When senior catcher James Braxmeier reported to military basic training at 18 years old, he assumed his varsity baseball career was over. After four years of service and six years of not being a varsity athlete, he is now a collegiate-level baseball player. 

Braxmeier arrived at IC in August 2024 after finishing his service in July 2024. Because Braxmeier served as a lab technician during his time in the Air Force, he earned about 70 total credits, which started him at junior standing at IC. 

David Valesente, head coach of the Ithaca College baseball team, reached out to Braxmeier after a recommendation from the club baseball team’s president in December 2025, halfway through Braxmeier’s senior year, when one of the team’s catchers transferred and others picked up injuries. 

Despite holding the role of a bullpen catcher and not being expected to play in any games, the decision was easy for both of them.

“Honestly, I was kind of hyped,” Braxmeier said. “I just like playing the game, you know what I mean?”

When Braxmeier was in the military, he had no plans of playing baseball again. During his service, two of his passions were re-ignited: baseball and working with children. 

Braxmeier played slow-pitch softball for fun during most of his time in the Air Force, but found a passion when he began coaching a local little league team made up of 8-12 year olds in the small town of Alamogordo, New Mexico while he was stationed at Holloman Air Force Base. 

Braxmeier’s career goal has always been to help children with speech impediments. Growing up with a speech impediment himself, he sought out to make speech therapy easier and more enjoyable for children. He is currently pursuing his bachelor’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology and is set to graduate in May. 

“I had a speech impediment when I was a kid … I hated going to speech [therapy],” Braxmeier said. “It was my least favorite thing and I was like, oh s—, what if I went and did it so the kids would like doing it? So I feel like that’s where the love for wanting to work with children and stuff is because I want them to like it as much as me.”

Coaching a youth baseball team fed right into the path of working with kids. Braxmeier fell in love with teaching kids the game of baseball, not only for passing on his knowledge of the game, but for simply being around them.

“Kids are fun, they’re always excited,” Braxmeier said. “They want to do things. I feel like that’s my vibe. I never want to stay complacent, and kids are always keeping you on your toes.”

After coaching 8-12 year olds for a season, Braxmeier moved up to coaching 13-15 year olds. Even though he admits that coaching the younger kids was more enjoyable, his passion for coaching remains in the same roots.

“I love coaching baseball to kids because you can make them love the game,” Braxmeier said. “I think that’s the coolest part about working with kids. You can make them fall in love with something.” (Courtesy of James Braxmeier)

Braxmeier left for basic training Aug. 4, 2020, and packed up his room in July 2024 to come to Ithaca College. Being stationed in New Mexico and the southern region for all of his service added to the difficulty of the adjustment to college life.

Baseball did not become a regular part of Braxmeier’s life at IC until the summer before his senior year.

Braxmeier and his brother, who also served in the Air Force and now attends the University of Maryland, made a decision together to sign up for their college’s club baseball teams.

For Braxmeier, the transition to college life was not smooth, but in a different way than normal. 

“I was doing well in class, participating, but when it came to the test, I didn’t bomb it, but I think I got a C on it and I was like, ‘I know what I’m doing, but I bombed it,’” Braxmeier said.

Besides Braxmeier’s initial struggles, the standards that he and others were held to was another adjustment.

“I mean, it pisses me off when people show up late to class, [that] still sends me through it,” Braxmeier said. “I feel like it’s work ethic and stuff like that kind of instilled that in me.”

Work ethic and dedication are parts of Braxmeier’s character that his current varsity teammates are impressed by. Junior catcher Owen Callahan said Braxmeier has been nothing but good for the team’s culture.

“He’s always asking the coaches, ‘What can I do to help? Can I feed the machine? Throw batting practice? Warm guys up?’” Callahan said. “He’s just a glue guy, he’s looking to do whatever he can. He’s not looking to step on anybody’s toes. … He’s just a great presence.”

Braxmeier said he has loved being around the team and all of his new teammates. Callahan said that love is reciprocated.

“I guarantee you, if you ask anybody about Jimmy, they all say they love him,” Callahan said. “He’s a great guy to talk to, super easy going, super low maintenance.”

Although Braxmeier currently serves the role of bullpen catcher, he had not played the catcher position at the varsity level since his first year of high school, but had filled in at the position for the club baseball team. 

This factor did not matter to Valesente when having his first conversation with Braxmeier. Valesente said he thought it was phenomenal when he found out of Braxmeier’s service.

“We made a connection right away and he made a good first impression,” Valesente said. “I personally felt that he would fit in well with our guys and our culture and our players.”

Since joining the team, Braxmeier has not let Valesente regret his decision to take him onto the team.

“He’s extremely respectful,” Valesente said. “He’s a ‘yes sir, no sir’ type of communicator. I think a lot of the things that he does are military driven. So I think it’s pretty awesome.”

Braxmeier plans to go to graduate school, but not before coaching a high school travel baseball team over the summer. 

“I love coaching baseball to kids because you can make them love the game,” Braxmeier said. “I think that’s the coolest part about working with kids. You can make them fall in love with something.”