When head coach Sean McDermott refers to his program, he uses two words: Chicago Tough.
 
"This city is based on blue-collar work ethic. This is a city that wakes up, goes to work and punches the clock. No matter what the weather, no matter what the conditions are, we feel like we have a responsibility to those who came before us and also to the university that has given us such great opportunity to represent Chicago."
 
Looking around his clubhouse, it's clear that the person who best represents the Flames' mantra of Chicago Tough is McDermott's veteran leader, Joshua Figueroa.
 
Through hard work and determination, Figueroa, who began his journey as an under-recruited walk-on, has developed into an All-American, by way of his preseason honors from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) entering the 2022 season.
 
The idea of being "Chicago Tough" isn't a new concept to Figueroa. Having grown up in the Windy City, graduating from De La Salle Institute, the designated hitter and catcher for the Flames has exemplified the idea of putting in the time and effort necessary, dating back to his high school days.
 
"He wasn't the fastest player around, but he had a strong arm and possessed such a high work ethic that you knew he was going to be a good ballplayer," said De La Salle Institute's Chris Hall, Figueroa's high school coach.
 
Despite the work ethic, Division I offers were not materializing for Figueroa, who primarily played infield as a young player.
 
"It was the summer of 2016 (prior to entering college) and I wasn't really sure what I was going to do," said Figueroa. "I wasn't sure if I was going to continue to play baseball at the next level."
 
Hall was determined to find a landing spot for the player known to his teammates as 'Fig' and knew that UIC would be the best spot for him. Hall, who coached former Flames Rafael Garcia and Devin Melecio in high school, had seen how much his former student-athletes had developed while at UIC.
 
"I saw what Coach (Mike) Dee and Coach (Sean) McDermott did with several other players that came to UIC," noted Hall. "I knew how much the other players developed and knew it would be a great spot for Josh. I kept telling Sean, 'Hey, you need to get this kid, trust me.'"
 
McDermott saw Figueroa play during his senior year of high school and that summer with the Chicago Cubs RBI program. Ernest Radcliff, one of the program's directors, saw many of the same qualities Hall saw in the future Flame.
 
"You can tell a lot about a player by the way they come to a ballpark. Are they dressed professionally and things of that nature? He came up at the tryout, introduced himself and shook my hand. From that point on he made a great impression on the organization. He was well-mannered, always hustled, and was a great teammate. Everyone loved him," said Radcliff.
 
UIC took a shot on Figueroa, but as a walk-on and with plans to move the infielder behind the plate.
 
The path for now All-American wasn't easy. McDermott acknowledged there was failure on the field initially for Figueroa, who redshirted as a freshman in the spring of 2017 and struggled to find consistent playing time behind a long line of decorated Flames backstops.
 
"I always believed in myself and knew that with this opportunity I would be able to make the most of it. Despite changing positions, I believed in myself knowing that I was going to come here and put in the work necessary to be successful," noted Figueroa.
 
Through hard work and perseverance, things began to change for Figueroa entering 2019, a season that would culminate with a trip to the NCAA Tournament for UIC.
 
"The 2019 season was where he finally asserted himself and said 'I believe in myself and I can do this,'" said McDermott. "We didn't go into the season thinking Josh is going to be our starting catcher and two weeks into winter practice we're like, 'holy cow, where did this come from?'"
 
Figueroa went on to hit .294, en route to being named All-Horizon League Second Team. The catcher would belt three home runs, including a solo shot against #7 Louisville in NCAA Regional play, and drive in 34 runs for the year.
 
Now a focal point of the team, Figueroa was able to overcome the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season to have a career year in 2021. Figueroa appeared in 47 of UIC's 48 games, leading the team in hits (61), doubles (14) and RBIs (54), while ranking third in batting average (.351) and home runs (7). The season culminated with Figueroa being named All-Horizon League Second Team for the second time in his career, in addition to being selected to the Horizon League All-Tournament Team.
 
In his sixth year with the program, Figueroa has a new accolade to add to his collection - All-American. As the primary designated hitter and part-time catcher for the Flames, the 23-year-old was named preseason Third Team All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
 
"The biggest thing I preach is to just be yourself. As a freshman, I compared myself to everybody, but now I realize that everybody is on a different journey; everybody's development is different. Stay true to yourself and try to get better each day," said Figueroa.
 
There's still a lot of baseball left in Figueroa's career, both at UIC this season and beyond. But for those who have been with him along the way, the sense of pride is evident.
 
"I'm just proud that I had the opportunity to coach him and watch his development," said Radcliff. "It's an outstanding feat for him and for all the people that have coached him. His parents instilled great discipline in Josh and I'm truly proud of him."
 
"Knowing where he came from and his circumstances, it's why I coach. Guys like Josh are why I coach. I'm so proud of him," noted Hall.
 
But it's UIC's head coach that sums up Figueroa's journey best.
 
"This is the greatest success story in UIC history!"