By: Hernan Ruedas
Braydan Koegel’s journey at William Peace University has been a rollercoaster ride. Originally recruited to play baseball, Koegel found a new passion within WPU Esports, where he has been a key member of the Rocket League team since the spring of his freshman year. Now a junior majoring in Simulation and Game Design, he has fully embraced the world of competitive gaming while focusing on his studies.
Koegel came to WPU with baseball as his main focus, having played the sport his entire life with the goal of competing at the collegiate level. However, his passion for the game began to fade.
“I think I just kind of lost the motivation to play baseball,” Koegel said. “College baseball felt more like a job and took up a lot of my time. I was losing the love for the game and knew it was time to hang them up. That’s when I started focusing more on school and esports.”
At first, stepping away from baseball was an adjustment, but Koegel soon found a new competitive drive and motivation in Rocket League. A hobby that started as a casual interest quickly turned into a serious passion, giving him a fresh outlet for competition. The game’s fast-paced action and strategic depth reignited his love for teamwork and improvement, much like his experience in baseball.
His experience with WPU Esports has been incredibly rewarding. “The best part of being on the team is definitely the LAN events. Traveling to in-person tournaments is always the most fun,” Koegel said. Experiencing intense games alongside his teammates, Hernan and Evan, and Coach Coleman makes every match even more exciting. He loves the energy of competition and the connections they share, cherishing these moments as some of the best in his collegiate journey as an esports player.
When Koegel first joined the esports program it was small and not as competitive. Now the esports teams are thriving with great players along with a close knit esports community.
Under the leadership of Head Esports Coach Coleman Arehart, the teams have continued to improve. “Coleman has been really good for us,” said Koegel. “He’s helped us improve so much over the years and grow the program.”
Looking ahead to his senior year, Koegel hopes to take on a larger leadership role within the team.
“I’d like to be the captain, maybe even the coach,” Koegel said. With Koegel’s experience with the program, he has been a starter for the rocket league team since his freshman year and now nearing the end of his Junior year ready to take that next step as a leader.
The Rocket league team has made the playoffs every year since Koegel has been with the team and has come short each time.
Koegel has his eyes set on one thing and that is “Win a championship, that is what we are all practicing for,” said Koegel.
Currently, the Pacers sit at the top of their division with a 3-0 record, poised for another playoff run and a possible championship which would be the first in WPU Esports history.
Koegel is determined to leave a lasting impact on the WPU Esports program. He wants the program to be recognized at the same level as other sports programs at the university and to continue growing in both competitiveness and reputation.
“My goal is to help make this program more well-known, not just in our school but in collegiate esports as a whole,” Koegel said.
With his competitive commitment to the game, Koegel is a key player to watch as the WPU Rocket League team continues to improve and make a statement.