Oustanding Graduate Landon Amstutz Came to Owens to Play Baseball, And He’s Leaving With a Lot More
Landon Amstutz didn’t come to Owens Community College just to play baseball. He came to build a career, and he’s done both at an exceptionally high level.
Recruited to play for the Owens Express out of Liberty Center High School, Amstutz will graduate in May with his Associate of Science in Welding as the program’s outstanding graduate.
On the field, he leads the Express this season with a .459 batting average, 32 RBI and 39 hits through 28 games. In the classroom, he earned Ohio Community College Athletic Conference All-Academic honors with a 4.0 GPA his freshman year.
Balancing both hasn’t always been straightforward.
“Being a student-athlete is a very time-consuming thing to do in college,” Amstutz said. “I have to manage all my school work and exams with baseball. There have been many times I have had to miss class for baseball and I have had to talk with teachers about how to make my things up outside of class.”
That challenge grew significantly last fall when Amstutz had knee surgery and spent two weeks on crutches — a particular obstacle as a welding major.
“With being a welding major, it was hard to go to class because I couldn’t walk,” he said. “I had to talk with the teachers and work around it and manage my time when I got healthy completely differently to catch up.”
Through it all, Amstutz leaned on his father and his teammates and coaches for support.
“My father has made a great impact on me throughout my whole life; from sports to school to becoming a better man,” Amstutz said. “He always pushes me to do what is best and right. He is one of my biggest supporters and is willing to do anything for me if I need help.
“My teammates are one of the most supportive groups of people to be around. Our coaches have helped shape me to be ready to be a great person after I graduate. They are willing to fight for anyone or help anyone on the team when they need it.”
After graduation, Amstutz plans to put his welding degree to work and launch his career.
Published May 2026