If there was anybody who played the game the way it was supposed to be played it was Kurt Fillmore. Over a prolific four-year career at The Master's College, the sparkplug ignited the offense from the top of the order, ran the bases with abandon, and played all-out in center field.

But just as important as his on-field exploits was his leadership role in a program that experienced a meteoric rise from laughingstock to national title contender during his time in the blue and gold. In reality, he developed into what a TMC student-athlete should be and one against whom all others will be measured for years to come.

Along with 20 teammates in the spring of 1997, it didn't take long for him to make an impact and lead the Mustangs out of the ashes to unprecedented heights and national recognition. Although he struggled at the plate during that initial season, he showed glimpses of a bright future with a high on-base percentage and a team-high 24 stolen bases as the Mustangs put the disarray of the previous year behind them with 22 wins.

A year later, the program took a quantum leap and Fillmore was at the apex of it, hitting at a .326 clip, drawing a school-record 47 walks, and pilfering another 33 bases. More importantly, he triggered a potent offense that produced a then school-record 34 wins and a venture into the NAIA Region II Playoffs for the first time in five years. 

The Mustangs' climb to national prominence was just beginning and in 1999 the squad racked up a school-record 37 wins, finished in the Top 25 for the first time in the sport's history, qualified for the regional playoffs for the second year in a row, set or tied 31 team or individual marks, and produced a trio of All-Americans. Fillmore fueled this potent offense on the way to becoming the first Mustang in program history to be named an NAIA First-Team All-American after hitting .399 and setting single-season standards for runs scored, walks, stolen bases, and on-base percentage.

But that was all just grand preparation for what happened in the first season of the new millennium. With Fillmore leading the way again, the Mustangs equaled their one-year old record for wins, captured the NAIA Region II championship for the first time and earned a third-place finish in their first-ever trip to the NAIA World Series.

After his final at-bat in the blue and gold, Fillmore left his playing days behind with 12 school records, including career marks for runs scored (204) and stolen bases (139). Even more remarkable may have been his play in center field where he committed only three errors in four years, including none in his final two seasons.

Fillmore performed in the classroom, too, earning a bachelor's degree in Physical Education. Following graduation in May of 2000, he stayed on with the baseball program, becoming Monte Brooks' right hand man and a valuable teacher of the game for the next three years. 

In June of 2002, Kurt married Becky McGuire and a year later he joined the Los Angeles Police Department. The couple reside in Santa Clarita and attend Grace Community Church.