Olivet Nazarene University announced a new partnership with Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs that makes Olivet the official education partner of the Cubs organization. Ben Zobrist, Cubs second baseman and a member of Olivet’s class of 2004, will serve as the university’s spokesperson.

Zobrist will appear in a series of promotional communications highlighting Olivet’s new ONU Global initiative, a program that oversees the university’s School of Graduate and Continuing Studies and administers non-traditional learning.

“We could not be more thrilled to announce this partnership with the Cubs organization and to find such an outstanding partnership ambassador in Olivet alumnus Ben Zobrist,” said Ryan Spittal, ONU vice president for strategic expansion. “Ben is a man of faith and an outstanding example of a friend and teammate, and we are so glad to have him as an ambassador for Olivet and this partnership.”

Zobrist, 34, was drafted in 2004. He played nine seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays and won a 2015 World Series ring as a key position player with the Kansas City Royals.  

A native of Eureka, Illinois, Zobrist attended Olivet for three years. He played three seasons on the Tigers baseball team at pitcher, second base, and shortstop before transferring to Dallas Baptist University for his senior year.

“I would not be where I am today without Olivet and the education the university provided," Zobrist said. “With the flexibility and variety in programs offered by Olivet’s School of Graduate and Continuing Studies, now everyone can advance in both career and life by letting Olivet take them from where they are now to where they want to be.”

Allen Hermeling, senior director of corporate partnerships for the Chicago Cubs, is excited about the agreement. 

“We’re pleased to welcome Olivet as the official education partner of the Chicago Cubs, and we look forward to working with an inspiring role model in Ben Zobrist to encourage future generations to pursue their dreams,” he said.

ONU Global has locations in Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan, offering more than 30 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs.

Partnered with more than 200 organizations across the U.S., ONU Global has more than 150 learning locations, including five regional centers. ONU Global also has a presence in Hong Kong along with partnerships in China, the Czech Republic, South Africa, Dubai UAE, and Israel. 

More information on ONU Global and the School of Graduate and Continuing Studies is available at graduate.olivet.edu.

--Olivet Nazarene University