Emma Thorman

D3Week: Business & Baseball

4/9/2026 10:30:00 AM

Between navigating through classes, practices, and games junior Caleb Martinez (Wheeling, Ill.-Wheeling) makes time to run his own business and play his childhood game. The business major and right-handed pitcher on the Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team, Martinez has found himself in the middle of the entrepreneurial scene, owning and operating his own search engine optimization company, Bear SEO.

Martinez started his company two and a half years ago and has been able to build it up throughout his time at Illinois Wesleyan. Bear SEO helps businesses grow their brand and create clean quality which increases brand awareness. Through the help of the business program at IWU, Martinez has led Bear SEO to help customers bring in more clients, with himself holding over 20 plus one off clients and five recurring subscription clients.

"The business program at IWU, I couldn't have asked for a better support system," Martinez said. "The professors and deans of business and economics have all supported me in my venture and have always pushed me to keep going with what I am building."

When Martinez isn't working with customers, he can be found on the pitchers mound, toeing the rubber of Jack Horenberger Field. The junior has been an integral part of the Titan bullpen in his three years as a member of the squad, growing his role his sophomore and junior year. He has appeared in 21 career games, pitching to a 8.39 strikeouts per nine over 32+ career innings.

"Being able to step away from professional life and play sports is a really good balance for me," Martinez said. "The mental side of sports and the mental side of professionalism, I think both go hand-in-hand. I think baseball and being a student-athlete is a really good work balance for me."

The right-hander is on pace to have a career year for the Titans through 23 games. In his junior campaign, he has appeared in seven games, starting one. Martinez has struck out six batters with opposing offenses hitting .231 against him, the lowest since his two appearances his freshman season.

Another attribute Martinez has added to his tool box is leadership, both in the dugout and the business. Martinez, an upperclassman on the baseball team, has taken leadership qualities he has learned through running a company and applied that to teaching on the baseball field.

"I really like having an impact. I like being the person that drives the most impact," Martinez said. "I like to be the figurehead, shake hands, kiss the babies, and make connections."

Martinez picked Division III because of the opportunity to do the two things he loves to do, play baseball and grow Bear SEO. Through Division III athletics at Illinois Wesleyan, Martinez is able to connect with like-minded people who balance academics and athletics along with having fun and being able to play the game he loves, baseball.

"DIII week for me, embraces the balance of academics and athletics," Martinez reflected. "I think it's important to acknowledge the fact that all of us are playing because we love the sport, not because we are treating it like a job."

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