Ben Jedlovec

I am working with Dr. Clark Haptonstall, the head of the Sport Management Program in Rice’s Kinesiology Department. Along with Dr. Ryan Zapalac, also of the Sport Management Program, Dr. Haptonstall and I conduct various research projects for teams in the local sports industry. Last fall, we collected survey responses at Minute Maid Park during Astros games, attempting to evaluate the fans’ reactions to the off-the-field experience at the ballpark. We are in the process of evaluating the responses and will present the data to the Astros front office staff this Spring. Additionally, Dr. Haptonstall and Dr. Zapalac guide my own research ideas in the baseball statistics field. This research is potentially useful to general managers in Major League Baseball as they invest hundreds of millions of dollars in building competitive baseball teams. I plan to attend a national Sport Management conference with my two professors next fall where we will present our conclusions.

I am a Hanszen College freshman at Rice. I attended Virgil I. Grissom High School in Huntsville, AL, where I spent my entire life before coming to Rice.

At some point in high school, I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in a front office in professional baseball. Rice’s Sport Management Program provides me with opportunities to gain experience in the sports industry. The professors have established a good relationship with the major sports organizations in the Houston area. After earning my degree in Sport Management and Statistics, I hope to join a professional baseball organization.

In my free time, I enjoy reading, playing club baseball, and competing for Hanszen in intramural sports. I also compete with friends in fantasy baseball leagues and enjoy cheering for my Chicago White Sox. I am a part-time intern with the Rice baseball team.

The Century Scholars Program played a big part in bringing me to Rice. It has allowed me and several other students to pursue our academic passions as early as freshman year. The program allows us to step into our particular research field at a level appropriate for our experience and capabilities. The mentor relationship is also greatly beneficial in that we experience firsthand how research is conducted at the highest level with experts in the field while we get to know our mentors on a more personal level. Even before completing our time as Century Scholars, we are prepared to contribute our own research at the highest level.