How baseball’s lessons shape successful mortgage careers
By Andrew Brooks Baker, Staff Writer for National Mortgage Professional
Baseball is more than just a sport; it's a training ground for life. Just ask a group of mortgage industry vets and rookies who have traded in their gloves and cleats for client meetings and closings. Each of them — former college standouts, minor leaguers, and even a long-time pro — credits their baseball careers for shaping the very qualities that drive their success in the mortgage industry today.
On the field, players learn quickly to perform even when they're not feeling their best. Mortgage lending requires the same resilience, demanding consistent excellence regardless of mood or circumstances. It’s a game of preparation, determination, and adaptability.
Success on the diamond hinges on teamwork, and mortgage professionals echo this truth. Behind every effective loan officer is a strong team, each member understanding their role and executing seamlessly. Communication is critical, as these former athletes have learned to interact comfortably with all kinds of people — from anxious first-time homebuyers to seasoned real estate investors.
The competitiveness instilled by baseball drives these professionals to constantly strive for improvement. They embrace the pressure, understanding that thriving under stress can lead to great victories. Baseball taught them humility, hunger, and the invaluable lesson that the hardest work often happens when no one's watching.
Handling failure gracefully is another crucial trait that baseball imparts. Players strike out and commit errors, but the game continues, and tomorrow brings new opportunities. This mindset directly translates to the mortgage business, where setbacks are inevitable, and resilience determines long-term success.
Among the ten individuals featured in this story is a unique father-son duo, embodying how baseball’s legacy can be passed through generations, shaping values and ambitions. Additionally, several of these former players are now part of Primis Mortgage, drawn together by their shared experience at the Showcase Baseball Academy — a place dedicated not only to athletic excellence but also to molding young men into strong leaders.
As you scroll through this visual journey, you'll move around the bases, uncovering powerful insights from each player. You’ll see them both in their playing days and as successful mortgage professionals today. Each quote reveals how baseball’s lessons — about energy, discipline, humility, and perseverance — continue to guide their professional and personal lives.
...where the qualities that make champions on the field also build excellence off it.
Michael Smalley, CrossCountry Mortgage
STARTING PITCHER
Florida State and Florida (college), Team USA 18U National Team, drafted by the Atlanta Braves
“Baseball taught me a lot that I still benefit from today. Being humble and hungry, competitive and coachable are traits of successful people in any arena. And in the mortgage industry, I continue to practice what I learned on the diamond and the mound: hard work, no fear of failure, the value of teamwork, and belief that hard work can trump talent.”
John J. Owens, Primis Mortgage
STARTING PITCHER, UNC Charlotte 49ers
“At one point, when I was the 10th pitcher at a junior college, my father, a Buffalo cop, told me ‘You can quit or you can grind this out.’ I made the team and got a scholarship to Charlotte. Now, every day, we grind. Being on the mound pitching against NC State, bases loaded, and I had to get three guys out without having them score. If you can overcome that pressure, the Treasury going to 4.6 is no big deal.”
Derek McGowan, McGowan Mortgages
STARTING PITCHER, RELIEF PITCHER, Park University, Georgia College & State University, KC T Bones (minor league), San Jose Giants (minor league)
“One of the greatest lessons baseball teaches is how to handle failure. A game where even the best hitters fail seven out of ten times forces you to develop mental toughness, shake off setbacks, and focus on the next opportunity. That same mentality is critical in the mortgage industry, where deals don’t always go as planned, challenges arise daily, and success comes to those who stay persistent, adapt quickly, and keep moving forward.”
Brad Erwin, Primis Mortgage
FIRST BASEMAN, UNC Charlotte
“There’s a lot of correlation between baseball and the mortgage world. One big thing is the competitiveness of it. I think you’re always competing for something in this industry, whether it’s a customer or someone’s attention. So it’s taking that competition and will to win and putting it into what we do every day.”
Adam Dellemonico, Movement Mortgage
SECOND BASEMAN, Roger Williams University
“It's not about how you play when you are feeling your best, it is how you play when you are feeling your worst. The mortgage industry is 24/7, it is relentless. Going into the business with this mentality was crucial to my success. Embrace the hard — and stick to your daily activities no matter how you feel. Discipline is far more important than motivation.”
Brandon Wolf, Primis Mortgage
SECOND BASEMAN, Wingate University
“The biggest thing all my coaches instilled in me was: ‘What are you doing when no one’s looking?’ If you’re only practicing for an hour or two, you’re probably not going to excel. It’s the exact same with mortgages. If you’re doing nothing when nobody’s looking, then you’re probably not going to meet a whole lot of people.”
Nick Owens – Primis Mortgage
SHORTSTOP, NC State, St. John’s River State Community College, Virginia Tech
“Brian Cain, my mental performance coach at Virginia Tech, gave me this great line: If you’re juiceless, you’re useless. It was about bringing energy and intensity to everything you do. Whether it’s baseball, my career, or just life in general, I try to bring that same energy, focus, and passion every day.”
Tommy Manzella – Gulf Coast Bank & Trust
SHORTSTOP, Tulane University
Drafted by the Houston Astros in 2005, debuted in MLB with them in 2009, started opening date Shortstop in 2010. 10 year professional career playing for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago White Sox and Toronto Bluejays.
“In the mortgage industry, you meet a lot of people with different backgrounds, ethnicities, beliefs, and goals — which is a lot like baseball. I have played on countless teams with so many different types of teammates and personalities. Just learning that everyone communicates differently has helped me adapt to various types of clients and connect well with a wide range of people.”
Patrick Doyle – Guild Mortgage Company LLC
RELIEF PITCHER, Missouri State. Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds.
“If you’re going to be a successful loan officer you have to have a strong team behind you. Just like being a pitcher, your eyes are all on you, and once that ball leaves your hand, it’s up to your teammates to help you out.”
Adam Laird – Cornerstone Home Lending
RELIEF PITCHER, University of Virginia
“It’s really a never-ending quest to continue getting better. My high school coach always said, ‘If you didn’t work today, that means somebody else outworked you.’ So you’ve got to keep improving, keep looking at new ways of doing things… You can have a bunch of great players, but truly great teams — where everyone buys in — are really tough to beat.”
Building Leaders Beyond the Field
Given that John Owens founded Showcase Baseball Academy and Nick Owens and Brandon Wolf are both graduates who now work at Primis, here’s a bit more about that pipeline of mortgage pros:
John Owens founded SBA in Charlotte, North Carolina, driven by a clear vision: to prepare young players not just for baseball, but for life. “I wanted them to have the mindset of, “Hey, I want to play college baseball,’” Owens explains. The academy rapidly grew, emphasizing discipline, resilience, and leadership both on and off the field.
Today, SBA is nationally recognized, graduating hundreds of students each year into college baseball programs. Owens deliberately hires many academy graduates into Primis Mortgage, confident that these young men understand perseverance and how to overcome adversity. “If they can handle baseball's grind and failure,” he says, “then mortgage challenges like interest rates going up are nothing.”
More Wisdom from the Dugout
Not every great quote made it into our journey around the diamond — but here are a handful of others that deserve highlighting:
Adam Dellemonico emphasized discipline: “Discipline is far more important than motivation as you will not be motivated every day.”
Patrick Doyle reminded us, “Control what you can control… If you start worrying about things you can’t control, you’re going to lose it.”
Tommy Manzella offered perspective: “You are either getting better or getting worse—there is no such thing as staying the same.”
Derek McGowan shared timeless advice: “Never get too high or too low. There will be good and bad days but keep yourself balanced.”
The Power of Mindset
At its heart, mortgage lending — much like baseball — is about managing setbacks and staying focused under pressure. It requires individual excellence within a cohesive team environment. Those who thrive understand perseverance, humility, and relentless self-improvement. As these former players illustrate, the diamond mindset is not just a competitive advantage; it's the foundation of lasting success in the mortgage industry.
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