May 21, 2025
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Baseball: Memories of his brother there for Westmont native Joe Donovan during Michigan's College World Series run

Donovan uses bright lights of postseason run to shine a light on mental illness awareness and suicide prevention

By MATT LE

Last week, Joe made similar history by helping Michigan reach the College World Series championship series for the first time since 1962. The Wolverines (50-22) became the first Big Ten team to reach the final since Ohio State in 1966. Donovan, a sophomore, homered in a 7-4 win in Game 1, but Vanderbilt rallied to win the best-of-three series with a 4-1 win in Game 2 and an 8-2 decision in Game 3 last Wednesday in Omaha. “It was awesome just being out there seeing the amount of Michigan fans in person, hearing the crowd yelling,” Donovan said. “It gives you chills when you year it, especially not being from a traditional baseball school. “It was a lot of fun and the whole season was a blast.” (Photo provided)

Last week, Joe made similar history by helping Michigan reach the College World Series championship series for the first time since 1962. The Wolverines (50-22) became the first Big Ten team to reach the final since Ohio State in 1966. Donovan, a sophomore, homered in a 7-4 win in Game 1, but Vanderbilt rallied to win the best-of-three series with a 4-1 win in Game 2 and an 8-2 decision in Game 3 last Wednesday in Omaha. “It was awesome just being out there seeing the amount of Michigan fans in person, hearing the crowd yelling,” Donovan said. “It gives you chills when you year it, especially not being from a traditional baseball school. “It was a lot of fun and the whole season was a blast.” (Photo provided)

The only thing missing was Charlie, who signed with Michigan but committed suicide shortly after graduating from Westmont. It was a tragedy nobody saw coming. “They don’t write a book for coaches on how to handle those situations,” Westmont coach D.J. Cocks said. “When it happened, I was not prepared. “I got 50 players looking at me going, ‘What in the world?’ And I didn’t have an answer for them. What am I supposed to tell them? “It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to go through in my entire life. [Charlie was] someone I was really close with. But what a great time [this] is for the Donovan family.” (Photo provided)

Indeed, Joe Donovan has used the bright lights of the College World Series to shine a spotlight on mental illness awareness and suicide prevention. A beloved teammate and articulate speaker just like his brother, Joe spoke eloquently about the subject in Omaha and since returning home. “I was really happy that the story was able to touch so many people,” Donovan said.“I got a lot of texts and had some people coming up on the street saying, ‘I went through something similar, it’s a big inspiration what you’ve done and I can show my kid.’ “That was really touching, so I was really happy to be able to impart a little bit of hope in some people. It was a great experience to have that platform to create a little awareness.” The 5-foot-11, 180-pound Donovan resembles his brother in build, looks and skill. A Third-Team Big Ten selection, he batted .234 with nine home runs and 37 RBIs this season and threw out 16 of 31 attempted base-stealers. No doubt, Charlie would have been proud of Joe’s accomplishments. “Charlie loved Joe so much,” Cocks said. “He was the older of the two and they were best friends. “[The World Series appearance] brings up positive memories for [Joe]. Charlie was with that whole Michigan team. He was supposed to be the senior on that team.” (Photo provided)

In a way, Charlie was part of the team. On Senior Day, Michigan coach Erik Bakich honored Charlie with a jersey and plaque, a classy move which meant a lot to the unassuming Joe. “I’m looking at the jersey right now,” Donovan said. “It was a really special moment and Coach Bakich came to me with the idea and asked me if I thought my parents would be fine with it. I said they would love it. “I was more hesitant because of the seniors on the team and not trying to steal any of the spotlight from them. It was their day and I was a little bit nervous to take some of the spotlight away from them by putting it in Charlie’s honor, but I talked to some of the seniors and they couldn’t have been happier to do it. “They were the same class as Charlie, obviously, so they all knew him very well. They all embraced, some of my teammates shed a few tears and it was a really special moment. I was really happy that they would do that for my parents.” (Andy Bao)

Donovan has shed a lot of tears for his brother over the past four years. There is a hole in his life that cannot be filled. But he has dealt with his grief in a variety of ways, seeing a counselor and delving into subjects like stoicism and Taoism. “I’ve always been a big fan of different philosophical forms and writing,” Donovan said. “I’m a very intrinsic person. I wouldn’t say I’m good at exploring the reaches of my mind but I’m definitely a curious person, which has helped me a lot.” One person who helped Donovan was Westmont math teacher Marc DeLisle. “I would hang out in his room all the time,” Donovan said. “One time I asked him if he had any advice for me going on through college and life. “The one thing that always stuck with me was something his mother had told him when he was young. ‘Whenever you find yourself needing help yourself, you can find it in helping other people.’ “I’m always trying to do that. Whenever I find myself getting a little down in the dumps, I try to go out and help other people, whether it’s in a baseball sense or just talking to my friends.”

Donovan, the first Westmont player to appear in the College World Series, was disappointed the Wolverines didn’t win the national championship, but perhaps not as much as Cocks. “You feel for him because he came up just short,” Cocks said. “If Charlie was on that team, I have no doubt in my mind they would have won the national championship. “You get two winners on your team; those brothers would have been fun to see. For Joe to be able to go do what his brother was going to do is special. We’re all proud of him in the Westmont community.” Donovan is aiming to lead the Wolverines to the title next year and hopes to be drafted by a Major League team after the season. But his baseball exploits may end up being the least of his accomplishments. He is determined to continue Charlie’s legacy by giving his brother a voice. “When Charlie was going through the tough times that he had, no one really knew about it, didn’t really talk about it,” Donovan said. “But it doesn’t have to be mental illness. “It could be somebody being sick, so maybe take the time out of your day to ask someone you might not normally talk to on a daily basis, make a point to ask that person how they’re doing, whether something is wrong or not. “I’m going to try to do a better job of that. Sometimes getting asked about that is the greatest feeling ever.”