“It was a great experience for me. Growing up that’s where I wanted to go to play college basketball, so when I had a chance to do that, I took it,” he said. “I’m super grateful for everyone I met there. I wouldn’t be the player I am today without going there for two years.”

After two years at MSU, Bellach decided it was time for a change. There was no regret about his experience, but he craved a bigger role. When it became time to choose his next destination, Tech felt like the right fit for multiple reasons.

Tech head coach Adam Hiatt recruited Bellach heavily when he was in high school. Hiatt encouraged him to give Division I basketball a shot but let him know that if anything changed the door would always be open for him in Butte.

“It was time for him to have a more impactful role, so it was time to come home,” Hiatt said.

Along with the relationship with Hiatt from a couple years prior, family ties made Tech feel like the right landing spot. Bellach’s father, Jeff, was a great player for the Orediggers from 1995 to 1999. Jeff Bellach ranks third all-time in scoring with 1,778 career points and was inducted into the Diggers Athletics Hall of Fame.

Jeff was the head coach of Manhattan Christian and helped lead them to the state title Caleb’s senior season. Now in Caleb’s second year as a Digger, Jeff has joined the coaching staff.

“After being my coach throughout high school, it’s awesome to have him back on the bench,” Caleb Bellach said.

In Caleb’s first season at Tech in 2021-22, he helped guide the team to a historic season. The Diggers set the school record for wins in a season, won both the Frontier Conference regular season and tournament championships and won their first ever national tournament game.

The program had been building towards success since Hiatt took over in 2016, and Caleb played a pivotal role in getting over the hump.

“That’s the standard that has been set here, we’re a winning basketball team. It comes with Montana Tech basketball, we’re going to compete every year,” Caleb Bellach said.

On top of the team’s success, Caleb earned hardware of his own for his individual accomplishments. He was named an Honorable Mention All-American, first team All-Conference and Frontier Conference Newcomer of the Year.

Caleb started every game in his first season at Tech and averaged 15.2 points per game while shooting 40% from behind the arc.

It has been more of the same in year two of his time in Butte, both with team and individual success. As a team, the Diggers are ranked No. 12 in the nation with a 19-3 record as they sit at the top of the Frontier Conference standings. As the team’s leading scorers, Caleb averages 18.5 while hauling in five rebounds per game.

In his second season, the biggest adjustment has been stepping up as a leader. Last year, Tech was led by six seniors. This gave Caleb the opportunity to step in an as a newcomer and just worry about playing.

Things are quite different this season, as the Diggers are without a single senior on the roster. There are plenty of fresh faces and players stepping into new roles. With Caleb as one of the few players with experience in his position, he’s taken on more of a leadership role.

“He’s become much more vocal. This year he recognized early on that he would have to step up his leadership abilities,” Hiatt said. “He’s always giving insights on the opponents we’re about to play and the details of our game plans because he’s been through it before. When your best player is one of your hardest workers and he’s a vocal leader, guys follow him.”

As a player and leader, Caleb’s contributions to the Tech basketball program have been immense. In a time where the Diggers have taken a massive step as a program, he has been a big part of it.

From a high school state title, to playing for his childhood dream school at MSU and now following in his father’s footsteps at Tech, it has been a sensational journey for a Montana-raised kid.