSUF, Romero found himself surrounded by a culture of tradition and history. The Titans Baseball program boasts 30 conference championships, four national championships and more than 65 alumni who have gone on to star in the major league show, including Justin Turner, Kurt Suzuki, Michael Lorenzen and Matt Chapman.
As a student-athlete, Romero competed in two College World Series championships, including the 2004 College World Series, where he helped lead the Titans to victory by pitching in the semifinals and winning Game 1 of the series against the University of Texas at Austin.
He made his MLB debut in Toronto in 2009, and his career was filled with memorable moments on the hill, including serving as the Blue Jays’ 2011 Opening Day starter and getting the call to join the 2011 All-Star team.
“Cal State Fullerton put me on the right path, especially when it came to the mental side of baseball,” says Romero. “The program set me up for success and taught me how to deal with adversity, which helped me transition into the pro ball lifestyle.”
Fulfilling a Promise
After retiring from the game in 2018, Romero remembered his promise he made to his mom. But now with three young children of his own, his return to school had new meaning: “I knew I wanted to graduate, but beyond that, I wanted to show my kids that when you start something, you can always finish it.”
With support from Allyson Kelly, director of athletic academic services, Romero chose a class schedule that worked for his family, learned to navigate campus as a returning student, and began taking courses in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. CSUF’s Athletic Academic Services supports more than 350 Division I student-athletes, helping current and former Titans achieve their academic goals and earn degrees.
Earning a degree is one of the coolest things that I’ve achieved. Ricky Romero
“He established a successful career playing professional baseball and was able to support his family, but he wanted to set an example for his children. Since returning to school, he has strived for greatness and found success in the classroom,” says Kelly ’04, ’06 (B.A. political science, M.S. kinesiology).
In his courses, Romero had the opportunity to reflect on his MLB career through a sociological lens.
“When we learned about the sociology of social media, I realized that I understand this topic on a personal level. I’ve had 150,000 people follow me on social media and criticize me after a bad game. It was incredible to be able to discuss that experience in an academic setting,” says Romero.
Crossing the Commencement 2025 stage, Romero fulfilled his long-awaited dream of earning a college degree. He says his success would not have been possible without the help of his home team — his wife, Kara, their three children, and his parents.
