When many people win major awards, they like to display them for everyone to see, but that's not Elizabeth Milian's style.
Ball State University softball team's ace pitcher won many awards this season, including Mid-American Conference Pitcher of the Year, MAC West Pitcher of the Week three times, a first team All-MAC selection, the Nan Harvey Sports Woman of the Year Award.
Most recently Milian was named to the Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division I All-Great Lakes Region First Team.
The mathematics education major is equally successful in the classroom, maintaining a 3.94 grade point average after three years at Ball State. Her success in the classroom earned her a place on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V First Team and makes her eligible to be named to the magazine's Academic All-American Team, which will be announced next week.
Such success on the field and in the classroom would be enough to make some people think very highly of themselves, but not Milian. During the season this year, Milian only read one article about her and her team.
"I only read it because my friends told me that my piddly hit quote was in the story, so I read it," Milian said.
The story came after Milian allowed only one hit in a game and referred to the lone hit as a "piddly" one. After the game, Milian did not take credit for her success in the game, but willingly passed the limelight to another teammate who also deserved credit for her performance.
"Yeah, I pitched a one hitter," Milian said." But Aly [Pennock] had two diving catches, scored the winning run and had a double play that got us out of the 6th."
Milian said her background in math is part of the reason she doesn't read stories.
"It's kind of awkward," Milian said. "Usually there's stats in there and I don't like to read about my stats in the middle of the season because my math brain will start going. The first few games I have to try really hard not to focus on my batting average because it's really easy to calculate after the first few weekends."
Milian said the biggest reason she does not read about herself is so she does not allow her success get to her head. Milian's father is the pastor of a church in her hometown of Grand Blanc, Mich. and she credits her faith for helping to keep her from becoming prideful about her success.
"I'm not playing for myself," Milian said. "I'm totally aware of the fact that the talent that I have been given and the opportunity to play at this level is totally a gift from God. Because of that, I can't allow myself to become prideful because I know that what I do is for Him and by Him."
Though Milian seems to be very humble, she said her pride is still something she must battle with.
"One of the reasons I don't read the articles is because it causes me to get somewhat prideful," Millian said. "Don't get me wrong, there are some times when I do struggle with pride, but I find myself praying through it."
Milian is very active in the Ball State chapter of Athletes in Action (AIA), a Christian organization aimed to help athletes grow in their faith and learn to use their position of influence as an athlete to share their faith with teammates and others.
Ball State's starting catcher, Natalie Bejarano, is also involved in AIA. She said Milian, though a year younger, is someone that she looks up to both on the field and off.
"She's a great role model and a great leader for the team," Bejarano said. "Everyone looks to her for extra motivation. She works really hard for us, so we try to work hard for her, but off the field, she's really helped me grow in my faith. In fact, she's the one that got me involved in AIA and that stuff."
Bejarano said without Milian trying, it is obvious to her teammates that she truly cares about them.
Milian rarely stops smiling, and if she does, it is most likely because she is on the field, focused at what she is doing, Bejarano said.
"The only time she's not smiling is on the field when she's focused," Bejarano said. "It starts on the bus, she has a straight face, no emotion, but after the game, she is back to her lighthearted fun self. She is a true competitor."
Just as her faith comes from her family, her competitive side most likely does too. Her father, Ted, was a center in the Canadian Football League for NFL Hall of Famer Warren Moon and helped the Edmonton Eskimos win five consecutive Grey Cups from 1978-82. Milian's mother, Sarah also gained notoriety in Canada for becoming the country's first female sportscaster. Her sister, Rebekah, was the starting left fielder for the 2005 National Champion University of Michigan Wolverines.
"I don't compare myself to them," Milian said. "I just do what I do. I don't feel like I have to accomplish what they have."
Even if she leaves Ball State without a national championship, Milian will still leave her knowing she has left an impact on Ball State softball, both as a competitor on the field and as a great friend for her teammates.
"Taken out of softball," Bejarano said, "she just loves God and just wants other people to get to know God. She's a great person and a loyal friend; she loves life and loves people. She's a great influence to be around. It's so refreshing to be around."
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