While working 3 a.m. shifts, UC engineer wowed baseball's Big 12
Spectrum News highlights UC grad's baseball, co-op success
Spectrum News profiled a University of Cincinnati graduate who made a name for himself on the field as baseball's Big 12 Player of the Year.
Kerrington Cross was a four-time All-American while playing for the Bearcats.
He also earned a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from UC's College of Engineering and Applied Science. He took advantage of UC's co-op program to work for L'Oreal's 24-hour manufacturing site in Florence, Ky., which offered flexible hours to accommodate his demanding baseball schedule of practices, workouts and team meetings.
In UC's co-op program, students divide the year between full-time coursework and full-time employment in their chosen field.
Spectrum news caught up to Cross while he was cleaning out his UC baseball locker.
Cross told Spectrum News he was convinced to come to UC after visiting campus with his mom five years ago.
“You could tell toward the end of his time here he wanted to leave a lasting mark as a guy who made a difference in our program and our university,“ UC Head Coach Jordan Bischel told Spectrum.
Cross was born in Hawaii and grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana, which has produced Major League Baseball talent in Tucker Barnhart, Lance Lynn and Drew Storen.
Cross hopes to continue that baseball legacy. The Major League Baseball draft is this weekend. Update: Cross was drafted in the seventh round by the San Diego Padres.
“It is a dream, but at the same time it's what I've always wanted to do, and I don't want to just settle on hearing my name called,“ Cross told the Indianapolis Star. “I want to make it all the way and give it my all until I'm done.“
Watch the Spectrum News profile.
Featured image at top: UC graduate Kerrington Cross earned success in baseball and engineering. Photo/UC Athletics
UC graduate Kerrington Cross, left, talks to Spectrum News reporter Javari Burnett about his time at UC studying chemical engineering and playing baseball. Photo/Michael Miller
Next is Big (XII)
Bearcats athletics compete at the highest level — Power 4 — and fuel a spirit of excellence that echoes across campus like the cheers of Down the Drive. Whether on the field or in the stands, our community comes together to celebrate determination, teamwork and pride in the C-paw.
Related Stories
Helping UC medical students in times of need
October 27, 2026
Ben Stamler, MD, Med ’26, will be forever grateful to his parents, Rick Stamler, MD, Med ’85 and Betsy Rabkin, MD, Med ’85, for financially supporting him through medical school. Their generosity, he says, allowed him to graduate from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine debt-free, and removed the burden that the vast majority of his peers would have to carry forward for years to come.
Design your workforce with co-op
October 27, 2026
At Chicago’s bKL Architecture, UC DAAP alumna and associate director Olivia Kempf now hires the co‑op students she once was, using UC’s architecture co‑op program to bring in fresh design ideas, build a talent pipeline and help students launch their careers.
Engineer by day, professional cheerleader by night
October 26, 2026
Cadence Knecht always loved two things: engineering and dance. She earned her chemical engineering degree and MBA from the University of Cincinnati in 2025 and a 2026-27 professional cheerleader for a football organization.